Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine is excited to announce that the Dean's position will now be known as the Stephan Sharf Dean of OUWB. This name change is made possible thanks to the generosity of Oakland University philanthropists, the late Stephan Sharf and his widow Patti Finnegan Sharf.

In 2008, Sharf stepped forward with the pledge of an estate gift in support of the endowed deanship position for OUWB. It was one of the lead gifts for the new school and helped set the stage for other significant gifts that have helped shape its growth.

“When I give money, it is to me like an investment,” Sharf said at the time of his initial gift to OUWB. “I want to make sure it succeeds. Putting a medical school within Oakland University takes the university to the next plateau. Only a few universities in Michigan have medical schools.”

As a former trustee, past director for the OU Foundation and member of the Varner Society, Sharf was a long-time advocate for helping Oakland reach ever-greater levels of achievement.

The former executive vice president for Chrysler was a supporter of Oakland University for more than 30 years, making a number of transformative gifts including the establishment of the Stephan Sharf Endowed Scholarship for engineering students and the Stephan and Rita Sharf Scholarship in the School of Business Administration. He and his late wife Rita also provided lead funding for Oakland’s world-class Sharf Golf Course in 2000.

In addition to endowing the Dean position at OUWB, Sharf also dedicated funds to establish the Stephan Sharf Medical School Scholarship to assist students with financial needs.

“We will forever be grateful to the legacy Mr. Sharf left at OUWB," said Robert Folberg, M.D., Stephan Sharf Founding Dean, OUWB. "His gift will have a lasting impact on OUWB students for generations, and through that, all of the patients and communities that they serve."