Dr. William Curry to Resign as UA CCHS Dean; Dr. Eugene Marsh Named Interim

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. William A. Curry, dean of The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences since 1998, is stepping down to accept a position at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. There he will serve as professor of medicine, attending physician on the Tinsley Harrison Service at University Hospital and as the University of Alabama School of Medicine associate dean for primary care and rural health.

“Under Dr. Curry’s leadership, CCHS has been able to see the reality of housing the College under one roof,” said UA Provost Dr. Judy Bonner. “The University thanks Dr. Curry for his leadership and his years of service, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”

UA’s University Medical Center, which opens May 11, combines all of the college’s academic and medical activities in one home. It will allow growth of the College’s clinical programs, will meet accreditation standards, will allow students and employees of UA easy access to medical care and will provide space and resources for collaboration with other colleges within the University.

Dr. E. Eugene Marsh III, neurologist and medical educator, has been named interim dean of The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences. He also will serve as interim associate dean of the UA School of Medicine, Tuscaloosa.

The appointments were announced by Bonner and Dr. William Deal, dean of the UA School of Medicine. Marsh’s appointment will be effective July 1.

Since August 2001, Marsh has served as associate professor in the department of internal medicine and as associate dean for academic affairs in CCHS. Marsh has maintained a private practice in Tuscaloosa since 1990 and has instructed UA School of Medicine students and residents for more than 10 years. He is also the medical director of the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation.

“Dr. Marsh has a strong track record in medical teaching and practice, and we look forward to the contributions he will make as he leads the College of Community Health Sciences in serving the rural and other under-served areas of the state,” Bonner said.

“The School of Medicine is delighted to have someone of Dr. Marsh’s caliber to lead our program in Tuscaloosa as we begin the search for a permanent dean,” Deal added.

Marsh will head CCHS, a clinical branch campus of the UA School of Medicine, which has its central campus in Birmingham. The primary responsibility of CCHS’s educational programs is to contribute to the improvement of healthcare in Alabama, emphasizing small towns and rural areas. The College’s programs are designed to increase the accessibility and availability of healthcare and to improve its quality through research, education and service.

CCHS provides the last two years of clinical training for a portion of the medical students enrolled at the UA School of Medicine, and it operates a three-year family practice residency program. The College also provides training sites and internships for students in clinical dietetics, health education, healthcare management, nursing, pharmacy, psychology and social work.

Marsh is a native of South Carolina and received his bachelor’s degree cum laude from UA in 1975. He received his M.D. from the University of South Alabama in 1979. After an internship in family medicine, he completed a neurology residency at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., in 1983. He also served as a teaching fellow at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences from 1981-83.

When he completed his military obligation, Marsh underwent two additional years of training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as a fellow associate in cerebrovascular diseases.

He is the author of numerous publications and presentations, most of which deal with cerebrovascular disease. Marsh has received numerous awards for his excellence in teaching from both medical students and residents, and he most recently was awarded the Leonard Tow 2003 Humanism in Medicine Award by the Arnold F. Gold Foundation.

Marsh has three children. His oldest daughter attends Davidson College in North Carolina. He and his wife, Kim, live in Northport with their two children.