M. Roy Wilson has been selected as the 12th president of Wayne State University in Detroit. He will take office on August 1. Dr. Wilson has been serving as deputy director for strategic scientific planning and program coordination at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Immediately prior to joining NIH, Dr. Wilson chaired the board of directors of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. Previously, Dr. Wilson served as dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for health sciences at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and, concurrently, chancellor of the University of Colorado Denver.
The son of a Japanese mother and an African American father, Dr. Wilson grew up in Japan where his father served in the U.S. military. He is a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and the Harvard Medical School. He also holds a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of California at Los Angeles.
“We looked at a number of outstanding candidates from around the nation,” said Debbie Dingell, chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors. “The board concluded that Roy’s extensive leadership experience — particularly in academia and medicine — will be crucial as both the state of Michigan and Wayne State grapple with changes in higher education and health care. His understanding and appreciation of the importance of a major research university is yet another reason Roy is the right person at the right time for Wayne State. We are delighted that he has joined this great university.”
This is excellent news for both Wayne State and the city of Detroit!