WASHINGTON (September 12, 2016) — The George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center is pleased to announce that Michael K. Benedict, PharmD, has been appointed as the associate center director for administration and finance. In this role, Benedict will be responsible for the oversight and general management of the central administrative functions of the GW Cancer Center including finance, budget, compliance, recruitment, personnel, space planning, and research administration oversight.
The GW Cancer Center, established in 2015, is the umbrella organization for all of the cancer-related activities, from basic science, population sciences, and clinical research to outstanding patient care and health policy, taking place at GW. The GW Cancer Center leverages the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the GW Medical Faculty Associates, the GW Hospital, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health to enhance GW’s efforts in cancer research and patient care.
“I am thrilled to have Michael join the GW Cancer Center team. Michael is a highly accomplished and knowledgeable cancer center administrator with vast experience and a track record of success in leading the administration, research, and finance divisions. His expertise is critical to helping us build the infrastructure we need to make GW Cancer Center a leader. I know that his experiences will inform decisions that we make and help us to reach our goals,” said Eduardo Sotomayor, M.D., director of the GW Cancer Center.
Benedict will be responsible for supporting the cancer director in three major initiatives, including: philanthropy, partnerships with the private sector to establish Sponsored Research Agreements, and outreach and relationship building with the international community based in Washington, D.C. He will be directly involved with strategic planning and is responsible for ensuring the programmatic and financial objectives of the GW Cancer Center are achieved.
Benedict joins the GW Cancer Center from Georgia Regents University Cancer Center in Augusta, Georgia, where he served as the associate center director for administration. In this role, he provided administrative leadership and oversight for the clinical and research components of an emerging NCI-designated Cancer Center. Benedict was also responsible for all of the outpatient activities of the Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, including cancer clinics, infusion center, and radiation oncology. He also managed laboratory and clinical trials shared resources.
Prior to joining the Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, Benedict served as the associate center director for research administration and the vice president for research operations at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, and as the senior vice president for research operations, and the associate director for administration at the City of Hope National Medical Center/Beckman Research Institute in Duarte, California,
In addition to his important and relevant experience, he is also active in professional affiliations and committed to service within the profession. He has served on the executive committee for the Cancer Center Administrators Forum, has served on the AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting program committee, and has served as an NCI Cancer Centers site reviewers.
Benedict’s first day as the associate center director for administration and finance at the GW Cancer Center is August 31, 2016.