Dr. Robert R. Frank, associate professor of medicine and associate dean for academic and student programs at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has been named interim dean, effective Oct. 25. He succeeds Dr. John Crissman, who stepped down recently as dean.

Frank has been a member of the School of Medicine faculty since 1977 and, as associate dean, has guided the shaping of a comprehensive medical curriculum. He also is currently leading a drive to raise funds for construction of a new medical education building at the school.

"We are pleased that Dr. Frank has agreed to lead the School of Medicine during this exciting time of transition and progress," said Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid. "His longtime association with the medical school, as both a faculty member and key administrator, further equips him for this important role as interim dean."

According to Nancy Barrett, Wayne State provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Frank will provide the necessary leadership to maintain the school's missions of education, research and patient care while a national search is conducted for a permanent dean. "I am confident that Dr. Frank will provide the vision and direction to keep the school on its charted path of growth during this interim period," Barrett said.

Frank"s major clinical interests are in geriatrics and end-of-life care. He was the chief of medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital from 1983-1985 and he co-founded the Palliative Care Service at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Brandeis University and entered Wayne State University as a medical student in 1968. He served his internship and was chief medical resident at Detroit General Hospital.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.