Joyce deJong has been recommended to serve as the new dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. If approved by the MSU Board of Trustees, her appointment will be effective Feb. 5, 2024.
A nationally recognized forensic pathologist, deJong (pronounced DEE-young) currently serves as a professor and founding chair of the Department of Pathology at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, or WMed. She is also the medical examiner for 12 counties in Michigan, overseeing multiple deputy medical examiners and nearly 100 medical examiner investigators.
As a forensic pathologist for the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 1997, deJong has made significant contributions to disaster response and mass fatality management, deploying to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and more.
Happy homecoming
While her professional experience has taken her around the world, deJong says she’s excited to come home to MSU.
She is a graduate of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and was an associate professor in the MSU Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology and pathology division while she was the medical director for forensic pathology at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been so excited about taking a new position,” deJong said. “When I look at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, I see so many opportunities for growth. More than ever, effective leadership in medicine requires a collaborative spirit, and I am looking forward to building bridges with different colleges, schools and institutions. I’m filled with energy and motivation and looking forward to elevating our college to new heights of excellence.”
“We are elated to welcome deJong back to MSU to serve as dean of the college that helped launch her notable career,” said Norman Beauchamp Jr., executive vice president for Health Sciences. “The breadth and depth of her leadership experience is extraordinary. Combined with her deep commitment to student, staff, faculty and community success, she is the ideal individual to lead the College of Osteopathic Medicine.”