Billy R. Ballard, D.D.S., M.D., has been appointed Interim Dean of the School of Medicine at Meharry

(Nashville, Tenn.) - Dr. Ballard, currently Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology has served Meharry Medical College as a tenured professor since 2000.

“Dr. Ballard is the right kind of leader at the right time for Meharry – he is committed to upholding our academic mission by providing stability and wisdom during this transition period as we seek an individual who will continue to take us to new heights in academic health care,” said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., President and CEO of Meharry Medical College.

Dr. Ballard’s Background
Dr. Ballard was the former Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Medical School Admissions, at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a DDS and MD from Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee. His postdoctoral studies include residency training in pathology at George W. Hubbard Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee; State University of New York at Buffalo; and, Roswell Park Memorial Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York. He completed a Fellowship in Surgical and Cytopathology at Roswell Park Memorial Cancer Institute and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi. He has received fellowships from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, New York Division.

Doctor Ballard is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral Pathology and a Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology. His honors include Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Dental Society, Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, and the American Academy of Oral Pathology.

He has received teaching awards at the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at Meharry Medical College, State University of New York, and the University of Mississippi. He is the recipient of the coveted Harris L. Kempner Award, and the Martin Luther King Award at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The Texas State Legislature and the University of Texas Medical Branch Alumni Committee honored Dr. Ballard for his leadership in admissions and graduation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Other awards include, The Moody Foundation Certificate of Meritorious Service, The Texas University System Certificate of Appreciation for Distinguished Service, Distinguished Service Award, Texas Association of Advisors for Health Professions, Alumni Achievement Award, Meharry Medical College, The Leonard Tow 2004 Humanism in Medicine Award, and Recipient of the “Improving the Diversity of Health Workforce from HRSA, Bureau of Health Professions.

Dr. Ballard has had continuous HRSA funding since 1982 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch and Meharry Medical College, the funding includes the HCOP, Post Baccalaureate Program, the Hispanic Center of Excellence, and the Historical Black College and University Center of Excellence.

Executive Director of the Center for Women’s Health Research
This administrative appointment comes as former Dean, School of Medicine, and Senior Vice President of Health Affairs, Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., returns to the full time faculty to dedicate the majority of her efforts to serve as Executive Director of the Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR). She is also a tenured full professor, supporting Meharry’s education mission in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

About Meharry Medical College
Meharry Medical College is the nation’s largest private, independent, historically black academic health center dedicated solely to educating minority and other health professionals. True to its rich heritage, it is a United Methodist Church affiliated institution. The College is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services; and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation’s health professions workforce. Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s ranking of institutions annually lists Meharry as a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees, and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences.