Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D., is dean of Dell Medical School and senior vice president for medical affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where she leads a bold vision to revolutionize how people get and stay healthy. She oversees Dell Med’s education and research missions and directs the University’s integrated health strategy, including the creation of UT Medical Center — a future-forward academic health system anchored by Dell Med.
Before joining UT, Lucchinetti spent nearly 30 years at Mayo Clinic, where she held leadership roles including dean of clinical translational science and chair of neurology and served on the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and Trustees. She is an internationally recognized expert in multiple sclerosis and related disorders.
Her leadership at Dell Med and UT Medical Center reflects a deep commitment to innovation, integration and collaboration — charting a bold path for the future of health and the next generation of physician leaders.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Welcome
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D.
Dean, Dell Medical School
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Frank and Charmaine Denius Distinguished Dean’s Chair in Medical Leadership
Student Keynote Speaker
William Austin
Keynote Speaker Introduction
James R. Korndorffer Jr., M.D.
Vice Dean of Education, Dell Medical School
Interim Chair, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
Keynote Speaker
Joseph J. Fins, M.D., D. Hum. Litt. (hc), MACP, FRCP (London)
The E. William Davis, Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of Medical Ethics
Weill Cornell Medical College
Conferral and Presentation of Degree Candidates
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D.
Travis W. Crook, M.D.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Department of Medical Education
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Hippocratic Oath
Beth Nelson, M.D.
Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education and Professor, Department of Medical Education
Courtesy Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Closing Remarks
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D.
2025 STUDENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER
William Austin
Will Austin, elected by his peers to speak today, graduates with an M.D. from Dell Medical School and a master’s in health care transformation from McCombs School of Business. He holds two bachelor’s degrees, in entomology and health and disease, from Purdue University. For residency, he will pursue combined internal medicine and pediatrics (Med-Peds) at Baylor College of Medicine. Will is driven to beat neglected tropical diseases — diseases of poverty that impact more than 1 billion children and adults every day. This is a journey he has been on since 2015.
At Dell Med, one of Will’s greatest joys came from serving and advocating for his class on the Student Senate. He was elected to back-to-back terms spanning all four years. Will also found great purpose in serving through Dell Med RISE, a mentorship program that inspires, supports and empowers undergraduate students historically underrepresented in medicine to reach their dreams in health care. For his “exceptional commitment to community health and advocacy,” he was awarded the inaugural and eponymous “Austin Advocacy Award,” established in his name by RISE’s undergraduate partner program.
During his fourth year, Will was selected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate and analyze raw milk outbreaks alongside public health experts. He was inducted by the Class of 2025 into the Gold Humanism Honor Society and further honored as this year’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine student awardee, as an exemplar of respect, compassion and humanism in the care of patients, their families and health care colleagues.
2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Joseph J. Fins, M.D., D. Hum. Litt. (hc), MACP, FRCP
Dr. Joseph J. Fins is one of the world’s leading physicianethicists and a pioneer in the field of medical ethics and neuroethics. He serves as The E. William Davis, Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College, where he holds multiple professorships across medicine, psychiatry, neurology, rehabilitation medicine and health care policy. He is also an attending physician at New York-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell and senior attending physician at the Rockefeller University Hospital.
A member of the National Academy of Medicine and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Fins has received numerous national and international honors. He has served on presidential and gubernatorial bioethics commissions, including the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy and the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law.
Dr. Fins is the author of more than 500 publications and several books. He has helped shape the discourse on ethical care for patients with disorders of consciousness, research ethics, palliative care and disability rights.
Dr. Fins is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Cornell University Medical College.
DOCS* FACULTY
Swati Avashia M.D., FAAP, FACP, CTropMed®
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Pediatrics
Assistant Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Program
John Bedolla, M.D., FACEP
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education and Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
Mrinalini Kulkarni-Date, M.D.
Chief, Division of Endocrinology, and Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Alefiyah Malbari, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education
James Marroquin, M.D., FACP
Assistant Professor, Department of Education
Courtesy Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health
Lysbeth Miller, M.D., MACP
Co-Associate Chair for Education and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Maria Monge, M.D., MAT, FACP
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Medical Education
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, J.D., MACP
Assistant Dean of Clinical Integration, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Balakumar Pandian, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Pediatrics
Tim Ruttan, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Population Health
Suneet Singh, M.D., FACEP
Affiliate Faculty, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
Steven Taylor, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
* The Developing Outstanding Clinical Skills (DOCS) Integrated Curriculum provides an understanding of the role of the physician in the clinical setting and in the community through longitudinal small-group and clinical learning experiences throughout the four years of medical school.
MEDICAL EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
Steven A. Abrams, M.D.
Interim Assistant Dean of Admissions, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Stephanie B. Corliss, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Education Evaluation, Assessment and Research
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education
Travis W. Crook, M.D.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Department of Medical Education
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
James R. Korndorffer, Jr., M.D.
Vice Dean of Education, Dell Medical School
Interim Chair, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
John Luk, M.D.
Assistant Dean of Interprofessional Integration, Department of Medical Education
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Jonathan MacClements, M.D.
Senior Associate Dean and DIO of Graduate Medical Education, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Medical Education and Department of Population Health
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, J.D., MACP
Assistant Dean of Clinical Integration, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Dr. Timothy George Trailblazer Award
The Tim George Trailblazer Award was established at Dell Medical School in 2020 to recognize students who have provided outstanding contributions to their community through service and leadership. Dr. George was a tireless advocate for his community and working to promote health equity for all, and we honor his legacy by selecting students who have shown a similar dedication to striving to make a difference in the provision of health care for all while promoting opportunities for all members of our medical community to demonstrate excellence in their career.
Nneka Ede
Mia Furgurson Rosa Martinez
CLASS OF 2025
WILLIAM AUSTIN
—
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine, Medicine-Pediatrics
Dual Degree: Master of Science in Health Care
Transformation
DOCS Faculty: James Marroquin, M.D., FACP
KARIM BAHO
—
Residency: UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, Internal Medicine
