Tywanda R. Crawford-Johnson, M.D., ’06, and Jerome Harris-Johnson at the Dearborn reception.

Carolyn Sprague, M.D., ’84; Gary Gustafson, M.D., ’82; Paul Fetko, M.D.,’64; and Ann Fecko at the Bloomfield reception.

More than 120 alumni and guests attended alumni events hosted by Dean Valerie Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., and the School of Medicine Alumni Association at two Andiamo restaurants -- Dearborn and Bloomfield -- in January.

The events provided an opportunity for alumni to reunite and for Dean Parisi to update the groups on several new initiatives. She provided information about the Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research Building. With planning under way, the first new research facility since the Elliman Building, which opened in April 1989, will be located adjacent to TechTown and will renovate existing space in the former Dalgleish Cadillac dealership.

“The new space is vital to growing our research enterprise and to recruiting talented faculty members who will secure significant grants,” Dean Parisi said.

She also announced that, in partnership with the School of Nursing, the School of Medicine received an initial federal grant in 2010 to establish Michigan Area Health Education Center program, which will recruit, train and retain a diverse health care workforce for underserved areas of the state.

“The AHEC program is particularly important because Michigan suffers a severe shortage of health care professionals, and the problem is only expected to worsen. I’m happy to announce that our program recently received an additional $750,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation, she said.

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