Robert J. Sokol, MD, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology, Emeritus Dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. At Wayne State, he served as Chair of the Departments of ObGyn and of Translational Medicine and as Director of the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, as well as Dean of the School of Medicine and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs for the Detroit Medical Center. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He has built a “triple threat” career along with major administrative responsibilities.

Among his accomplishments and honors, he was elected President of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, the Detroit Medical Academy and the Wayne State University Academy of Scholars. He also chaired the national Liaison Committee for Obstetrics and Gynecology and was Editor-in-Chief of ACOG UPDATE, a monthly CME publication of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Dr. Sokol has been associated with nearly a half a billion dollars in grant and contract awards, primarily from NIH, and has published extensively on computerization in ObGyn, high risk ante-and intrapartum management and the prevention of perinatal brain damage, particularly as it relates to prenatal exposure to alcohol and cocaine; he has authored about 1600 publications, including 400 refereed papers. Honors include several years’ recognition amongst “Best Docs,” 15 national research awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from SMFM, recognition as the founding Chair of the SMFM Foundation, a Distinguished Service Award from ACOG, a Distinguished Service Award from Rocky Vista University and awards from the Wayne State University School of Medicine student body, alumni and the school.

Dr. Sokol has served on four medical school/university boards, one of which he chaired and two of which he currently chairs, the Wayne State School of Medicine (Board of Visitors) and the American Canadian School of Medicine (Dominica). He has also served on four boards of directors of professional theaters, two of which he has chaired. He serves on many other boards and committees, including serving as Vice Chair of the governing board of the Detroit Medical Center GME program, with about 1000 residents and fellows in training, as well as having served as Chair of the Board of the Southeast Michigan Center for Medical Education. He also served as Chair of the State of Michigan Medical Maternal Mortality Committee on which he was a member for 37 years and as founding Executive Director of MI AIM, the national program of ACOG (funded by HRSA) and partners in Michigan, including the state Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, for a decade. The MI AIM goal is to reduce maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity and disparity across the state.

A few personal notes – he worked as a professional theater photographer for six years during residency and fellowship training, has been married and in love for 61 years, has three physician children and six grandchildren, and has abiding interests in photography, theater, classical music, opera and fine art.