Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 2, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 7 H I G H E R E D U C A T I O N P O W E R 5 0 Sustainable lithium-ion battery materials and recycling — ELEVATED. IT'S THE WORLD'S MOST EFFICIENT LITHIUM-ION BATTERY RECYCLING PROCESS… AND IT'S AVAILABLE NOW. Learn more at ascendelements.com 93% Lower GHG Emissions 50%+ Lower Cost 99%+ Purity 98% Recovery Rate Proudly Made in Central Massachusetts! AE_NAATBatt Ad_9x5.5.indd 2 AE_NAATBatt Ad_9x5.5.indd 2 4/13/22 3:45 PM 4/13/22 3:45 PM DR. MICHAEL COLLINS CHANCELLOR AT UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL IN WORCESTER, AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH SCIENCES AT UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Residence: Worcester Colleges: College of the Holy Cross, Tufts University School of Medicine At the nexus of higher education and life sciences, UMass Chan Medical School has undergone tremendous growth in the last year under Collins' leadership. The school received an historic $175-million gift from the Morningside Foundation in September, leading to a name change and an opportunity for significant growth. Collins oversees more than just the medical school, including the graduate schools for nursing and for biomedical professionals, as well as the biotech company MassBiologics and the consulting and human services agency Commonwealth Medicine. Research funding at UMass Chan has doubled over the two years of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than $500 million from the National Institutes of Health alone. To house its growth, the school is constructing a 300,000-square-foot building, which is in addition to the 48,000-square-foot veterans center completed in November. In total, the school wields $2 billion of economic impact in Massachusetts, offering more than 6,000 jobs and injecting young talent into the life sciences industry. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart from the rest of the world? Simply put, there is a can-do attitude and collaborative spirit among the city's political, business, higher education, and nonprofit leaders here that is rare and very special. n Michael Collins, M.D.: More than a few people were surprised to roll up their sleeves and see Dr. Collins giving COVID-19 shots during the UMass vaccine corps clinics. DR. SHLOMIT SCHAAL PRESIDENT OF UMASS MEMORIAL MEDICAL GROUP, IN WORCESTER; SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR HEALTH STRATEGIES AT UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL; PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCES AT UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL AND UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH Colleges: Technion Institute of Technology in Israel, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health As the leader of the largest caregiver network in Central Massachusetts, at 1,205 physicians, Schaal straddles the world of academia and research, seeking to improve both. Her personal passion focuses on cultural transformation and diversity in medicine. When she became chair of the UMass Chan department of ophthalmology in 2016, only six of the 122 U.S. academic ophthalmology departments were led by a woman. In the past six years, she used her voice to influence the development of other women leaders, to the point where now 20 women lead ophthalmology departments. A native of Israel, Schaal has seen the COVID pandemic highlight the devastating disparities in healthcare outcomes among the varied populations in Central Massachusetts, and she has urged her medical group to undertake initiatives to service underrepresented people, focused on easing access to care and providing preventative care. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart? We are blessed and enriched by diversity. Our medical group is committed to providing health care to everyone, no matter their race, culture, age or sexual orientation. n Relaxing competition: I am a competitive swimmer and have a deep appreciation for water. I use swimming as a way to prioritize my physical and mental health and social well-being. Practicing medicine is very demanding, so it is important to have a hobby allowing me to release the stresses of my day.

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