HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine dedicated the Bill and Lois Dolin Distinguished Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, the first endowed chair in the school’s history, during a ceremony Wednesday, July 22, at the Marshall University Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall, celebrating the creation of a permanent source of support for resident education and faculty development.

The $1 million endowment—the second-largest gift in the School of Medicine’s history—was established by Bill and Lois Dolin, longtime supporters of the School of Medicine, to honor the excellence in academic medicine provided by the department, led by Ali Oliashirazi, M.D. He will serve as the inaugural chair. 

“Dr. Ali came to Huntington as an enterprising physician with a vision,” said Bill Dolin. “Through his dedication and hard work, his vision for the Marshall University Medical Center was actualized. Truly, he is a renowned physician and leader. Even more, he is of genuine character and a good friend. We are thankful to know him and to gift his department.”

A Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, “Dr. Oli,” as he is known by his patients, founded Marshall Orthopaedics in 2001, building it into one of the nation’s leading orthopaedic and joint replacement centers, with national recognition spanning nearly two decades. 

He later helped establish Marshall’s orthopaedic surgery residency program, which has ranked in the 99th percentile nationally for six consecutive years. His award-winning research has been presented at conferences across the United States and around the world, and his co-invention, Kneedle, is designed to significantly enhance the detection of infections in joint replacement surgeries.

Oliashirazi said the meaning of this gift runs deep.

“As a young man, Bill Dolin helped pour the literal foundation of Cabell Huntington Hospital,” he said. “Decades later, as chair of the hospital board, he helped lay the foundation for our department itself. Even more meaningfully to me, he placed a different kind of trust in me – a young surgeon with no local or national reputation and everything to prove – when he chose me to perform his knee replacement surgery. He believed in us before there was anything to believe in. That’s a rare kind of faith: believing in someone before success gives everyone else permission to do the same.”

The establishment of the first endowed chair is a historic moment for the School of Medicine, said David Gozal, M.D., M.B.A., Ph.D. (Hon), vice president for health affairs and dean of the Joan C. Edward School of Medicine at Marshall University.

"The Dolins have created a lasting investment in our students, residents, faculty and patients,” Gozal said. “Their generosity strengthens our ability to educate the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons while ensuring our orthopaedic department has the resources to continue growing and meeting the needs of the communities we serve."

To learn more about the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, visit www.marshallhealth.org/services/orthopaedic-surgery/. To learn how to support the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, contact Linda Holmes at holmes@marshall.edu or 304-691-1711. 

Photos from the dedication are available at jcesom.smugmug.com/Events/2026-Events/Dolin-family-Orthopedic-Surgery-Chair-Announcement.

PHOTO CAPTION: From left, daughters of Bill Dolin, Danielle Bane and Carrie Dolin, along with Ali Oliashirazi, M.D., pose for a photo with a plaque dedicating the Bill and Lois Dolin Distinguished Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, the first endowed chair in the school’s history, during a ceremony Wednesday, July 22, at the Marshall University Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. Photo by Sholten Singer/Marshall Health Network.

Date Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2026