Joseph I. Shapiro, M.D.
Vice President and Dean, Marshall University
Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
SAMANTHA CART
In 2011, the Liaison Committee on
Medical Education placed the Marshall
University Joan C. Edwards School of
Medicine on probation. In March 2012,
Joseph Shapiro, M.D., a nephrologist with
more than 30 years of clinical, teaching
and research expertise, was appointed
the school’s new dean. Shapiro imme-
diately refocused the school’s priorities
on the accreditation process and worked
alongside his leadership team to address
every issue that led to probation. By Oc-
tober 2013, the probation had been lifted,
and the progress that was made during
his first year gave the medical school the
momentum it needed to flourish into the
powerhouse it is today.
A native of Newark, NJ, Shapiro holds
a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from
the University of Pennsylvania and a
medical degree from the Rutgers New
Jersey Medical School. After serving as
the chairman of the department of med-
icine at the University of Toledo for 14
years, he felt it was time for a change,
which led him to the Mountain State.
As dean, he serves as the chief academic
officer of the medical school and over-
sees its teaching, research and clinical
missions. He is also the chairman of the
board of directors of Marshall Health and
a member of the board of directors for
the school’s health care delivery system,
Mountain Health.
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
Photo by Rick Lee.
Educational quality has been a priority
under Shapiro’s tenure, and as such, he has
overseen the addition of a variety of new
academic, residency and pipeline programs
and fellowships. This growth within the
school of medicine was instrumental
in Marshall University earning its R2
status from the Carnegie Classification of
Institutions of Higher Education in 2019.
He is particularly passionate about
reducing medical school loan debt for
West Virginia students. The school of
medicine now awards more than $3 million
in scholarships annually, and the school’s
endowment fund is at an all-time high.
Students who are accepted into the school’s
new B.S. to M.D. program also receive
a tuition waiver for the medical school
portion of their education.
“Our mission is to train a physician
workforce for West Virginia,” says Shapiro.
“I believe if we can minimize debt, our
graduates can do what they want to do.
I want to remove any obstacles to our
graduates choosing to practice in under-
served areas of West Virginia. My dream
is to make the Joan C. Edwards School of
Medicine free to West Virginia residents.”
In response to the state’s opioid crisis,
Shapiro formed the Division of Addiction
Sciences at Marshall to propel the school
into a leading role in addressing addiction
issues in the region. Under this umbrella,
the school has launched more than a dozen