Dean: College's future looks high tech
After spending more than two decades at MSU, Marsha Rappley said she's still learning. The MSU College of Human Medicine graduate and former nurse has been an MSU faculty member since 1988 and was named dean of the college Friday. "My learning curve was very steep and continues to be very steep," said Rappley, who served as acting dean of the college for the past year. Rappley said there will be a lot of hard work ahead, as plans for the college's expansion to Grand Rapids move into the final stages, and she begins collaborating with other MSU colleges. "It's a challenge to keep movement on all fronts, and it's important in research and clinical enterprise," Rappley said. The medical college is looking at creating joint-degree programs with other colleges, such as the College of Engineering, and integrating more technology into classes, she said. "The synergy between engineering and medicine is enormous," Rappley said.