Costello to Lead Stanford School of Medicine Communication Efforts.

Business Editors/Education Writers

STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 2003

Paul Costello has been named chief of Communication & Public Affairs at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the medical school, announced today. Costello will join Stanford Jan. 7, 2004.

"I am absolutely delighted that Paul Costello has agreed to lead our communication efforts," Pizzo said. "He has an exceptional range of experience and talents that will serve the school and university enormously well as we work to change the future of medicine for the 21st century."

Costello is a veteran communications strategist with a background in government, the corporate sector and academia. He comes to Stanford from the University of Hawaii, where he served as the vice president for external affairs and university relations at the 10-campus, Honolulu-based system. At the university, he supervised activities in government relations, media relations, marketing and special events.

Early in his career, Costello served as a press spokesperson for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. He was press secretary for Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste for three years and served as press spokesperson for Kitty Dukakis during the 1988 presidential campaign. He later moved into the private sector and held management positions at several of the nation's top public relations firms, including Ogilvy, Adams and Rinehart in Washington, D.C.; Edelman Worldwide in Washington, D.C.; Hill & Knowlton in Chicago; and Weber Shandwick International in New York. His clients included major companies in health care, biotechnology, computers, publishing and cable television. Costello also served as vice president of public affairs at the cable premium television network, HBO.

A social worker by training, Costello has degrees from the University of Illinois and from Southern Illinois University, where he also studied communications.

"I am honored and excited to join the Stanford School of Medicine under the leadership of Dean Pizzo," said Costello. "Dean Pizzo's vision - to create the future of academic medicine rather than merely to predict it - is bold, visionary and contagious. To be part of this team, in the 21st century when extraordinary breakthroughs in science and medicine will come to fruition, will be deeply rewarding to me both professionally and personally."

Costello will relocate to the Bay Area with his wife, Rita Beamish, a journalist, and his two daughters, Kelly, 11, and Kira, 7.

Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions -- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. For more information, please visit the Web site of the medical center's Office of Communication & Public Affairs at http://mednews.stanford.edu.