Oakland University today announced the appointment of Dr. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz as the new president of the institution. Pescovitz will be the university’s seventh president when she succeeds current president George Hynd, who will be in office until Aug. 14. The university’s Board of Trustees voted Thursday to hire Dr. Pescovitz, a senior vice president at Eli Lilly and former CEO of the University of Michigan Health System.
After OU announced in September Hynd’s contract would not be renewed, the university conducted a national search for its seventh president, culminating in a vote between two finalists, Dr. Pescovitz and Carl T. Camden, president and CEO of Troy-based Kelly Services, a workforce solutions and office staffing company.
“My outlook on the university is that it’s bright and exciting,” Dr. Pescovitz told DBusiness Daily News. “I went through a series of interviews starting with an airport interview, then an interview with the board and the public forum, and all of those were fun, and exciting, and I enjoyed them. Each time, I learned more and more about Oakland and each time I got more and more excited.”
She adds that she’s looking forward to working with Oakland’s students, faculty, and staff, and she expects the job outlook for Oakland graduates to continue to brighten.
Dr. Pescovitz is a pediatric endocrinologist and researcher who has published more than 190 papers and books. She also frequently speaks on a range of topics, including healthcare, diversity, leadership, and women’s issues. She has more than 30 years of experience leading change in academic health centers and universities, and facilitating collaborations between academic and community partners.
Dr. Pescovitz completed her pediatrics residency at the University of Minnesota and Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and was a medical staff fellow in endocrinology.
