Following the retirement of Duane Mezwa, M.D., Christopher F. Carpenter, M.D., has been appointed Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB)’s Stephan Sharf Interim Dean and OUWB Chief Academic Officer for Corewell Health, effective Sept. 5.
“I’m excited. To be able to follow in [the former deans’] footsteps and continue to build on what they’ve accomplished is really a great honor,” Carpenter said. “I’m hoping to be able to kind of continue in the direction they set the school.”
In a press release, OU’s Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Britt Rios-Ellis, and OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz expressed their confidence in Carpenter’s abilities to head the institution.
“With Dr. Carpenter’s wealth of experience and knowledge in working with OUWB students, faculty and staff, he stood out as a natural fit to lead our medical school as interim dean while a national search is conducted for the next permanent dean,” Rios-Ellis said.
“Dr. Carpenter will provide steady, prudent guidance during the search for a full-time dean of the School of Medicine,” Pescovitz said. “He’s a proven leader with acclaimed expertise and an impressive academic background. His integrity, compassion and record of mentoring medical students are traits at the heart of OUWB’s values.”
Carpenter attended the University of Michigan (UofM) for his medical education and completed his residency in internal medicine at Duke University. He also completed an infectious diseases fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. In 2017, he earned a master’s in health services administration from UofM.
Having grown up in Rochester, Carpenter has a long history with OUWB and its broader community. He has been a faculty member since OUWB’s inception, even taking part in the search process for the founding dean.
He held the position of Michael E. Maddens, M.D., Distinguished Chair, and serves as a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at OUWB. Additionally, he joined Corewell Health’s William Beaumont University Hospital (WBUH) in 2000, serving as the director of WBUH’s Antibiotic Stewardship Program for 15 years.
Presently, he is WBUH’s Chief and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine and is a member of the Corewell Health Board.
Aside from his prestigious educational background and extensive professional experience, Carpenter is well-recognized by his colleagues and the broader medical community. He was named an Hour Detroit Top Doctor and was awarded by America’s Best Physicians and Best Doctors in America.
He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He also served the Michigan Infectious Disease Society. Additionally, Carpenter is a participant in the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine and the Association of Professors of Medicine.
Carpenter said he is eager to get to know more about the students from a perspective other than a professor during his time in the role.
“I’m looking to get to know the students better and hear in their words what’s going on with the school and what they see and what things we can accomplish moving forward,” Carpenter said.
As interim dean, the goal isn’t to change everything, he said — instead, the goal is to keep moving forward as the search for a dean continues.
“I’m not going to try and turn the world upside down, but I want to make sure we’re progressing in the direction that Dr. Mezwa has set us on,” Carpenter said.
