May SOM eNews

A Note From Dean Jermyn

Commencement is always one of the most meaningful moments of the academic year, and this month we proudly celebrated the Rowan-Virtua SOM Class of 2026 as they began the next chapter of their journey in medicine. As the first class to complete their education under the Rowan-Virtua banner and train at our Sewell campus, these graduates left a lasting impact on our institution and communities.

Throughout their time at SOM, the Class of 2026 distinguished themselves through meaningful research, peer mentorship, advocacy, and community engagement efforts that strengthened both the campus and the communities they served.

As the academic year ends, I hope the summer months provide an opportunity to rest, reconnect and look ahead to the exciting work and opportunities still to come.

This e-newsletter will also be taking a short break in June and will return in July as we begin the next academic year.

My best regards,

Richard T. Jermyn, D.O.

Dean

The Class of 2026: Leadership, Service & Compassion

The Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine celebrated the graduation of more than 200 students during commencement ceremonies held May 14 at Rowan’s Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. The Class of 2026 marked several milestones while demonstrating a strong commitment to leadership, scholarship and community service throughout their medical education.

Notable highlights:

More than 200 graduates officially joined the osteopathic medical profession as Rowan-Virtua SOM’s newest physicians.

The Class of 2026 was the first class to complete its medical education under the Rowan-Virtua banner and the first to study at the Sewell campus.

Nearly three-quarters of the graduating class participated in scholarly research, contributing to more than 25 published journal articles in areas including women’s health, cancer screening, addiction medicine and critical care.

Graduates demonstrated a strong commitment to community outreach, advocacy and mentorship, including support of underrepresented and prospective students through programs such as the Health Care Opportunities Program (HCOP).

The ceremony included presentation of the Medal of Excellence to Dr. Thomas Cavalieri in recognition of his transformative leadership and longstanding contributions to osteopathic medicine, medical education and geriatric care.

You can read the story on Rowan Today.

Graduate Awards Dinner

On Thursday, April 30, the Office of Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement hosted the annual Graduate Awards Dinner at Lucien’s in Berlin to present academic and service honors to members of the Class of 2026. The evening also featured special honors and presentations, including the Donna Jones Moritsugu Award, the Golden Apple Awards, a Military Commissioning Ceremony and the Distinguished Alumnus Award, presented to

Dr. Joanne Kaiser-Smith, ’84.

President’s Award for Excellence in Innovative Instructional Delivery Recipients

The Metabolic Fellowship Team from the Department of Medical Education & Scholarship at

Rowan-Virtua SOM — James K. Martin and Jeffrey C. Powers — received the team award for developing “Professor Dobbi,” a Socratic AI tutor for a graduate biochemistry and molecular biology course using Google NotebookLM. The AI tool, trained exclusively on course materials, serves as a 24/7 study partner for students.

Gold Humanism Honor Society Induction Ceremony

The Office of Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement congratulated this year’s Gold Humanism Honor Society inductees during the May 21 GHHS Induction Ceremony. The evening included remarks about the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, a “Getting to Know the 2026 GHHS Class” video highlighting this year’s inductees, the presentation of inductees and the recitation of the GHHS pledge.

Rowan-Virtua Graduate Student Earns International Research Honor

The New Jersey Health Foundation awarded more than $1.18 million in seed funding this spring to support 25 Rowan-led research projects addressing critical health care and biomedical needs, including several initiatives at the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Funded Rowan-Virtua SOM projects include research on cell-free joint therapeutics led by Dr. Minwook Kim; a long-term study examining breast arterial calcification and cardiovascular disease led by Dr. Peter Schnatz; a peer recovery coach specialist program focused on preventing substance-use-related mortality led by Dr. Kenneth Stagliano; and a student-led SBIRT initiative to help reduce substance use disorders among college students led by Dr. Joshua Coren and Scott Woodside.

The grants support early-stage research aimed at advancing innovative ideas toward clinical application and future external funding opportunities.

SNMA Senior Send Off

The SNMA Senior Send Off celebrated graduating fourth-year students as they prepared to enter the next phase of their medical careers. Dr. Jermyn and

Dr. Channell shared heartfelt thanks, encouragement and inspiration, recognizing the graduates’ hard work, resilience and commitment to serving their communities.

Research Week

Earlier this month, Rowan-Virtua SOM kicked off its 30th Annual Research Week.

The two-day event highlighted the groundbreaking research, as well as collaborations with our academic, clinical, and corporate partners. The event featured poster presentations and engaging talks from keynote speakers including Nicholas G. Evans, PhD, who discussed “Beyond Human Performance: Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Cognitive Enhancement,” and Leslie Hausmann, PhD, who presented “Advancing Health Equity in a Learning Healthcare System.”

Open House for Prospective Students

The Office of Admissions hosted an open house earlier this month, welcoming more than 130 prospective students and guests to the Stratford campus to learn about the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program.

Coffee Break

Student doctors took a well-deserved break from exam prep on May 5 and enjoyed coffee and refreshments from Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck.

UPCOMING EVENT: VHC Town Hall June 9

The next Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences Town Hall meeting will take place Tuesday, June 9, at noon in the Stratford MPR. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience by clicking this link.