Chancellor & Executive Dean, West Virginia University Health Sciences and Dean, West Virginia University School of Medicine
By Brooke Brown
Hard work, curiosity about learning, growth and improvement have always been at the forefront of Clay Marsh’s mind. As chancellor and executive dean of West Virginia University (WVU) Health Sciences and dean of WVU School of Medicine, Marsh oversees one of the most comprehensive academic health systems in the region, guiding education, research and clinical care across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and public health.
A native of Charleston and a proud alumnus, Marsh earned his medical degree from WVU before completing his internal medicine residency and pulmonary and critical care fellowship at The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, he also completed four years of biomedical research training and coursework through the Fisher College of Business.
He initially chose pulmonary medicine and intensive care because he was drawn to the complexity of caring for critically ill patients
“I loved being in the ICU with the wide range of life-threatening issues that our patients have and the acute nature of the care,” he says.
Throughout his training and career, Marsh benefited from influential mentors who helped shape his philosophy of medicine and leadership. He credits Dr. Bob D’Alessandri, former vice president of WVU Health Sciences and dean of WVU School of Medicine, as an early mentor at the start of medical school. Dr. Rashida Khakoo, preeminent infectious diseases specialist and professor, helped Marsh develop a deep love for education. Through Dr. Jim Stevenson, one of WVU’s longest serving department chairs, Marsh found lifelong friendship.
As the son of the late Don Marsh, longtime Charleston Gazette editor and MetroNews Talkline co-host, his life was shaped by the hallmark of objective and fair journalism and defending the less powerful. He was influenced by the paper’s internal catch phrase often cited by his father: Sustained outrage for social injustice.
Marsh’s career was never mapped out from the start. Instead, his career led him down a path of continuous learning and improvement. He served as a physician leader in critical care, director of research and innovation at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center and leader of personalized medicine initiatives. When former WVU President
Gordon Gee invited him to return home to West Virginia, he saw that as a golden opportunity.
“Coming back to West Virginia from Ohio State seemed, in some ways, like being handed a torch by my father,” he says. “Seeing the growth of our academic health system, health sciences school and the talent we have recruited to West Virginia over the past decade has been one of the most privileged things I have been a part of.”
Out of all his experiences, however, one of the most defining challenges of Marsh’s career came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he helped lead West Virginia’s response.
“The experience helped me grow, challenged our team to create systems that facilitated rapid learning and developed
life-long friendships with amazing people I was fortunate enough to serve with,” he says.
In his current role, Marsh focuses on surrounding himself with strong talent and creating an environment where people feel supported, safe and connected to a shared purpose. For Marsh, leadership and service are one and the same. That philosophy carries over into his mentorship.
“Our goal is to create more leaders, not necessarily to create more followers,” he says. “Watching people grow, at home and at work, is the single most inspiring thing we get to be a part of.”
Marsh’s vision for the future of health in West Virginia goes well beyond expanding hospitals or services. WVU Medicine has helped more West Virginians get the care they need without leaving the state, but Marsh’s focus remains on the bigger picture of education, opportunity, resilience and a belief that people deserve long, healthy lives.
“Helping improve the health of our state is more than our health care assets—it is education, good jobs and belief that not only is this possible, but it is our birthright to live long and well,” he says.
Refreshing the WVU School of Public Health
As part of his broader vision for improving health outcomes across West Virginia, Clay Marsh, M.D., chancellor and executive dean of West Virginia University (WVU) Health Sciences and dean of WVU School of Medicine, is spearheading a comprehensive re-engineering of the WVU School of Public Health, which is the state’s only accredited, free-standing public health school.
The school is setting a new direction focused squarely on addressing West Virginia’s most pressing and persistent health challenges. A key priority is strengthening the rural public health workforce through targeted degree programs, certificates and training opportunities designed to meet the state’s most urgent needs.
This re-engineering effort also places a strong emphasis on tackling the environmental and behavioral factors that drive disease, including tobacco use, substance use disorder and gaps in preventive screening. At the same time, the school is sharpening its focus on health equity by addressing longstanding disparities that continue to affect rural and marginalized communities.
Another priority the initiative is focused on is ensuring research findings more directly inform practical, community-centered solutions. This helps translate research into solutions for real-world issues that will eventually help improve outcomes in health care more quickly and effectively.
These priorities reflect Marsh’s belief that improving health is about more than expanding care. They are about empowering communities, preparing future leaders and helping West Virginians lead long, healthy lives.
“Together, these developing priorities reflect WVU’s land-grant mission and signal a promising new chapter for public health in West Virginia,” Marsh says.
