Wayne State University School of Medicine leaders and faculty members gathered this week to celebrate the establishment of two new endowed chairs in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Hosted by Robert M. Mentzer Jr., dean of the School of Medicine and senior advisor to the president for Medical Affairs, the May 20 reception convened the family and colleagues of Robert J. Sokol, M.D., and John M. Malone Jr., M.D., to mark the establishment of the John M. Malone Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair and Director of the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, and the Robert J. Sokol, M.D., Chair in Molecular Genetics and Gynecology.
"I'm proud to report that the department now has eight endowed chairs and joins pediatrics as one of the best-endowed departments in the school," Dean Mentzer said. "This illustrates our commitment to women and children's health and how investing in these disciplines serves the world health community.
"The men we are honoring tonight, Drs. Malone and Sokol, represent the ideals of the department and the medical school. Dr. Malone, as I'm sure you all know, was much loved and was renowned for caring for patients, academic pursuits and teaching medical students. We honor his memory through an endowed chair in his name and uphold his commitment to improving women's health. Bob Sokol was dean of the medical school for nearly a decade and now successfully directs the Mott Center. Dr. Sokol has been pivotal in securing the Perinatology Research Branch and now Wayne State's portion of the National Children's Study. These initiatives provide substantial federal funding to the school and continue our involvement in the most important research in the county."
Theodore B. Jones, M.D., chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, paid tribute to Dr. Malone, who died several months ago. Dr. Malone had served as chairman of the department.
"We all feel this loss very deeply and our sincere condolences go out to his family members, many of whom are here tonight," Dr. Jones said. "He was respected and adored. He could be gruff, but everyone knew that underneath there was a heart of pure gold. He is missed every day."
Dr. Jones presented a plaque of appreciation to Dr. Malone's father, John Malone Sr., M.D.
Valerie Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., Vice Dean of Hospital Relations & Clinical Affairs for the school, honored Dr. Sokol, who in addition to having a chair established in his name, serves in the chair named for Dr. Malone the save evening.
"In Bob's world, nothing is beyond our reach if only we work hard enough and consider every possibility. He truly believes in the inherent good of every human being and is certain that if we can behave peaceably with one another, we can achieve anything," said Dr. Parisi, who has known Dr. Sokol for decades. "It is this philosophy that enables Bob to achieve so much. He is universally respected as a scientist, a physician and a leader. If there's a seemingly impossible project to manage or irreconcilable difference that must be overcome, Bob is the man for the job."
Dr. Sokol, she noted, began serving as chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1983, followed by his tenure as dean and senior vice president for Medical Affairs. During his tenure, the school rose in National Science Foundation rankings from the 70s to 22nd.
"I more than appreciate having a chair named in my honor and couldn't be more pleased," Dr. Sokol said. "Endowed chairs are the coin of the realm in academia. I've had the opportunity to develop my career here at Wayne; this reflects continuity of effort and excellence and is a marvelous capstone of recognition and accomplishment for me, professionally and personally."
He noted that the honor of occupying a chair named for his colleague of 25 years was bittersweet. "It is terribly sad that John passed away before we could celebrate an endowed chair in his honor together. He told me how much this meant to him. It means a great deal to me to occupy a chair named for him.
"John was an accomplished physician, leader and a wonderful person," he added. "His patients meant the world to him. He didn't just treat their cancer - he treated them as human beings. John knew all about his patients and their families. His patients were ever grateful for his unparalleled ability to help them view their illness with hope, reality and humor. He loved taking care of people and was happiest in the operating room. He was arguably the best gynecologic surgeon in the greater Detroit area."
The two new chairs, Dr. Sokol said, are critical to the department as it embarks upon a "rebuilding phase."
"We must be able to recruit, not only clinically, but also for research -- young, aggressive and smart scientists -- the best and brightest. We have to have the research excellence making it sensible for a National Institutes of Health branch to be based here in Detroit. I won't be working forever; the endowed Malone chair will be crucial in recruiting a successor."
The second endowed chair, he explained, will allow for the "fast-track" recruitment of new leadership for the Systems Biology program.
"This will help keep Detroit on the forefront of perinatal and women's health research and will have a tremendous positive impact on the medical school and university," he said.