Burroughs Appointed Dean of College for Public Health and Social Justice

09/03/2019

Thomas Burroughs, Ph.D., has been named dean of the College for Public Health and Social Justice after serving in the role on an interim basis since July 1, 2017. His appointment became effective summer of 2019.

The appointment was “strongly supported” by the college’s faculty and staff, as well as the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and SLU leadership, said Chester Gillis, Ph.D., SLU’s interim provost.

“Tom has demonstrated a decisive ability to catalyze the College toward a promising future,” Gillis said. “Creating healthier communities is at the heart of the mission of Saint Louis University and we look forward to continued leadership from Tom in helping us invest in that mission.”

Burroughs began his deep connection to public health at SLU in 1999, when he taught a biostatistics course as an adjunct professor at what had been the School of Public Health. He joined SLU’s full-time faculty in 2003 as the first executive director of SLUCOR (SLU Center for Health Outcomes Research).

His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Administration and private foundations and his scholarship has focused on healthcare quality, social determinants of health and analytic methods. He has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters and serves on multiple national committees.

Burroughs previously had spent 15 years on faculty at Washington University School of Medicine and at BJC Healthcare as a corporate director of quality. He was the principal architect of a clinical monitoring and reporting system that earned a National Quality Management Award from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

Burroughs holds a graduate degree in mathematical statistics from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and master’s and doctorate degrees in psychology from Washington University. 

Gillis said Burroughs brings a unique academic and corporate background to the role of dean, and strong relationships with key stakeholders in the region and across the country.

“Students in the College for Public Health and Social Justice are fortunate that they are embarking on their academic journey at a time when their expertise is widely needed,” Gillis said. “Healthcare is changing dramatically and students and partners of the CPHSJ will be positioned to bring their diverse sets of skills together for lasting impact.”