Messages from the Dean

As Volunteer Appreciation Week approaches, I encourage our school community to join me in expressing gratitude to our dedicated volunteer faculty. 

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Robert F. McCormack, MD, MBA, as the interim executive director of UBMD Physicians' Group

Today, as we come together with health care organizations nationwide to observe National Doctors’ Day, which happens on March 30, I extend heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed faculty, students, residents, fellows, the UBMD Physicians’ Group and our valued hospital partners. 

It fills me with immense pride and joy to share in the celebration of our fourth-year medical students every year on Match Day.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Leonard E. Egede, MD, MS, as the new chair of the Department of Medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, effective July 1. 

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Kristina Costanzo-Metcalfe, MEd, as the interim associate vice president for business operations and unit business officer at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. 

As we enter Thank a Resident & Fellow Appreciation Week ...

I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Nicholas M. Fusco, PharmD, as interim executive director for Interprofessional Education (IPE) for health sciences. A seasoned educator and renowned scholar, Dr. Fusco brings over a decade of experience and unwavering dedication to IPE, making him ideal to guide the University at Buffalo’s continued ascent as a national leader in collaborative health care education.

February marks Black History Month, a time to honor the immense contributions of Black Americans to our nation and, closer to home, to our own Jacobs School community. 

I am pleased to announce that Robert McCormack, MD, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, has been named associate dean for ambulatory strategy at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

I'm pleased to welcome Rutao Yao, PhD, a renowned medical physicist in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, as the new interim chair of the Department of Nuclear Medicine. We are confident Dr. Yao's leadership and expertise will build upon the department's strong foundation and propel it to even greater heights.

After a distinguished tenure as interim chair and professor, Robert S. Miletich, MD, PhD, has stepped down from his role of interim chair and professor nuclear medicine, leaving a lasting legacy at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

While many Western New Yorkers today are basking in celebration of a Buffalo Bills’ playoff victory (Go Bills!), it would be remiss of any of us to not pause and reflect on another celebration.

It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of our beloved colleague and renowned physician, M. Laura Feltri, MD. She lost her battle with cancer on Dec. 25, surrounded by her loved ones in her native Italy. Dr. Feltri was 60 years old.

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of the passing of Frederick Sachs, SUNY Distinguished Professor of physiology and biophysics at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, on Dec. 27 at the age of 82.