Serving the People: Aron Sousa’s Lasting Legacy at the College of Human Medicine
September 30, 2025
When Aron Sousa, then the College of Human Medicine’s senior associate dean for academic affairs, asked Andrea Wendling to lead the college’s rural medicine program, she had one reservation: she didn’t want to leave her primary care practice in Boyne City.
She recalled Sousa’s answer: “Dr. Wendling, at the College of Human Medicine, we are not in the habit of taking rural doctors out of their communities.”
That response, she said, typified Sousa’s leadership style as the college’s senior associate dean, interim dean and, since 2022, as dean.
“Aron figured out what each of us was passionate about,” said Wendling, MD, now the college’s senior associate dean for academic affairs, “and then he opened the door so we could operationalize that passion. It is such a wonderful gift.”
After 29 years with the college, Sousa, MD, is retiring from MSU. On Nov. 10, he begins a new role as president and CEO of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago.
While looking forward to the new challenge, Sousa, who also served as executive dean for the MSU Health Colleges, conceded he is leaving with some sadness.
“I’ve loved this work,” he said. “I really want the people here to know just how much I appreciate the work that they do. Many of my best successes are because I’ve worked with incredibly talented, hard-working people.”
Under his leadership, the college doubled its enrollment, built its Secchia Center headquarters and a biomedical research center in Grand Rapids, established the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in Flint, opened campuses in Traverse City, Midland, Southfield, and Detroit, developed an innovative curriculum, and grew the nation’s premier rural medicine program.
“Really remarkable things happened,” Wendling said. “You look back on all that, and you think, wow, what a phenomenal leader Aron is.”
Sousa credited “a great group of people working to make it happen and great partners in the community.”
Josh Kooistra, DO, president of Corewell Health West, called Sousa “an incredible teacher, leader, and physician.”
“The way his face lights up when he talks about his clinical rounding with students shows his authentic passion to educate physicians of tomorrow,” Kooistra said. “His promotion and acceleration of research in the college is infectious. His friendship, leadership, and vision will be missed, and I wish him all the best in Chicago.”
Neal Hegarty, vice president of programs at the Mott Foundation, said Sousa was a leader in creating the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health.
“Not only was Aron key to creating an amazing and enduring project,” Hegarty said, “he also was always a great partner and a lot of fun to work with. I can’t think of a better partner who knows how to bring the best of an academic and research institution to true partnership with community.”
Nara Parameswaran, PhD, the College of Human Medicine’s senior associate dean for research, called Sousa “a champion of innovation and research. I think he’s really good at bringing people together. The faculty, staff, and students, they all love him.”
Provost Laura Lee McIntyre named Supratik Rayamajhi, MD, to serve as interim dean beginning Oct. 1.
“I am convinced the college is in good hands,” Sousa wrote in a message to the college.
In announcing Sousa’s appointment, Rosalind Franklin University Board of Trustees chair Dr. Karen Miller and presidential search committee chair Dr. Lee Sacks cited his “distinguished record of academic leadership, his deep commitment to community health, and his ability to bring together communities, health systems, and universities to improve health outcomes.”
In his new job, Sousa will oversee the university’s six colleges: Chicago Medical School, the colleges of Health Professionals, Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine.
Rosalind Franklin University and the College of Human Medicine have much in common, Sousa said, including a commitment to serving all people, especially the underserved.
The Chicago university “is geographically across the lake,” he said, “and is existentially right next door.”
Serving the people is Sousa’s North Star, said Wanda Lipscomb, PhD, the college’s associate dean of student affairs and senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion.
“Dr. Sousa will be greatly missed at Michigan State University and the College of Human Medicine,” Lipscomb said. “He has made great contributions to the college and to the communities that we serve.
“But my thing is, he’s earned this. I hope he has a phenomenal future.”
Send Dean Sousa a farewell message as he begins his next chapter.
By Pat Shellenbarger