On August 21, 2025, the LAU community came together at the LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital to witness a moment steeped in gratitude and reverence: The naming of Block D in honor of former LAU President Michel E. Mawad.

The event was not only a recognition of years of service but also a celebration of a life woven into the fabric of the university and Lebanon’s healthcare landscape, as the hospital itself marks its centennial this year.

The atmosphere was charged with emotion as Dr. Mawad took to the podium. With humility and warmth, he addressed colleagues and friends, acknowledging the many roles he had held—as chairman of the medical imaging department at the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, school dean, and president of LAU—while grounding his identity in what he valued most: His work as a physician.

“I stand before you as one of you: A regular medical doctor,” he declared, reminding all that leadership is inseparable from shared purpose.

More than a building, Block D is a testament to legacy, innovation, and dedication.  Reflecting on its origins, Dr. Mawad said, “This particular building has a special meaning for me: As it stands today, it symbolizes the legacy and the vision of the late Dr. Assaad Rizk. A great man who built it over 40 years ago to be a leading hospital facility equipped with the best medical and surgical technology.”

Today, the building has not only fulfilled but surpassed that vision, housing the Comprehensive Stroke Center, which was established during Dr. Mawad’s deanship and has since saved more than 1,100 lives. Within its walls, cutting-edge cardiac procedures, a set of three brand-new and fully equipped operating rooms dedicated to highly specialized surgeries, including a one-of-a-kind hybrid operating room, and a patient-centered intensive care unit highlight a dedication to both advanced care and compassionate healing.

Dr. Mawad emphasized the building’s educational role as well: “LAU and specifically its health science schools have a dual mission; the first mission is to deliver excellent medical care to the community, but the second mission, which is just as important, is to deliver modern and comprehensive academic medical education to our health science students.”

True to his ethos, Dr. Mawad shared the honor with the community he serves. He co-dedicated the building to the professions of nursing, pharmacy, and medicine, highlighting the tireless collaboration that drives patient care. His gesture reinforced a lifelong belief: Medicine is never the work of one but of many.

That spirit of collective dedication was echoed by LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah, who, in his speech, reminded attendees that the challenges Lebanon and the university have faced in recent years tested more than resources—they revealed true leadership.

“Crisis reveals character. They reveal leadership,” he remarked, praising Dr. Mawad for guiding the institution and its people through tumultuous times. He further characterized Dr. Mawad as a servant leader, someone who “led to serve and served by leading,” embodying modesty and steadfast stewardship.

Dr. Mawad’s presidency was forged in overcoming adverse external conditions, beginning in 2020 amid economic collapse, social unrest, the Beirut port explosion and a global pandemic. Yet, he set his course with resilience, affirming a vision of strength and a commitment to LAU’s higher education and patient care missions and renewal. The dedication of Block D stands as a tangible manifestation of that perseverance—a structure resilient in its mission, providing a sanctuary for healing and hope.

As the ceremony came to a close, Dr. Mawad offered a heartfelt plea that extended beyond medical know-how, urging everyone who enters the building to bring compassion, humility, and joy to their work, and to remember that caregiving is as much about offering hope as it is about treatment.

Dr. Abdallah reinforced this message, highlighting how Dr. Mawad’s legacy will continue to guide future generations and illustrating that leadership is a continuum carried forward by those who follow.