‘You will continue to impact my life’: Ken Ruit retires after 35 years with UND
“My heartfelt thanks to all of you for how you have impacted my life. Know that you will continue to impact my life.”
And with that, Ken Ruit, Ph.D., senior associate dean for Academic Affairs at UND’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences, called it a career.
Matching potential with opportunity
During a retirement ceremony on Thursday, June 25, the 30-plus year veteran of UND recognized the leaders and faculty at North Dakota’s only interprofessional school of medicine and health sciences who made his career both memorable and satisfying.
“I want you to know that the opportunities that have been provided to me are by those who I have considered true mentors,” said Ruit, who added that he is looking forward to spending more time with his family in retirement, including attending his grandchildren’s baseball and softball games. “As all of you go about your work here at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, I encourage you to be thinking about the others whose lives you are touching in ways that demonstrate that you are recognizing potential and providing the kinds of opportunities that align with that potential in ways that just unleash people, and in ways that are going to be unbelievable.”
From teaching to accreditation
Ruit received his doctorate in cell biology, neurobiology, and anatomy from Loyola University of Chicago in 1989 and began his career at UND in 1991. Over the past 35 years, he taught human anatomy and neuroscience to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students.
He first moved into administrative roles at SMHS in 1998. He was named assistant dean for academic and faculty affairs in 2008, assumed the role of associate dean for education and faculty affairs in 2017, and was named senior associate dean in 2023.
Over the past three years, Ruit had oversight of accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) of North Dakota’s only school of medicine. Sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA), the LCME is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the nation’s authority for the accreditation of medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree. The accreditation was last reinstated at SMHS in October 2022 and lasts eight years. The next full survey visit by the LCME will not occur until 2030.
“Ken represents the best and most beautiful parts of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences,” said Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, vice president for Health Affairs at UND and SMHS Dean. “He’s helped shape the school. His support has been vitally important, and coming into this role I have really been appreciative of a colleague like Ken.”
