The Founding Dean of the Medical School at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Barbara Atkinson has been named the founding dean at the University of Las Vegas School of Medicine. In May 2014, she was named planning dean at the new medical school. Over the past 18 months, Dr. Atkinson has hired core faculty and staff for the medical school, raised funds, and developed the curriculum. A detailed operating plan for the new medical school will be filed with the accrediting agency by December 1. It is hoped that the first students will enroll in 2017.

Dr. Atkinson is a professor emerita at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She served as dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine from 2002 to 2012. An endowed professorship at the medical school has been named in her honor.

Originally from Minneapolis, Dr. Atkinson is a graduate of the College of Wooster in Ohio and the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.