Two academic leaders have assumed positions to help UT Southwestern recruit leaders in their fields and retain outstanding faculty members.

Rueyling Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology, has been named Associate Dean for Biomedical Research Recruitment and Advancement. Jessica G. Moreland, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, will serve as Associate Dean for Faculty Development.

Rueyling Lin, Ph.D.

Professor of Molecular Biology and Associate Dean for Biomedical Research Recruitment and Advancement

Dr. Lin said it is an honor to be back at what she considers one of the best biomedical research centers in the world.

“I am charged with developing strategies for the recruitment of the brightest young minds to UTSW, retention of brilliant basic researchers already on campus, and to promote recognition, both internally, nationally, and on the international stage, of our best,” she said.

Dr. Lin joins UT Southwestern from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), where she served as Senior Scientific Officer, taking part in the review and final selection of various competitions at HHMI, including one HHMI Investigator competition, three Hanna H. Gray Fellowship competitions, and two special equipment competitions.

Previously, she spent 22 years at UT Southwestern, last serving as Professor of Molecular Biology and a member of both the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine.

In her Associate Dean role, Dr. Lin will work with Joan Conaway, Ph.D., Vice Provost and Dean of Basic Research, to support advancement and recognition of basic science faculty. She will coordinate Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and STARS (Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern) faculty recruitment applications, nominations for internal awards, and limited submission funding opportunities, as well as liaise with external funding organizations.

Jessica Moreland, M.D.

Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, and Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Dr. Moreland said one of her greatest passions in academic medicine has been her experience providing mentorship to early-career faculty as a Division Director.

“Part of this is finding the right combination of mentors and helping faculty to figure out what they really want from their academic careers,” she said. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and look forward to building and sustaining new and existing faculty development programs across the campus.”

Dr. Moreland joined UT Southwestern in 2013 as Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Division Chief of Pediatric Critical Care. She served previously as Professor and Division Director of Pediatric Critical Care in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa.

Since joining UTSW and Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Dr. Moreland has served on several important institutional committees. Most notably, she co-chaired the UT Southwestern Promotion and Tenure Committee for the past three years.

As Chief of Pediatric Critical Care, Dr. Moreland has nearly doubled the size of the Division faculty in the last 10 years with significant enhancement of its diversity, mentorship, and academic productivity. Because of the Division’s focus on individuals and their unique strengths, more than half of the faculty have been successfully presented for promotion, with 11 members promoted in the last two years.