Awards and Accolades: University Of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Announce Faculty, Staff Achievements
PITTSBURGH, August 26, 2008 – The faculty, staff and students of the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences often are recognized by academic and scientific societies and other prestigious organizations for their significant achievements and exceptional leadership. Among those whose work has been acknowledged recently with awards and accolades are the following:
- Gail Wolfe, D.N.S., R.N., F.A.A.N., professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, is the recipient of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors an AONE member who is recognized by the broader nursing community as a significant leader in the nursing profession and who has served AONE in an important leadership capacity.
- The University of Missouri-Kansas City has selected Robert Arnold, M.D., to receive its top alumni award, Alumnus of the Year. One alumnus is chosen from each of the university’s 12 academic units to be recognized for distinguished professional accomplishments and for outstanding community service. Dr. Arnold is a nationally recognized scholar, clinician and educator in medicine and bioethics. He also is a leader in palliative care and plays an active role in educating medical students and residents.
- The American College of Emergency Physicians has declared three faculty members of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as Pennsylvania Heroes of Emergency Medicine. These emergency medicine physicians have dedicated their careers to their patients, their communities and their specialty. Those honored are Bruce A. MacLeod, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., clinical associate professor of emergency medicine and chair of the UPMC Mercy department of emergency medicine; Paul M. Paris, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., professor and chairman of the department of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; and Donald M. Yealy, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., professor and vice chairman of the department of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
- Joseph C. Maroon, M.D., professor and vice chairman of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, was recently selected to be one of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine’s new executive officers. Dr. Maroon is recognized as an accomplished neurosurgeon who also has made significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of preventative medicine. His recent clinical and research interests include complimentary approaches to inflammatory diseases associated with aging.
- David Anderson, D.D.S., M.D.S., clinical assistant professor, University of Pittsburgh department of prosthodontics, is a founding member of the Academy for Health Equity which was established on June 26, 2008 in Denver, Co. The mission of the academy is to utilize rigorous scientific research, policy development and community advocacy to eliminate health disparities and create a social movement designed to ensure equal opportunity for health.
- Several University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health students and fellows received the William T. Green Jr. Award in Public Health Studies. Dr. Green established this award to support special student projects that would not otherwise be implemented due to financial restrictions. The recipients of this year’s award include: Supriya Kumar, Dr.P.H., for her study entitled, “Assessing the quality of healthcare available to residents of rural India;” Yan Liu, Ph.D., for her study entitled, “Developing computational decision-analytic modeling tools for forecasting the influences of selected aflatoxin regulations on liver cancer incidence worldwide;” and Jing Wang, M.P.H., for her study entitled, “Translation and Validation of a Health Literacy Instrument Among Adults of Chinese Descent with Type 2 Diabetes.”
- The Research to Prevent Blindness organization has awarded two grants to the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Joel Schuman, M.D., chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, received a $110,000 grant to direct department-wide research looking into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding diseases. Daniel Roh, a University of Pittsburgh Medical Scientist Training Program student, received a $30,000 grant to conduct a research project within the Department of Ophthalmology and currently is studying the regenerative capacity of certain corneal cells. To date, the organization has given grants totaling more than $3 million to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences include the schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Graduate School of Public Health. The schools serve as the academic partner to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Together, their combined mission is to train tomorrow’s health care specialists and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care. Since 1997, Pitt and its affiliated university faculty have ranked among the top 10 educational institutions in grant support from the National Institutes of Health.
For additional information about the Schools of the Health Sciences, please visit www.health.pitt.edu.