FROM THE DEAN

I AM DEEPLY HONORED to have the opportunity to serve as dean of the UMKC School of Medicine. Life has come full circle as I serve the medical school from which I myself graduated. I am awed by this unique and cherished opportunity. I hope to add value in what we do, while fully respecting the traditions and culture that make us who we are.

I have found the community to be most welcoming, kind, creative and thoughtful among a much longer list of character traits and superlatives. I experience consistencies in certain characteristics of the culture and environment that resonate with my memories, as I also appreciate the dramatic changes and improvements that have taken us to a higher plane. That special combination provides a unique formula that guides us as we elevate our vision and seek to move ever forward. It is what gives us a “champions” attitude, infusing us with appreciation, adaptability and pride.

Multiple constituencies comprise our School of Medicine community, all aligned and pulling in the same direction. Each one is essential and valued, and they all contribute to our power and identity. I am amazed by our students as they imbue us with a sense of energy and optimism. I am impressed by our hardworking faculty, who are dedicated to teaching as they optimistically engineer the future of society. I hear from our alumni, who cherish their alma mater and hold us accountable to our true north. I see our staff, who make our work practical and possible, and I sense a larger and tightly knit medical ecosystem that yields to us a nearly limitless potential. Our commitment is to tap into that potential in order to take us to new and wonderful places.

I am profoundly grateful for the vision and successful deployment of our remarkable medical school, resulting from the commitment and dedication of the beloved and familiar founders and stewards to date. I am especially grateful to my predecessor deans. None of what we see and value would have been possible without their accomplishments, vision, creativity, strong sense of prioritization and commitment to performance and accomplishment above and beyond theory and conjecture. Even though we started off as a vision and a dream, we are a successful and tangible reality due to practical and concrete steps that were taken and made us great.

As we all stand on the shoulders of giants, we will move forward and upward – becoming even greater – as we commit to creating a stronger and more vibrant community of growth and innovation. We commit to touch patient lives, to better our community and to be champions of kindness and compassion. I cannot wait to join with you in the not-too-distant future as we look back on our soon-to-be many remarkable accomplishments. Let’s dream together and forge an elevated future.

Alexander Norbash (B.A. ’85/M.D. ’86) Dean, School of Medicine