Alice L. Walton School of Medicine Welcomes New Student Affairs Leadership

Bentonville, Ark. (July 1, 2026) – Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) has announced the hiring of Kristin A. Kassaw, MD. Dr. Kassaw will serve as Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Professor.

Dr. Kassaw is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than two decades of experience in medical education, clinical care, and academic leadership.

Before joining AWSOM, Dr. Kassaw served as Associate Dean for Student Affairs and a Clinical Associate Professor for the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston. Dr. Kassaw also served as Co-Director of the Behavioral Medicine Course, Psychiatry Clerkship Director, as a mentor within the college’s learning communities, and held a clinical role as a Psychiatrist at the UH Health Family Care Center.

Dr. Kassaw’s career in medical education began at Baylor College of Medicine, where she held faculty appointments for more than 15 years. She served as Director of the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic, Director of Medical Student Education, and Psychiatry Clerkship Director, impacting generations of medical students and residents. She later continued her clinical work as a psychiatrist in both academic and private practice settings, including leadership roles in psychiatric outpatient care and consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Dr. Kassaw has contributed to advancing medical education through her work with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Holistic Student Support Task Working Group and the Association for Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry MSPE Task Force.

Dr. Kassaw earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Baylor University. She earned her Doctor of Medicine with Honors and completed her psychiatry residency at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Kassaw is board-certified by the Texas Medical Board and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

About Alice L. Walton School of Medicine

Founded in 2021, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is a nonprofit, four-year MD program enhancing traditional medical education with the arts, humanities, and Whole Health principles. The School’s culture embraces self-care to empower students to care for their own well-being as well as their patients’. The School’s state-of-the-art medical education facility is on the Crystal Bridges Campus, home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. The School has been granted preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.