Student Updates
Register for the Fifth Annual BUMC John McCahan Education Day
Boston University's Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Dental Medicine and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences are proudly sponsoring the Fifth Annual John McCahan Education Day on June 11.
The purpose of the event is to showcase and enhance educational innovations, scholarship and research across the Boston University Medical Campus. All faculty, students, residents, fellows and staff of BUMC are invited to attend.
The John McCahan Education Day takes place from 8:30 am to 3:15 pm in the Hiebert Lounge on the 14th floor of the BUSM Instructional Building.
Register online
Registration is required for workshops and lunch.
Program Highlights
• Panel of BUMC Academic Deans
• Poster Session: Posters focus on themes of educational innovations, research and technology. Oral presentations and awards will be given for outstanding student, fellow/resident and faculty abstracts.
• Keynote Lecture: (10:45 AM) Keynote speaker is Jeanette Norden, Ph.D., neuroscientist and professor of cell and developmental biology in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She will be speaking on "Teaching for Deep Learning: Promoting Intellectual and Personal Development."
• Luncheon: Pre-registered attendees will be provided lunch. Register
• Faculty Workshops: Pre-Registration required. Participants will learn about educational strategies, innovations, research and scholarship by attending the interactive workshops. See workshop details and registration online.
Contact: For more information, contact Jackie Desmarais in the Office of Medical Education at 617-638-5128 or jdesmara@bu.edu To request reasonable accommodations for a disability, please send request in writing at least two weeks prior to June 11, 2010.
Continuing education credit: Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Boston University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Boston University School of Dental Medicine Office of Continuing Education will provide 4 hours of continuing education credits for verification of participation in the full event (2 hours worth of credits will be provided for half day participation)
Faculty/Course Directors: Rob Schadt, Ed.D, Ann Zumwalt, Ph.D., Jana Brady M.S., Dara Cunnion, D.M.D.,Tim Heeren, Ph.D., Ariel Hirsch, M.D., Celeste Kong, D.M.D., Stephanie Oberhaus, Ph.D., Suzanne Sarfaty, M.D., Peter F. Shaw, Ph.D.
Target Audience: BUMC faculty, residents, fellows, students and staff (BUSM, SDM and SPH) interested in educational innovation and scholarship.
Objectives: At the conclusion of this educational activity, participants will be able to:
• incorporate specific instructional techniques into their teaching
• identify key research questions in educational innovation and scholarship
• identify new approaches to educational innovation and scholarship
Needs Assessment: Participants will learn new teaching skills and knowledge of educational innovation, leadership and scholarship by attending workshops, viewing posters in education scholarship and hearing presentations on educational research and scholarship.
GSDM’s Dr. Paula Friedman to Lead Massachusetts Dental Society
Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Dr. Paula Friedman was recently elected to the role of Vice President of the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS). She will serve as VP, then advance to President-Elect, followed by President. Each is a one year appointment.
Dr. Friedman has been involved with MDS on some level since 1978, but it was not until 2005 that she began pursuing leadership roles within the organization. In 2005, she was appointed to the Women's Leadership Task Force. This Task Force recommended creating the MDS Leadership Institute in order to make leadership of MDS more transparent to all members. Dr. Friedman then took part in the Institute and later served as a guest member on the MDS Board.
"I have so much respect and admiration for the Massachusetts Dental Society," said Dr. Friedman. "I am truly honored to have been elected to this position."
Dr. Friedman was nominated for this role by the Metropolitan District Dental Society, one of 13 districts within MDS. Her nomination and subsequent election is especially noteworthy because MDS is mainly comprised of practicing dental professionals and Dr. Friedman is a full-time academician. She feels that her election is partly an acknowledgement of the importance of dental education as part of the profession and desire on the part of MDS to attract both dental students and new graduates to the Society.
In this new role she looks forward to conveying the philosophy of MDS and to building bridges both inside and outside of the dental profession.
"The Massachusetts Dental Society is a big tent organization that is representative of the entire profession," said Dr. Friedman. "We welcome both new and experienced practitioners, men and women of all ethnicities, and generalists as well as specialists. In this role I hope to involve, include, and engage as many dentists as possible for the purpose of improving oral health for the residents of Massachusetts."
Dr. Friedman continued, "The more voices we have, the louder our message will be heard. In addition, I would like to reach out to other health professionals to invite broader engagement across the professions in the pursuit of better oral health."
"Congratulations to Dr. Paula Friedman," said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. "She is truly deserving of this new role and I am confident that the Massachusetts Dental Society will be in good hands under her stellar leadership."
BUSPH Co-Hosts International Conference on Communication, Medicine and Ethics June 28-30
On June 28-30, Boston University School of Public Health will co-host the eighth annual Communication, Medicine and Ethics (COMET) Conference.
