As the 2025 cohort of health sciences program graduates prepared to accept their diplomas from the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and embark on careers across a broad range of disciplines — from clinical operations and health care management to physician assistant studies and physical therapy — fellow graduate Robert Baillieu, MD, MPH, reminded them that the complex societal health challenges they will soon face cannot be solved through isolated efforts.
Nearly 400 GW SMHS health sciences graduates, representing 27 different programs, gathered in GW’s Lisner Auditorium for the Class of 2025 Graduation Celebration and Diploma Ceremony on May 17. Nearly a third of those receiving hard-earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees were inducted into Alpha Eta, the National Scholastic Honor Society for the Allied Health Professions.
Among those inductees was Baillieu, a senior advisor at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, who addressed his classmates while receiving the 2025 Outstanding Graduate Student Award.
“Research consistently tells us that teams working together collaboratively deliver superior outcomes compared to fragmented approaches,” he said. “When we combine laboratory diagnostics, the expertise of therapists, the skill of health scientists, and the clinical judgment of practitioners, we create something greater than the sum of our parts.”
With his Doctor of Health Sciences in Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education in hand, Baillieu offered hope for the future as his fellow alumni prepare to begin their health care careers.
“When faced with complex cases, may we have the humility to seek perspectives different from our own, while always including the patient or stakeholder in this process,” he said. “In this way, we uphold the dignity of our patients and of one another.”
In her welcoming remarks to the graduates and their families, Barbara Lee Bass, MD, RESD ’86, FACS, vice president for health affairs, dean of GW SMHS, Walter A. Bloedorn Chair of Administrative Medicine, and professor of surgery, emphasized the Class of 2025’s perseverance, community, and equity, as well as GW’s evolving legacy.
“This moment is a reflection of your hard work, studying, and experiential learning; and your commitment, your perseverance, and your passion for your chosen field to be a member of the health care team,” Dean Bass said. “No doubt, your work going forward is in service of others, your work will enable people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. I thank you and congratulate you on having chosen to step in to these noble careers in service of the greater good.”
Honoring the Graduates
Karen Schlumpf, EdD ’24, MPH ’00, assistant professor of clinical research leadership, presented this year’s Ozgur Ekmekci Interprofessional Leadership Award, named for the late Ozgur Ekmekci, EdD ’05, former interim chair and associate professor of clinical research and leadership. The annual award is given to students whose work focuses on interprofessional collaboration and scholarship.
Two students received this year’s award: Maira I. Qayyum, MD, who earned her Master of Science in Health Sciences in Clinical and Translational Research; and Shannon Loiseau, who earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy.
Qayyum, an obstetrician-gynecologist, serves a lower socioeconomic population in rural Monroe, Louisiana, where she is launching a new Rehab Intervention Service Enrichment (RISE) facility. The center will allow families to stay together while young mothers receive mental, medical, and behavioral services.
Loiseau, a member of the inaugural GW SMHS Occupational Therapy cohort. She received her honor for her efforts as the first president of the GW Student Occupational Therapy Association, where she helped foster to a culture of collaboration, advocacy, and service between faculty and students.
Ariel Jones, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences in Medical Laboratory Sciences, joined Baillieu as this year’s Outstanding Student Award winner, receiving the undergraduate honor. The awards are presented to graduate and undergraduate students who demonstrate exemplary academic or clinical performance, promote teamwork and collaboration among peers, and participate in service activities.
Jones recounted her journey as a single mom, veteran, and lab scientist who returned to complete a 24-year academic goal.
Fresh out of high school, Jones enlisted in the United States Army, where she soon entered the Army’s medical laboratory technician training program. In 2005, she earned an associate degree from GW. After transitioning to the private sector, she focused on providing for her young family as a single mother of two.
“Raising two kids was my priority, and my education and career took a back burner,” she recalled.
“It takes dedication and hard work to achieve any goal, but it also takes people around you who care about you and what you want,” she added, thanking her family and partner for their unconditional love and support.
“I am not alone in this journey,” she continued. “Many of you have similar stories. Today is a celebration of all our hard work and, most importantly, our success. We did it.”
A Charge to the Graduates
Following the presentation of graduates and the recitation of the GW SMHS Health Sciences Oath, Susan LeLacheur, DrPH ’08, MPH ’89, PA-C, BS ’82, professor of physician assistant studies at SMHS, delivered the traditional charge to the graduates.
In her remarks, LeLacheur offered a message of clarity amid the chaos, and emphasized the power of collaboration, empathy, and vision.
“You will be stepping into a world where there seems to be no sure footing,” she said, but reassured the graduates that “however things may feel at the moment, the trajectory is always up.”
She urged them to remember why they chose GW in the first place and to stay focused on the big picture. While many of the forces around them may be beyond their control, she reminded them, the education and training they received at GW have prepared them to meet such daunting challenges.
“You have the knowledge and power to create something better. You have the tools to enhance health and health equity in whatever community you come to serve. This is why you came to GW.”
