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Alumni members who participated at the school’s first Board of Visitors retreat gather during a pre-dinner reception. Seated (from left) are Drs. Taylor Lewis and Robert Lucas. Standing (from left) are Drs. Jack Ryan, Carolyn Sprague, Noel Lawson, Dean Crissman, and John Malone, Jr. Dr. Julius Combs was not able to attend. Dean John Crissman’s recent appointment of four alumni to the School of Medicine Board of Visitors (BOV) has enlarged the alumni presence on this important group. Drs. Noel Lawson, ‘63, Taylor Lewis, ‘78, Robert Lucas, ‘55, and Jack Ryan, ‘55, join two alumni serving on the board since the mid 1990s: Drs. Julius Combs, ‘58, and Carolyn Sprague, ’84. Until his death last October, Dr. Raymond Margherio, ’65, also was a member. (See obituary.) Part of his initiative to expand and energize the advisory group, Dr. Crissman’s recent appointments have raised the number of board members to just over 30. Drawn from diverse communities served by the school, members are physicians – some with special expertise in medical administration, as well as leaders in diverse fields including business, union, finance, publishing, public relations, law and religion. As advisors to the dean, these accomplished individuals share their expertise and informed perspectives on issues relevant to the school and to academic medicine. Equally important, BOV members provide an advocacy network, building links between the school and its local, state, national and international constituencies. Members also assist in the school’s resource development programs. The group’s current chair is Margaret Smith, a board member since 1994. Smith views alumni participation in BOV activities as “essential to their success.” Widely respected for decades of community service, she has worked to improve health care and education in Detroit and beyond. Smith also sits on the board of the Detroit Medical Center and was the first woman to chair the Kresge Foundation Board. In 1999, she received the School of Medicine’s Distinguished Service Award and was named by The Michigan Women’s Foundation as one of its Women of Achievement and Courage. The award honors leading Michigan women whose commitment to community service and outstanding leadership have “empowered and inspired” others. The Margaret Smith Directorship of the Women’s Studies Program at Duke University in Durham, NC, is named in recognition of her efforts to promote gender equity.
Program participants included Dr. John O’Connell, who heads the Department of Internal Medicine, BOV Chair Margaret Smith, Year IV student Ruthie McCrary who described a typical medical student’s hectic daily schedule, and Dean Crissman. At its first meeting of the current academic year, the board attended a retreat at The Detroit Athletic Club. Following an orientation for new members, the program featured a comprehensive overview of the school’s present and future. Dean Crissman surveyed the state of the school and key administrators discussed their areas of responsibility. The program also included a presentation detailing the board’s role in advancing School of Medicine missions. Gary Rounding, Wayne State University’s senior vice-president for development and alumni affairs, outlined university-wide fund raising plans. Among the retreat’s highlights were student accounts of their experiences at the school.
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