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Melillo) and an executive vice president (OCPM executive vice president David R. Nicolanti, PhD) during a formal transi- tion period that is expected to extend to June 30, 2014. "Dr. Melillo has been with OCPM for 28 years. I've been here for 35 years," says Dr. Nicolanti, who points out that the college is almost 100 years old. "When we retire, and as part of our legacy, we'd like to make sure the college is in good hands and will be around for another 100 years." About OCPM Founded in Cleveland in 1916 as "the Ohio College of Chiropody," the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine is one of nine accredited podiatry schools in the United States. The private, not-for-profit, four-year graduate level medical college maintains an average enrollment of 425 students and typically graduates 75-100 students a year. Regional and national affiliations include over 50 hospitals and more than 300 private practitioners which provide internships and residency training to students. "OCPM is one of the largest and most respected podiatric medical educa- tion institutions in the country. Our faculty and staff are among the most distinguished, authored, and leading podiatrists and medical professionals," says Dr. Melillo. "Students who graduate from OCPM find themselves at the forefront of the podiatry profession." The current campus, located at Rockside Woods Boulevard near I-77 in Independence, includes a stately 137,000-square-foot Georgian building nestled on 27 wooded acres of prime commercial real estate. The building boasts three brand new auditoriums: two that are 3,500 square feet and one that is 4,000 square feet. Each seat 150 — perfect for both lecture courses and CME courses alike. There are also high-tech anatomy and histology/microbiology labs, state-of- the-art library facilities, a newly created simulated patient center, a computer learning and media center, and an onsite clinical training facility — the Cleveland Foot and Ankle Institute, which has a second location in downtown Cleveland. Outside on the campus grounds are brick patios with seating/eating areas, walking trails and exercise stations for the enjoyment of students, faculty and staff. Future plans may include adding student housing on campus. "We have a beautiful campus here and a terrific facility. It's well situated. And our clinics are well situated, too — in addition to our onsite clinic, we have clinical affiliations with hospitals in the Cleveland Clinic system and University Hospitals system," says Dr. Nicolanti. About KSU Kent State is ranked among the nation's Top 77 public research universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and has been named one of the Top 200 universities in the world by Times Higher Education, London. It is Northeast Ohio's largest public research university and the third largest public university in the state of Ohio. Its nursing school is the largest residential nursing program in the nation. In addition to its Kent Campus, the uni- versity has 7 regional campuses located in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Stark, OCPM's campus, located at Rockside Woods Boulevard near I-77 in Independence, includes a stately 137,000-square-foot Georgian building nestled on 27 wooded acres of prime commercial real estate. JULY-AUGUST 2012 ■ MDNEWS.COM ■ MD NEWS Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 7 PHOTO COURTESY OF OCPM