Richard Southby

Dr. Richard Southby began his journey in public health in his native Australia, where he had originally planned to go into hospital administration at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria.  His career path, however, changed course when he attended Cornell University for his master’s degree.  He saw his future in the emerging field of health policy and developed a passion for putting more emphasis on public health on his return to Australia.

After receiving his doctoral degree in the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University in Australia, and holding teaching and research positions at Monash University and The University of Sydney, and being a full-time commissioner on the Australian Hospitals and Health Services Commission, he continued his career at the George Washington University when he joined the faculty in 1979.  He held numerous faculty and administrative positions, including executive dean and distinguished professor of global health in the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Health Affairs at the GW Medical Center; chair of the Department of Health Services Management and Policy; Foundation Gordon A. Friesen Professor of International Health; and the Walter G. Ross Professor of International Health, among others. He continues his involvement at GW as chair of the dean’s council, College of Professional Studies; founding director and senior adviser to the Police Science Program; and academic representative to the NROTC Unit. He is also senior adviser to the Army ROTC Battalion at Georgetown University. As adjunct professor of preventive medicine and biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, he directs the Interagency Institute for Federal Health Care Executives.

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