BUSPH Dean Robert Meenan Named Master of American College of Rheumatology; Youngest President in ACR History.

Dean Robert Meenan of the BU School of Public Health was named a Master of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) on Nov. 10th at the organization’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The ACR is an international professional medical society that represents more than 9,000 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals around the world. The designation of Master is conferred on ACR members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievement and/or service to their patients, students and profession.

Dean Robert MeenanDr. Meenan joined the rheumatology faculty at Boston University in 1977. Over portions of the next 15 years he directed the Arthritis Clinic at Boston City Hospital, served as principal investigator of the NIH Multipurpose Arthritis Center and as Arthritis Section Head at Boston University. He was a pioneer in the application of clinical epidemiology methods to rheumatology, and his research played a leading role in introducing questionnaires and other patient-centered outcome measures to rheumatic diseases.

Dean Meenan served in a number of leadership roles for the ACR, chairing the Education, Communications and Marketing and Planning Committees. From 1988-1991 he served successively as Second Vice President, President Elect and President of the ACR. He continues to be the youngest person ever elected to serve as ACR President.

Dr. Meenan was a long-term member of the Arthritis Foundation Board of Directors, serving as national Senior Vice Chair in 2004-2006. He also served terms as a member of the national advisory boards for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield and as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation.

In 1992 Dr. Meenan became Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health. With twenty years of service, he is the senior dean at Boston University and the senior dean in public health in the nation. He attributes much of his success as dean to the skills he learned as a clinical rheumatologist.