As Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) Dean Robert G. Sawyer, MD, reflected upon the many highlights and accomplishments over the past year during the annual State of the Medical School address, he offered a simple but key reminder.
“I want everybody to remember what motivates us – it's health equity,” Dr. Sawyer said. “It’s the basis for everything we do. We're trying to provide the best care for everyone in Southwest Michigan.”
The State of the Medical School, held Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in the William D. Johnston and Ronda E. Stryker Auditorium at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus, offered a chance for Dr. Sawyer to recap recent exciting developments at WMed, from new clinical service offerings in pediatric obesity and substance use treatment to the successful search for a new Hal B. Jenson, MD Dean, President and CEO -- J. Adrian Tyndall, MD, MPH, FACEP -- who will join the medical school in March.
Dr. Sawyer also touted medical students’ strong performance in the Match, with 98 percent of students in the MD Class of 2025 matching into competitive residency programs, compared to a 94.3% match rate nationally.
Other highlights mentioned by Dr. Sawyer included, but were not limited to:
- 100% of WMed categorical residency program slots were filled through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) Match in March 2025
- WMed and Corewell Health Lakeland Graduate Medical Education in March 2025 began offering clinical training for medical students at a new regional campus in St. Joseph.
- WMed received 29 research grants in 2024-25 totaling nearly $7 million
- The creation of the Dr. David Ohmart Endowed Scholarship Fund for Medical Students, which will benefit fourth-year medical students pursuing residency training in pediatrics
- WMed received an anonymous $1.52 million gift that will help the medical school expand access to child and adolescent psychiatry care
- The launch of the Mark E. Loehrke, MD Endowed Lectureship fund
Dr. Sawyer also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead WMed through a period of transition, having served as interim dean since February 2024. In March, the medical school will welcome Dr. Tyndall as its new dean, president, and CEO, as Dr. Sawyer returns to his roles as senior associate dean for Research and as a trauma surgeon.
Ahead of his arrival in March, Dr. Tyndall offered a short video message to the WMed community during the State of the Medical School, thanking Dr. Sawyer for his leadership and expressing tremendous excitement for the future of the medical school.
“In its first several years, WMed has demonstrated what is possible when innovation, health equity, education, and community partnership come together in service of a bold and ambitious mission,” Dr. Tyndall said. “The strength of this foundation is unmistakable. It reflects the dedication, the creativity, and the hard work of the people in this room, and people across this institution.
“I’m committed to building upon this momentum and elevating WMed’s presence and influence locally, regionally and nationally,” Dr. Tyndall added. “That means deepening partnerships across disciplines and institutions; it means expanding our research enterprise and preparing the next generation of physicians, scientists to lead with integrity, to lead with compassion, and to lead with purpose. It also means, though, that we honor the work that’s already been done, work that positions WMed to continue growing as a model for excellence in medical education, clinical care, and community engagement.”
The program concluded with an awards ceremony for faculty and staff who were the recipients of WMed’s Faculty-to-Faculty and Staff-to-Staff awards in 2025. The award recipients honored this year include:
Faculty-to-Faculty Award Winners
- Thomas Flynn, MD – Distinguished Service Award
- Lisa Leininger, PsyD – Hal B. Jenson, MD Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year Award (Clinical)
- Laura Bauler, PhD – Hal B. Jenson, MD Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year (Non-Clinical)
- David Riddle, PhD – Lifetime Achievement Award
Staff-to-Staff Award Winners
- Jason Davis – Staff Leadership Award
- Melissa LeBlanc – Outstanding Clinical Staff Award
- Julia Young – Outstanding Non-Clinical Staff Award
- Nathifa Sligh – Rookie of the Year Award
- Joshua Conley – Rising Star Award
- Courtney Puffer – Big Heart Award
- EricaNoelle Destin – Clinical Care Impact Award
- Shadi Adineh – Community Outreach Impact Award
- Cynthia Shattuck – Graduate Medical Education Impact Award
- Patricia Curtis – Internal Service Impact Award
- Michele Serbenski – Processes and Efficiencies Impact Award
- Paul Moorman – Research and Technology Impact Award
- Laura Scheid-Cobb – Undergraduate Medical Education Impact Award
- Alex Carlson – Wellness and Culture Impact Award