Dean of the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville from 2012-2016
The UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville is sad to announce the passing of former dean, Dr. Daniel Wilson. Dr. Wilson died on April 24. He was 69.
Many of you likely remember Dr. Wilson as a wonderful part of this organization during his time as dean from 2012 until 2016, when he left to take over as President of Health Sciences at Western University in Pomona, California. Dr. Wilson retired from Western University in 2021.
During his time at UF, Dr. Wilson was not only a great leader, but also a friend to so many. When he came to Jacksonville, he says he did so because of the quality of faculty, staff and administrators on campus, adding that the sense of mission in both academics and service was impressive, and singled out what we can all agree on—that UF Health is a special place to work. I personally owe him thanks for appointing me as senior associate dean for educational affairs here in 2013.
Before coming to Jacksonville, Dr. Wilson served as Chair of Psychiatry at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska for 12 years, and prior to that was the medical director for Ohio’s nine mental hospitals with the Integrated Health System.
Dr. Wilson earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa, and completed his residency as a joint appointee of Harvard and the Massachusetts General and McLean Hospitals. He stayed on faculty at Harvard for seven years, leaving to join the University of Cincinnati as medical director of the Lewis Center of the Ohio Department of Mental Health.
He was an internationally esteemed scholar with hundreds of publications and presentations in a wide-variety of topics, from forensic medicine to evolutionary neuropsychiatry. He was an expert in his field, testifying in many legal cases in multiple county, state and federal counts. He was even the founding chair of the World Psychiatric Association Evolution Section and President of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. Among his many great honors, he was a Sleyster Scholar of the AMA, Falk Fellow of the APA, Rotary Foundation Scholar, Life Elector of Clare Hall Cambridge, Overseas Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain & Ireland, Distinguished Life Fellow of the APA, Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists, Life Member of Alpha Omega Alpha, and a Fulbright International Specialist.
More importantly, he was a superb clinician, teacher, researcher and, certainly what many of us know here at UF Health, an effective administrator and a friend and mentor to everyone who met him.
Please keep Dr. Wilson’s family in your thoughts and prayers during the coming days and weeks.