Timothy J. Bauler, PhD, has been named the medical school’s new assistant dean for Admissions.
Dr. Bauler, who also serves as an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and has been a member of the medical school faculty since 2015, began his new role in August.
“I’m really excited to take on this new role,” Dr. Bauler said. “I’ve been involved in WMed admissions for seven years and have progressively gained more responsibility and learned how all of the pieces of the process fit together. Each year we critically analyze and modify the process to help attract and matriculate the best cohort of students possible, which is both interesting and challenging. Admissions is critical for WMed, as it is the front door into our medical school.”
As the assistant dean for Admissions, Dr. Bauler will serve as a thought leader for the holistic admissions process that matriculates a diverse class of students likely to become exceptional physicians. He is responsible for admissions policies and procedures and development of partnerships with undergraduate institutions, among other responsibilities. It’s a role that Dr. Bauler is well-suited for as he previously served as chair of the medical school’s Admissions Committee since July 2019.
“We’ve completed nine admissions cycles since opening as a new medical school,” Dr. Bauler said. “Now as we’re approaching our second decade of admissions and WMed has a new mission and vision, we plan to place more emphasis on identifying an increasingly well-rounded and diverse class. This will include increasing the number of students who are from Southwest Michigan, come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, first-generation college students, and applicants who come from racial/ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine.
“We now have the opportunity to recruit additional students into our medical class who didn’t have ready access to physician mentors, who had to work throughout college, or who couldn’t pay for fancy test preparation courses, but are truly academically gifted and have the personal attributes that will help them become excellent physicians. Those are the students we’re particularly excited to welcome in the future,” he added. “The Empowering Futures gift has already begun to make medical school a reality for some students who thought it would be economically infeasible, so I’m enthusiastic about where we’re headed.”
Dr. Bauler earned a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan in 2009 and a bachelor’s degree in Cell and Structural Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003. From 2009-2015, Dr. Bauler conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health with a focus on host-pathogen interactions.
In his new role, Dr. Bauler said he is looking forward to the opportunity to interact with prospective students and show them why WMed is a great place to pursue their dreams of becoming a physician.
“What students are getting at WMed is top notch facilities filled with a supportive culture and classmates who collaborate, working together to help each other be successful,” Dr. Bauler said. “We have small class sizes and easy access to faculty, so here at WMed students are not just a number but part of the WMed family. And we’re situated in Kalamazoo, a vibrant and supportive community that is happy to have the medical school and welcomes students to be active members of the community.”