Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, has been President of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) since January 2006. Prior to assuming this position, he served as Vice President for Health Services and Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of New England since 1995. He served as Chair of the AACOM Board of Deans from July 2003 to June 2005.
Dr. Shannon earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree in 1986 from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine, and his master's of public health degree in 1990 from the Harvard University School of Public Health. He is board certified in osteopathic family practice and preventive medicine. He also holds B.A and M.A. degrees in American History from the University of Maryland.
As President of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Shannon serves as spokesperson on behalf of the nation’s 25 colleges of osteopathic medicine, articulating the community’s priorities and positions in a variety of national and international settings. Dr. Shannon also guides the association in fulfilling its vision and mission, and in positively influencing state, federal, and executive branch policy formulation relative to medical education.
Dr. Shannon has strong professional interests in public health and preventive medicine, and in major research areas of clinical outcomes study, occupational and environmental health, health promotion and disease prevention, health professions workforce, rural health and medical school curriculum.
He has a long history of leadership in public health. He was instrumental in the development of a Master of Public Health program at the University of New England, has served on numerous public health boards and commissions and is a founder and past Chair of the Board of the Maine Center for Public Health.
In addition, he is past president of the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition and was a member of the state's Biomedical Research Board. Dr. Shannon was instrumental in implementing biomedical research expansion within the University of New England, targeting such areas as diabetes' impact on heart disease and the neurophysiology of pain, memory and addiction.
He received the Dan Hanley Memorial Trust 2003 Leadership Award in June 2003 and the Finance Authority of Maine's Distinguished Service Award in the Field of Higher Education in November 2002.
In his position at the University of New England, Dr. Shannon provided oversight for the education of approximately 500 medical school students and residents, the research activities of the biomedical and clinical faculty and the clinical services provided by the clinical faculty members in University Health Services.