COMET brings together healthcare practitioners, public health professionals and researchers from a wide range of social science disciplines concerned with issues of communication and ethics in the fields of health care and the human and social sciences. This is the first time COMET has been held in the United States.
"We're really excited to bring this interdisciplinary, international conference to BU," said COMET Chair Barbara Bokhour, who is also associate professor of health policy and management at BUSPH. "Communication is at the core of providing ethical patient-centered care, an imperative in today's clinical world."
The conference, which is also being sponsored by BU College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, will take place over three days with a program including oral presentations, eight colloquia, a poster session and a Works-in-Progress roundtable discussions. Topics include patient-provider communication, telemedicine, ethics and medical education. The conference will also host three plenary sessions. A conference dinner will be held on June 29 honoring Elliot Mishler, professor of social psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
For those who are interested in attending, there is still time to register online. There is a reduced registration fee for students and a one-day registration rate is also offered for those who cannot attend the entire program.
Register online.
The plenary speakers are:
Dr. Debra Roter is a professor of health, behavior and society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her primary research focus is in the study of patient-health care provider communication. (Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
Dr. Clarence Braddock is a professor of medicine and associate dean for medical dducation at Stanford University School of Medicine (Tuesday, June 29 4:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.) His main research interests include in physician-patient communication and informed decision-making. (Tuesday, June 29, 4:30 p.m.-5:45 p.m.)
Dr. Alan Radley is a professor of social psychology in the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. He is founding editor of the journal Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine. His main research interest has been the experience of chronic illness. (Wednesday, June 30, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.)
For more information about the conference, registration and schedule visit the COMET 2010 website at www.bu.edu/comet or email comet@bu.edu .
CityLab Garners National Honor
Boston University School of Medicine’s CityLab program was cited by the Center for Excellence in Education as an exemplary program at the National Labs Skills Symposium in Washington, DC. CityLab is a biotechnology learning laboratory for students in grades 7 – 12 and their teachers.
Established in 1992, BUSM CityLab is an innovative, laboratory-based science education outreach program that has been replicated across the country. CityLab’s mission is to provide access to state-of-the-art biotechnology laboratory facilities and curriculum that are often unavailable to school systems. Teachers from Massachusetts and neighboring states bring their students to CityLab where they solve problems by applying the techniques and concepts of genetics and molecular biology that are used in research laboratories today.
Founder of CityLab, Carl Franzblau,PhD, explains, “I am particularly pleased with this recognition. It is clearly the culmination of the effort of our outstanding team of colleagues throughout the years. An award such as this gives us the confidence and drive to move CityLab to the next level. Our future programs promise to be as exciting as those developed in the past. We are honored by the Center for Excellence in Education’s recognition of CityLab.”
More than 100,000 students have participated in hands-on, discovery-oriented investigations and 2,000 teachers have attended workshops at CityLab or aboard the MobileLab. According to CityLab’s Director of Research Carla Romney, DSc, “CityLab promotes access to the biomedical sciences for all students.” Approximately a quarter of the students are members of minority groups and over half of the students are female. CityLab’s curriculum supplements have been adopted for use by museums, schools and enrichment programs world-wide.
“We are thrilled that BUSM’s CityLab has been recognized by the Center for Excellence in Education. Our program is model for many programs across the US that allow middle and high school students and teachers to deepen their understanding of science through laboratory-based investigations in molecular biology using an inquiry-based approach,” said Donald DeRosa, EdD, CityLab Director
GSDM Resident Takes Top Honors at Boston Periodontal Residents Meeting
The Boston Periodontal Residents Meeting hosted by Tufts University School of Dental Medicine welcomed periodontal residents from Tufts, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
GSDM resident Srinivas Ayilavarapu DSC 08, PERIO 10 won the research poster award for his work titled, "Novel Inflammatory Pathways in Diabetes and Periodontitis-Role of iPLA2 in Superoxide Generation in Neutrophils," which was based on research completed for his thesis. Professor & Director of the Center for Clinical Research Dr. Thomas Van Dyke served as Ayilavarapu's mentor and research advisor. Associate Professors Dr. Alpdogan Kantarci and Dr. Hatice Hasturk also advised Ayilavarapu on this project.
Ayilavarapu described his research, "Briefly, we elucidated the priming mechanism in neutrophils from people with diabetes. In this first of its study we established the role of iPLA2 as a mediator of oxidative stress in people with diabetes and we hope that this mediator will be a pharmacological target in preventing the complications of diabetes."
His research was also published in the February 1, 2010 issue of the Journal of Immunology in an article titled, "Diabetes-Induced Oxidative Stress is Mediated by Ca2+ Independent Phospholipase A2 in Neutrophils".
Other GSDM residents competed in the poster contest, including Eleni Kanasi PERIO 11, Terinder Chahal PERIO 10, and Konstantina Thomadaki PERIO 12. Anuradha Deshmukh PERIO 10 and Maha Bahammam PERIO 11 delivered oral presentations.
