At its 45th annual doctoral graduation and investiture Friday, May 9, at the Marshall Health Network Arena in Huntington, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith and David Gozal, M.D., M.B.A., Ph.D. (Hon), vice president of health affairs and dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, conferred 67 Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees and one Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in biomedical research.  

Members of the M.D. class matched to residency training programs at locations including the University of North Carolina, Duke University, The Ohio State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Florida State University, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, University of Florida College of Medicine and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Twenty-seven students will remain in West Virginia to complete their residency training.  

Best-selling sports author and award-winning business speaker Ross Bernstein, delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2025. Darshana T. Shah, Ph.D., senior associate dean for faculty advancement and professor of pathology at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, was recognized as the school’s 2025 honorary alumna. Calyb A. King, M.D., president of the class of 2025, delivered remarks, and Marlena A. Pigliacampi, M.D., was selected by her classmates to lead the recitation of the Oath of Hippocrates.  

The Marshall University Physician Assistant (PA) Program celebrated its third graduating class Friday morning at the Marshall Health Network Arena. Stephen Wilson, M.D., professor of surgery and medical director of the PA program, and Benjamin Spurlock, M.S., PA-C, the newly-appointed program director, recognized and hooded 29 graduates from the program. Ryan Bashour, president of the class of 2025; Dean Gozal; Alyssa Gregory, a graduate from the school’s inaugural PA Class of 2023; and Marshall University Assistant Provost Carl Mummert, Ph.D., delivered remarks. Members of the Pi Alpha Honor Society inductees were also recognized.  

With their Master of Medical Science degrees, PAs are prepared to evaluate, diagnose and manage patients in primary and specialty care across all stages of life and in culturally diverse and rural settings. Marshall’s 28-month PA program was established in 2018 in response to increased demand for physician assistants across the nation’s health care workforce. The degrees for the PA graduates will be conferred May 10 during the Marshall University commencement ceremony.   

 Media Assets: 

• VIDEO: Livestream videos available for viewing at www.facebook.com/MUSOMWV and www.marshall.edu/livestream. 

• PHOTOS : 

• • https://jcesom.smugmug.com/Events/2025-Events/Physician-Assistant-Hooding-Ceremony-2025

  • https://jcesom.smugmug.com/Events/2025-Events/45th-Annual-Doctoral-Investiture-Medical-School-Commencement