Fall is an exciting time for our College of Medicine community, and this one is no exception. We welcomed 304 MD students and 275 biomedical, career-oriented and pre-med/pre-health graduate students to our ranks in August, during an exciting orientation week and a successful White Coat Ceremony. We also recently onboarded 56 new faculty during our virtual New Faculty Orientation.

Growth also continues among our academic campuses. This summer, Haven Behavioral Hospital became an affiliate training site for third-year MD students’ required psychiatry rotations and fourth-year psychiatry electives. Haven specializes in the care of adults who are experiencing mental health crises. The hospital offers both inpatient and outpatient services.

It’s also my pleasure to announce some new leadership roles. In the Office of Educational Affairs, Seema Baranwal, MD, has been named associate dean of institutional effectiveness and the William Maul Measey Chair in Medical Education, while Bisan Salhi, MD, PhD, has been promoted to associate dean for student affairs, community health and inclusive excellence at the West Reading Campus. In addition, Niki Kelley has been appointed associate dean of graduate administration, operations and finance for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies. Finally, Amy Althoff, MD, has assumed the role of chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, in addition to her work as medical director of the Partnership Comprehensive Care Practice. Please join me in thanking all of them for their leadership and dedication to the College of Medicine.

Fall also brings with it several exciting events for the College of Medicine. I look forward to learning more about our trainees’ research endeavors at Discovery Day on November 7 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The event is a great source of pride for all involved in our research enterprise, and this year will be no exception. The annual Marion Spencer Fay award and lecture is also a point of pride for our community. This year, the event will take place during Discovery Day and will honor Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, for her transformative research and her work to eliminate racial and gender disparities in patient outcomes and the medical profession.

Finally, I am proud of our culture of service and engagement at the College of Medicine. There are 168 faculty members currently serving on standing committees of the faculty, representing all departments and regional medical campuses. This is in addition to our faculty who serve on University-wide committees and the Faculty Senate. In times of change, having engaged faculty who are willing to give of their time and energy to shape the future of our institution is critical to our growth and success. I am equally grateful for our professional staff, who continue to ensure that the College’s administrative functions seamlessly support our departments and programs.