Janet Southerland was born and raised in Charlotte North Carolina, one of 12 children and was educated in the Charlotte Mecklenburg public school system. After graduating from high school, she received her undergraduate education in Zoology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Janet continued her education by receiving a bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene, a Doctor of Dental Surgery, a General Practice Residency and Fellowship (oral medicine and special care), a master’s in Public Health (health policy and administration), and a PhD (oral biology). Her career has focused on excelling as an educator and administrator and leader. Her passion involves cultivating learning environments that promote excellence and that embrace inclusion.

Janet has had the opportunity to hold faculty and leadership roles at different institutions. Her experiences include appointment at UNC as Associate Professor and chair of Hospital Dentistry and chief of Oral Medicine at UNC Hospitals, Professor and Dean of Meharry Medical College, School of Dentistry, Vice President for Interprofessional Education, Institutional Effectiveness, and the Health Education Center and Professor, Department of Nutrition Metabolism and Rehabilitative Sciences and Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Currently, she is Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs and Chief Academic and Research Officer at LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.

Janet’s vision for the future of education embodies excellence through building outstanding programs across all disciplines that are grounded in collaborative evidence-based educational models, while using innovative-technology to deliver high quality training to students, researchers, and care to communities and patients, particularly those in most need. Janet’s philosophy is also reflected in a quote by Max DePree that says, “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” Personally, Janet enjoys traveling and immersion in cultures around the country and world. She values sharing these moments with family and friends. Her other hobbies include consuming great food and listening to audible books, especially the Dune series.

Janet has continued to work across health professions to create meaning interprofessional collaborations and to identifying new service models. She has been funded by various agencies and contributes at local state and federal levels. Janet is also widely published, has led transdisciplinary research and clinical teams, and has served on numerous national, regional, and state professional organizations, accrediting bodies, editorial panels, and advisory organizations. She is a proud mother of four children and grandmother of three soon to be four.

Through The Sweet Spot Leader program, Janet seeks to pass along her experience and wisdom to those who, like her, are dedicated to leading transformational change to make our world a better place for everyone.