Dr. Barbara K. Rimer will step down from her position as dean of the Gillings School of Global Public Health on June 30 after 17 years in the role, according to a campus email sent Wednesday.
Rimer was appointed dean of the school in 2005 and is UNC's longest-serving dean, according to the email. She was also the first woman and behavioral scientist to serve in the role.
During her time as dean, Rimer secured a gift from the Gillings family, which led to the school's renaming in 2008. She has also facilitated relationships with other UNC entities including the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
After June 30, Rimer will remain on the Gillings School faculty, which she originally joined in 1992 as an adjunct associate professor.
Dr. William L. Roper, vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the UNC School of Medicine, will chair the search committee for a new dean of the school.
The search for a new dean of the Gillings School is one of many currently or soon to be underway at the University, including deans for the College of Arts & Sciences and the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, as well as a new executive vice chancellor and provost.
