Des Moines University Announces 2026 Alumni Award Winners Recognizing Leaders in Medicine, Health Care and Education

WEST DES MOINES, IA (07/08/2026) Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences names its 2026 Alumni of the Year honorees, recognizing graduates whose careers reflect exceptional leadership, service and impact.

Selected by the DMU Alumni Board and university leadership, this year’s honorees are advancing patient care, shaping future health professionals and improving health systems in communities across the country.

“These alumni reflect the very best of DMU,” says Angela L. Walker Franklin, PhD, president and CEO. “They are leading with purpose, serving with compassion and extending the impact of their DMU education in meaningful ways.”

An alumni awards ceremony will be held Friday, Sept. 18, on the DMU campus to celebrate these distinguished alumni and their contributions to DMU and the communities they serve.

Visit dmu.edu/alumni-awards to read the full alumni award profiles and watch videos highlighting each honoree’s impact in health care.

The 2026 Rising Star

Elizabeth “Libby” Abbas, DO’15, has been named DMU’s Rising Star honoree. She is a family physician and the associate medical director of high value care at MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, Maine. She practices full-spectrum family medicine, including osteopathic manipulative treatment, addiction medicine and integrative medicine.

Abbas is also the founding program director of the Franklin Rural Family Medicine Residency, a new program designed to train physicians for broad-scope rural practice and address physician shortages in underserved communities. The program is expected to welcome its first residents in 2027.

Raised on a sheep farm in Tripoli, Iowa, Abbas developed an early understanding of the challenges rural communities face in accessing care. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from DMU in 2015, graduating with distinction and serving as an osteopathic manipulative medicine pre-doctoral fellow.

Following residency training in Maine, Abbas practiced family medicine in Decorah, Iowa, and later joined the faculty at a family medicine residency in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she helped develop addiction medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment services for unhoused patients. She continues to combine patient care, teaching and leadership in her current role.

The 2026 College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumnus of the Year

John T. Pham, DO’00, has been named DMU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumnus of the Year. He is dean and chief academic officer of the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. He is the first and only Vietnamese American dean of a medical school in the United States (osteopathic or allopathic).

Pham’s leadership in medical education is rooted in a career that spans clinical practice and academic medicine. After earning his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from DMU in 2000, he completed residency training in family medicine and opened a solo practice in Portland, Oregon, where he grew up. In his practice, he cared for many first-and second-generation Vietnamese patients.

Pham began his academic medicine career at Western University of Health Sciences in 2011, joining its College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest as a clinical skills faculty member. He advanced through academic leadership roles, serving as chair of family medicine and assistant dean before becoming vice dean in 2018. He joined UIW in 2022.

As dean, Pham is committed to expanding opportunities for students and preparing physicians to serve diverse and underserved communities.

The 2026 College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Alumnus of the Year

Jeffrey Dikis, DPM’12, is a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and partner at McFarland Clinic in Marshalltown, Iowa. He provides comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions, including fractures, tendon injuries, diabetic wounds and reconstructive cases.

Dikis has built a career that combines clinical practice with education and outreach. In addition to his work in the clinic, he co-founded a social media platform and podcast focused on foot and ankle education. The nationally recognized platform helps engage and educate students and early-career physicians.

A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Dikis earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from DMU in 2012. He is actively involved in mentoring DMU students and providing hands-on learning opportunities in his practice.

The 2026 College of Health Sciences Alumna of the Year

Leah Glasgo, MHA’02, BSN, RN, FACHE, is market president for UnityPoint Health in Fort Dodge, Iowa. She leads operations for a 200-bed hospital and an 80-mile service area serving multiple rural communities across north central Iowa.

Raised in Clarinda, Iowa, Glasgo began her career as a nurse before transitioning into health care administration. She earned her Master of Health Care Administration degree from DMU while working full time.

Throughout her career, Glasgo has focused on improving rural health systems and expanding access to care. Her leadership achievements include launching new services, overseeing facility expansions and advocating for rural hospitals through her service on the American Hospital Association board.