Faculty, staff and leadership of the Wayne State University School of Medicine gathered to say farewell to former Dean Valerie M. Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., and for the unveiling of her official portrait, which will hang in Scott Hall with those of the school's former deans.
The May 19 reception, held in the Margherio Family Conference Center, honored Dr. Parisi, who last fall announced that she was leaving to accept a position leading Academic Affairs for the University of South Florida. The event took place a day after Dr. Parisi gave the keynote address for the Class of 2015 commencement ceremony, an honor given to her by the graduating students.
The portrait, an oil painting by Robert Maniscalco, features Dr. Parisi in her home, seated on a sofa with her two beloved poodles, Pinot and Chianti.
"Clearly, Valerie, the number of people here is testimony to the esteem and the affection people have for you. You'll never be forgotten," Interim Dean Jack D. Sobel said of Dr. Parisi. "You have the affection, respect and love of everybody here."
Dr. Parisi, the school's 15th dean, joined the School of Medicine in 2007 as vice dean of Clinical Affairs. She was named interim dean in July 2009 and then dean shortly thereafter. She was the school's first female dean.
"I'm very grateful to have been here eight years," said Dr. Parisi. "You all have done all the work … I was just here to facilitate and support you. You need to keep doing the wonderful work that you do because this school is so important to the students and to the state."
Many of the speakers who paid tribute to Dr. Parisi spoke of her ongoing commitment to the school, to medicine, to medical education, and to her consistent theme of caring for others.
Steven Lipshultz, M.D., chair of Pediatrics, told of how when he came to Michigan to accept the chair position, she and her husband, Gary, showed up while he was moving into his new home with a hot meal and offering to help him get settled.
"Valerie is Valerie," he said.
Wael Sakr, M.D, chair of Pathology, noted Dr. Parisi's unflagging support of the department and faculty, even to the point of attending a department get-together at his home.
"Her real passion is for medical education and the students of Wayne State University," Dr. Sakr said. "Her message of skills and compassion" reverberated with students.
Her legacy, said Brian O'Neil, M.D., chair of Emergency Medicine, is that "Wayne State University is a better university for the students themselves."
Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate dean of Maternal, Perinatal and Child Health, told the audience how much she appreciated Dr. Parisi's support during the preparation of the university's proposal for a second 10-year contract to host the Perinatology Research Branch, one of the most challenging periods of Dr. Hassan's life.
Roberto Romero, M.D., D.Med.Sci, chief of the National Institutes of Health's Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University, praised Dr. Parisi's demeanor and professionalism, during the same period. The confidence Dr. Parisi instilled in NIH and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development officials contributed greatly to the university's success in securing the second contract.
"She consistently gave the students - and all of us -the chance to focus on what's most important: the patient relationship," said Maryjean Schenk, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., vice dean of Medical Education. "People come and go, but this portrait will stay with us forever as a reminder long after Valerie is gone. She will forever stay in my heart and in my mind."