UMSOM’s Office of Student Affairs Names Dr. Kristin Reavis as Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion, and Dr. Constance Lacap as Assistant Dean for Assessment

New Appointments Will Help Further Enhance Education Mission of UM School of Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, Donna Parker, MD, FACP,  along with Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, today announced two appointments that will further enhance the quality of medical education at the UMSOM. Kristin Reavis, MD, Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine, has been named Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of Student Affairs, while Constance N. Lacap, DO, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, has been named Assistant Dean for Assessment in the Office of Medical Education.

In her new role, Dr. Reavis leads efforts within the Office of Student Affairs to develop, coordinate, and evaluate student diversity and inclusion initiatives, with a goal of achieving inclusive excellence for all medical students at the UMSOM. She also serves as Faculty Advisor to the UMSOM Student Diversity Council. In addition, she will provide support and guidance to medical students dealing with experiences of exclusion, and will coordinate with course directors to strengthen diversity and inclusive content within the UMSOM curriculum.

“Dr. Reavis has a longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, dating back to her days as a student at the School of Medicine,” said Dr. Parker. “She was an important voice with her work in the Office of Admissions, and an active member of the Student National Medical Association. As a faculty member, Dr. Reavis has continued to provide leadership in these areas, providing wonderful mentorship as the faculty advisor for the Student National Medical Association as well as wisdom and insight to the Admissions Committee,” Dr. Parker added. “We are truly excited to have her join the medical education team.”

Dr. Reavis, who has been on the UMSOM faculty in UMSOM’s Department of Community and Family Medicine since 2013, has made advocating for the underrepresented a top priority.

“My chief responsibility is to be an advocate for our students from underrepresented backgrounds, in serving as a sounding board for them,” she said. “If students have issues that may relate to discrimination on the basis of any perceived bias, I am always available to review their concerns.”

Dr. Reavis received her MD Degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Dr. Lacap to Ensure High-Quality Assessments for Medical Students

In her new position, Dr. Lacap will work collaboratively with the Office of Medical Education staff, course directors, and others to further develop and maintain high-quality examination and evaluation processes within all areas of undergraduate medical education. In addition, she is a key member of the UMSOM’s Medical Education Continuous Quality Improvement Working Group.

“Dr. Lacap has been significantly involved in medical education at UMSOM since 2012, serving as the Director of Medical Student Education in the Department of Psychiatry and also serving as the clerkship director for third-year medical students,” said Dr. Parker. “In the latter position, she has been an important voice for consistency and innovation in the ways we evaluate students, and we are very pleased to have her expand that work across departments in this new role.”

Dr. Lacap is enthusiastic about her new role. “In terms of our educational mission, I look forward to working with the Office of Medical Education to ensure that we are delivering high-quality assessments in preparing our students to enter their medical practice,” she said. “I also will be engaged in reviewing our curriculum as a whole to guarantee continuous quality improvement in all respects.”

Dr. Lacap has been a faculty member in the UMSOM’s Department of Psychiatry since 2009. She has been significantly involved in medical education at the School since 2012, serving as the Director of Medical Student Education in the Department of Psychiatry as well as the clerkship director for third-year students. Dr. Lacap earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Program. She is board certified with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

“I congratulate both Dr. Reavis and Dr. Lacap on their appointments. I am confident that the experience and expertise they bring to their new roles will help advance the educational quality of our Programs, and ensure that we have a diverse and inclusive experience for our students,” said Dean Reece, who is also Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 student trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8^th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu