Wael Sakr, M.D., has been appointed dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

The appointment, announced May 5 by WSU President M. Roy Wilson and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Mark Kornbluh, is effective May 16.

The Board of Governors unanimously approved the appointment May 5, consistent with the support of the School of Medicine Executive Committee and faculty union leadership, as well as overwhelming endorsement by School of Medicine faculty and academic staff.

"I am humbled and most grateful for the vote of confidence I received from the family of the School of Medicine, students, faculty and executive committee, that is in addition to the confidence and support of our university president and the university Board of Governors," said Dean Sakr, who has been serving as interim dean since March 1. "It is a true privilege to engage in the exciting work ahead alongside a team of exceptional leaders to fulfill our school missions of outstanding medical education; enhancement of our drive to be a national leader in diversity, equity and inclusion; and intensify our efforts to be the premier urban research university in the nation."

“Dean Sakr is a steadfast leader who acts in the best interests of the school, its faculty and students, and its important mission of care and service to the community and beyond,” Wilson and Kornbluh wrote in their announcement of the appointment. He “has served the School of Medicine and the greater Detroit community for 31 years and is a trusted leader and champion of the school.”

The chair of the Department of Pathology is a nationally recognized academic pathologist with a solid record of National Institutes of Health funding and significant contributions in his area of scholarship. He has held leadership roles in professional and community-based organizations, including the National Arab American Medical Association, and the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services.

In addition to leading the School of Medicine, Dean Sakr chairs the Wayne Health Board of Directors and is a member of the new Joint Operating Leadership Team, which is charged with ensuring appropriate funding for strategic priorities, particularly medical education.