'Truly spectacular': College of Medicine baccalaureate programs celebrate a year of momentum under new leadership

It's been a landmark year for undergraduate education at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine — marked by the largest incoming class in program history, the first graduates of a new clinical anatomy certificate and the college's first major philanthropic gift supporting undergraduate students. The timing is fitting: Sept. 1 marked one year since Kevin Haworth, PhD, took the helm as associate dean for baccalaureate education, guiding both the medical sciences undergraduate program and the bachelor of science in public health program alongside an outstanding team of faculty and staff.

For Haworth, the milestone has never been about his own tenure — it's about the community of students, faculty and staff who made the past year's progress possible.

“My first year as associate dean for baccalaureate education within CoM has been truly spectacular,” Haworth said. “I'm gratefully indebted to my predecessor and the medical sciences program founder, Dr. Anil Menon. He not only prepared me for the role so that the transition was smooth, but he also created an incredible team, set of systems and, most importantly, community values that continue to guide us all.”

"It's been my honor to serve as a point person for this outstanding community and to continue building on the incredible foundation laid by Dr. Menon," he added.

Anil Menon, PhD, who founded both the medical sciences baccalaureate program and the BSPH program during his 35-year career at the CoM, retired in August 2025, just before Haworth stepped into the role.

This fall, CoM welcomed its largest-ever incoming baccalaureate class, comprising students in the medical sciences and BSPH programs.

CoM's baccalaureate programs now enroll 579 students, up from 562 last fall — including 144 new students this year, compared with 114 the year before. The medical sciences program welcomed 106 new students among its 379 total students, marking the largest incoming class in program history. BSPH, under program director Regan Johnson, grew to a record 200 students, with 38 new students (22 first-year and 16 transfer) enrolling this fall. Nearly a third of BSPH students, 58 in all, are enrolled in the program's online track.

The growth extends beyond enrollment numbers. This year, CoM undergraduate programs include 121 first-generation students, a 20% increase over last year's 101 and now representing 21% of the student body. With new pathway agreements connecting UC's regional campuses to the BSPH program, the college welcomed 17 transfer students from regional campuses between Fall 2025 and Fall 2026.

“We are excited to welcome an exceptional incoming first-year class,” said Anna Stryker, director of the Center for Student Success. “Their accomplishments in high school already distinguish them as future leaders, and we are excited to see the impact they will make as members of our university community. I want to especially recognize the Center for Student Success staff, whose tireless efforts in recruiting, connecting with and welcoming these students have been instrumental in making this successful class possible.”

The College of Medicine's undergraduate students had much to celebrate this year. Of the four UC students who received the 2026 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence — awarded to graduating students for extraordinary leadership, academic excellence and service — three are affiliated with CoM: Rosalyn Davis, who earned degrees in public health and French and plans to pursue a PhD in global zoonotic epidemiology; Advika Sumit, who founded a volunteer companionship program for UC Health's Brain Tumor Center for those 50 and older and is headed to medical school; and Harshman Sihra, a 2025 Truman Scholar and health policy fellow with the U.S. Senate. Rounding out the honors, Sarah Geraghty, MD, a medical sciences alum who earned her MD from CoM this past spring, was one of only two students university-wide to receive the 2026 Presidential Medal of Graduate Student Excellence, capping an eight-year UC journey that included building a first-of-a-kind interpreter training curriculum for medical students. Khaled Eid, a fourth-year medical sciences major, was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State.

The college also marked a first this year: John Jones and Kate Carey became the inaugural graduates of the College of Medicine's undergraduate certificate in clinical anatomy, a program directed by Andrew Thompson, PhD, a professor-educator in the Department of Medical Education. The program gives undergraduates the rare opportunity to study anatomy through hands-on dissection with human donors — an experience typically reserved for medical school.

“Being able to spend extra time exploring structures layer by layer makes anatomy feel much more real and connected to patient care,” said Carey, who plans to apply to medical school.

The past year also brought baccalaureate education its first major philanthropic gift: the establishment of the Harvey D. and Janet G. Cohen Leadership in Clinical Medicine Program. The program includes an honors course that introduces undergraduate students to the vital role of leadership in health care, travel awards, student scholarships and a speaker series.

The idea began with a UC student. After a knee injury during a club soccer match, Pano Mavridis, Med '26, noticed a gap in his own care: Many physicians who excelled at diagnosis lacked the empathy and bedside manner a difficult moment requires. Determined to help close that gap, Mavridis partnered with Gregory Rouan, MD, Med '80, professor emeritus and past chair of the Department of Internal Medicine; Bi Awosika, MD, assistant dean for medical student admissions and professor of medicine; and Haworth to build a course, drawing on the framework of the Carl H. Lindner College of Business' Warren Bennis Leadership Institute, that trains future clinicians to lead with both technical skill and humanity.

The Harvey D. and Janet G. Cohen Charitable Foundation, established after Janet Cohen's passing in 2023 to honor her legacy, and her close friend Rouan, saw the course and student support as a natural fit and stepped in to fund it.

“Effective leadership leads to better patient outcomes," Mavridis said, “and we want to produce empathetic, compassionate leaders.”

Beyond the headline moments, Haworth pointed to a series of structural changes that he said will shape the undergraduate experience for years to come:

• Unified student support. CoM's undergraduate programs have moved toward more consistent, coordinated advising and support structures across medical sciences and BSPH.
• A new peer mentoring program. A CoM undergraduate peer mentoring initiative launched this year, connecting incoming students with experienced peers as they navigate coursework, research and career planning.
• New pathways for regional campus students. The college developed new pathway documents to help students at UC's regional campuses transition from associate degrees into the BSPH program, expanding access to a four-year degree.
• Growing study abroad opportunities. Undergraduate study abroad participation grew across CoM's programs, providing students with new opportunities for global and cultural learning.

“Our students achieved great things, not only due to the hard work they put into their classes and extracurriculars, but also based on following their passions in medicine, research and service,” Haworth said. “It's clear they were inspired and motivated by dedicated faculty from across the College of Medicine departments, who teach them not only in the classroom but also in the clinic and the lab.”

He also credited the college's staff for holding the programs together. “The essential glue that keeps this community of scholars together is our dedicated staff within the Center for Student Success and our allies throughout the college and university,” he said. “They help ensure we're bringing in the very best students, advising them in a holistic manner, and creating new opportunities, particularly in experiential learning.”

As the College of Medicine's baccalaureate programs head into another year of growth, Haworth said he's most proud of the people who made the past year possible — and energized about what comes next.

“I'm really excited about where we're headed next,” he said. “It's been a privilege to work alongside so many dedicated people as we continue building on that foundation together.”

Featured image at top: Members of the UC College of Medicine's largest-ever undergraduate first-year class gather for their first group photo outside the Medical Sciences Building. Photo provided by Anna Stryker and Kevin Haworth, PhD.