Chair, Department of Ophthalmology

West Virginia University (WVU) is seeking an exceptional leader for the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the West Virginia University Eye Institute in Morgantown, WV.  Applicants must have a vision for the future of a growing department and high expectations for patient-centered care.  The position requires an individual with strong interpersonal and leadership skills, significant administrative and management experience, and a demonstrated commitment to the missions of teaching, service, and research.  Applicants must hold a MD and/or DO degree, be eligible for Associate Professor or higher at WVU, and be board certified in ophthalmology with five years of administrative experience.  Applicants will hold primary responsibility for guiding the educational programs of the department, identifying new opportunities for clinical services, and building upon a robust research program already in place.

The Department of Ophthalmology (http://www/hsc.wvu.edu/eye/) is comprised of ten subspecialties: Comprehensive, Cornea, Glaucoma, Low Vision, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Ocular Oncology, Oculoplastic, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Retina and Uveitis with 21 faculty members including 5 that are focused on basic research. The department has the only fellowship training programs and accredited residency program in the state.  The residency program currently includes 10 residents (and plans to expand further to 12). Fellowship programs are in oculoplastics, glaucoma, and retina.

Located in the WVU Eye Institute, our state-of-the-art facility occupies a prominent location on the medical campus. The faculty served over 40,000 patient visits and performed 2,257surgical procedures last year. The Eye Institute contains 43 examination rooms, in addition to testing and procedure rooms, a minor surgery room, an affiliated optical shop, four basic science labs, a dedicated ophthalmological surgery simulation lab, administrative and conference space, and a wellness center.

The Eye Institute is the largest comprehensive ophthalmology department in the state.  The nationally recognized Vision Research Center has made profound contributions toward advancing vision science and has collaborative partnerships with other WVU Departments and research institutions to build vision related research. The research program currently is in receipt of four R01 grants and one R21 grant from National Eye Institute (NEI).  The clinical research section is involved in innovative clinic trials with the support from the NEI to find better ways of treating eye disease and preventing blindness.  The department also has an active glaucoma research endeavor in St. Lucia along with other international research efforts in development.

The WVU Department of Ophthalmology is committed to serving the health needs of citizens across the state.  The faculty, residents and medical students provide ophthalmic care for indigent patients at Health Right Clinic in Morgantown.  The Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Program provides services to blind and visually impaired school-aged children throughout the state and the Appalachian Vision Outreach Program assists indigent patients in seven underserved counties in southern West Virginia.  The Department has an active pediatric eye care program through Kids Insight, a joint project with the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association and Lions Clubs of St. Lucia.  The faculty, fellows and residents also serve the nearby Veterans Administration medical center with daily staffing for comprehensive and subspecialty eye clinics and surgery. The Department also has a longstanding relationship with the Lions Club International Foundation and Lions Clubs across the state to support eye care services to people in need.  

WVU Medicine, our integrated health system, includes a multispecialty practice plan and ten hospitals.  Our teaching hospital, adjacent to the Eye Institute, is a 645-bed facility that includes a nationally-recognized Level One Trauma Center and is well-equipped with spacious operating rooms and state-of-the-art equipment.  The campus also includes the WVU Cancer Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, free-standing psychiatric facility, and a soon-to-be constructed Children’s Hospital. Faculty recruitment has been successful with 225 faculty members being hired over the past 18 months. 

WVU is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Research University (High Research Activity). The Health Sciences Center includes Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, and Public Health, each with their own research programs and each committed to interdisciplinary and translational health research. The campus includes a number of new and updated research laboratories and several dedicated research buildings. Ophthalmology researchers are key members of the University’s Center for Neurosciences.

With a metro area population of over 115,000, Morgantown is consistently rated as one of the best small cities in the U.S., with affordable housing, excellent schools, a picturesque countryside, many outdoor recreational activities, and close proximity to major cities, such as Pittsburgh, PA, and Washington, DC.   It also boasts a thriving economy which prompted Peter Alexander of NBC News to recently state that Morgantown is “an oasis of opportunity” and is full of “can-do Mountaineer spirit.”

Review of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.  To apply, visit https://wvu.taleo.net/careersection/faculty/jobdetail.ftl?job=07914   Submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae and contact information for at least three references.  Interested candidates may contact the chair of the search committee, Dr. Hassan Ramadan, at hramadan@hsc.wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer and the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity.  The university values diversity among its faculty, staff and students, and invited applications from all qualified individuals, including minorities, females, individuals with disabilities and veterans.