The Mulholland Professorship

"I think it's the opportunity and the obligation of that next generation now to step forward, and to realize the potential of the Michigan Promise and to make that potential, that promise, a reality." Michael Mulholland, MD, PhD; Executive Director, U-M Medical Group; Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

Supporting Our Faculty

In the Michigan Medicine Department of Surgery, our greatest resource is our faculty. They make the most meaningful impact on the lives of patients and are national and international leaders in research and education. Essential to recruiting and retaining our world-class team of surgeons are the department’s many professorships, which provide funds in perpetuity to support key faculty in their research, educational, and clinical endeavors.  

The Department of Surgery is fortunate to currently house a total of 35 professorships, held by faculty across sections and concentrations. Largely funded through generous philanthropic support, professorships help to ensure that our surgeons have the means to aggressively pursue groundbreaking innovations in their respective fields.

Honoring Dr. Mulholland

I am thrilled to announce the department’s newest professorship effort in honor of Michael W. Mulholland, M.D., Ph.D. As many of you may know, Dr. Mulholland recently stepped down following an incredible 17-year tenure as chair, leaving an indelible mark on collaborative partners across the health system as well as the many young minds he taught and mentored. I feel certain that at some point in your career with Michigan, Dr. Mulholland has played an integral role in your development, both as a surgeon and as a leader.  

Dr. Mulholland joined the faculty in 1988 and became department chair in 2002. His clinical interests are in gastrointestinal surgery, and he developed special expertise in the treatment of pancreatic, biliary, and gastric cancer. Now, Dr. Mulholland is pursuing new challenges as senior associate dean of clinical affairs in the U-M Medical School and as director of the University of Michigan Medical Group.  

While he is an accomplished academic and surgeon, I believe that Dr. Mulholland’s legacy will lie with his vision for relentlessly pursuing faculty development, widely recognized as the Michigan Promise. The Michigan Promise is centered on a longitudinal investment in the department’s faculty and is a commitment to support individuals in achieving their full professional and academic potential, ensuring we reach our goal of being leaders and best.

Looking to the Future

The Mulholland Professorship will be held by someone who reflects the values and priorities at the heart of the Michigan Promise. He or she will be a champion for faculty development, with the intent to prepare each surgeon to achieve the highest excellence in clinical care, research, and education. This will include a deep commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and will work to expand faculty opportunities within the department in six core areas of professional development: environment, recruitment, leadership, achievement, innovation, and outreach.

In the past few months, we have raised over half of the amount required to endow the professorship. Our goal is to secure pledges for the remaining balance within the next 18 months. 

As a result of Dr. Mulholland’s trailblazing leadership, we are on the precipice of the next remarkable era in surgery at Michigan Medicine. The Mulholland Professorship will recognize and honor his many contributions to the department, and will cement his legacy with U-M surgery. Give now →

Article by Justin B. Dimick, MD, MPH (@jdimick1)