It is with great excitement and humility that I come to you as the newest president of the Board of Directors of the Drexel University College of Medicine Alumni Association. Being a member of the board for the past few years has been a wonderful way to reengage with the College of Medicine community.

When I joined the board, Mark Codella, MD, HU ’84, MBA, was serving as president and he was succeeded by Claudia Plottel, MD, MCP ’84, two years ago. Drs. Codella and Plottel have been exemplary role models and leaders for the Board of Directors, and I can only aspire to rise to the standard of excellence and achievement they have set.

Beginning a new term as board president allows for a period of reflection upon the past as well as inspiration for the future. The bridge between past and future is striking to me, as I will be the first board president who is a graduate of Drexel University College of Medicine.

Fourteen years ago, when I started at Queen Lane, I was considered a “non-traditional student” — a euphemism that meant I was old. I had spent more than 16 years in the world of finance before pursuing a career in medicine. Having more gray hairs and mileage than my peers perhaps gave me more appreciation for my predecessors. As president of the Student Government Association at the time, one of my projects was to place a large poster in the school cafeteria that detailed and highlighted the legacy schools of our institution — Hahnemann Medical College, Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Hahnemann University and MCP Hahnemann University. I felt it was important for current students to see and learn the heritage of our medical school, which stretches deep into the 19th century.

Just as the past of our school is impressive, so too is the future. Last year marked the inaugural class at the West Reading campus and over the next year we will see the Philadelphia campus slowly transition from Queen Lane to a beautiful new facility in University City.

As president, it is my pledge to continue to honor the glorious past of the College of Medicine and all its legacy schools, while forging into the future alongside our school’s current students, staff and administration. On a snowy Monday night this past January, I had the pleasure of leading a lumbar puncture skills workshop out of the Queen Lane Simulation Center for PGY-1s and PGY-2s. Similarly, I and other board members have regularly engaged students via career exploration workshops, providing judging for Discovery Day, serving as role models and mentors, and more. I hope that we can continue and expand the relationship between our alumni and the current student body.

Anyone looking to reach the Alumni Association Board of Directors can do so via medical.alumni@drexel.edu. I look forward to any ideas, feedback or contributions from our alumni community.

As we begin the next academic year, it is truly an honor to serve as president for the Board of Directors of the Drexel University College of Medicine Alumni Association. I look forward to bridging the past and future of our school and connecting with all members of the Drexel community.