"I am very proud to see this honor awarded to one of our residents," said Professor and Chair of Periodontology & Oral Biology Dr. Frank Oppenheim. "The resurrection of the Periodontics Residents Meeting comprising our three local residency programs of Tufts, Harvard, and BU is a most welcome development. Similar to our long standing tri-school meeting with NYU and Penn, the residents always learn and profit from the competitive component of such meetings."
Submitted by Laura Mackin.
Study Finds Fat Around the Abdomen Associated with Smaller, Older Brains in Middle-aged Adults
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found a significant association between abdominal fat and lower total brain volume. The study, which currently appears in the Annals of Neurology, may improve understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship of obesity with dementia and could lead to prevention strategies.
Global body mass and obesity, particularly in midlife, are associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease. Different fat compartments carry differential metabolic risks and there is growing evidence that abdominal obesity and visceral fat are more correlated with vascular risk than global body mass. However, limited data exists demonstrating this concept in association with cognition and dementia.
The BUSM researchers studied more than 700 participants from the Framingham Offspring Cohort. The participants underwent a volumetric multi-detector abdominal CT-scan with quantitative measurement of subcutaneous fat and visceral fat volume as well as a brain MRI.
“We observed an inverse association of body mass index, waist circumference, subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue with total brain volume, independent of vascular risk factors,” said senior author Sudha Seshadri, MD, an associate professor of neurology at BUSM and an Investigator at the Framingham Heart Study. “More importantly our data suggests that the association between visceral adipose tissue and total brain volume was the strongest and most robust of all, and was also independent of body mass index and insulin resistance,” she added.
According to the researchers, the potential mechanisms underlying the inverse association of obesity and particularly visceral abdominal fat with total brain volume are speculative. Inflammation could be an important mediator as well as diabetes and insulin resistance. In addition, the researchers believe adipose-tissue derived hormones, such as adiponectin, leptin, resistin or ghrelin, could also play a role in the relation between adipose tissue and brain atrophy.
“Although these findings are preliminary they could improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship of obesity with dementia with potentially important implications for prevention strategies,” added Seshadri.
Funding for this study was provided by the Framingham Heart Study’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute contract and by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and from the National Institute on Aging.
Finishing What She Started: BUSPH Alumna Receives Fulbright Scholarship to Continue Pesticide Exposure Research in Brazil
Boston University School of Public Health alumna Serena Arancibia, MPH '10, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study the health risk perceptions female agricultural workers in Brazil have about their exposure to pesticides.
Brazil is one of the world's top consumers of pesticides, according to the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency. A report issued by the agency said that many of the pesticides used in Brazil have been banned in other countries for causing health problems, such as neurological and reproductive disorders, as well as congenital malformations in children.
Brazilian agricultural workers, especially women, are at an increased risk of suffering from pesticide-related illnesses due to their frequent exposure to these chemicals. Although Brazilian male agricultural workers, who spend all day working in the fields, wear protective gear, Arancibia said the women do not because they tend to only be in the fields for a few hours a day. As a result, the country's rural agricultural communities have a high rate of miscarriages and congenital birth defects.
"The women know pesticides are harmful," said Arancibia, who was a dual concentrator in international health and maternal and child health. "They've seen other people get sick but they still don't take the necessary precautions."
Working with the public health institute of Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) located in Rio de Janeiro, Arancibia will hold focus groups, interview female agricultural workers and design an intervention to reduce their contact with pesticides. Her investigation will run from March 2010 to December 2011.
Arancibia's project is an extension of the practicum she participated in as part of her degree at BUSPH. She spent the summer of 2009 in Brazil researching pesticide exposure among agricultural workers. She is currently preparing for the research trip by reviewing the information she collected during her practicum.
The Fulbright Program is the largest U.S. international exchange program. Participants, who are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, are provided with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Submitted by Elana Zak
GSDM Honors Graduates at 46th Annual Commencement
On Friday, May 14, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) honored new graduates at the School's 46th commencement held at the Track & Tennis Center. The late afternoon ceremony had 188 DMD and 72 postdoctoral student participants.
Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter began the ceremony by welcoming the graduating students, family and friends, and faculty and staff adding, "It is indeed a special honor for me to address you, the Class of 2010, this afternoon. I have watched you and your classmates grow into confident, competent dental professionals and I am delighted to share this special occasion with you as you receive your Doctor of Science, Doctor of Science in Dentistry, Master of Science, Master of Science in Dentistry, and Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees, as well as your Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study. You should feel proud to be a member of such a prestigious graduating class."
Valedictorian Mark Hamanishi DMD 10 took on a lighter tone with his address that provided a comedic tour through four years of Dental School. Hamanishi also encouraged his classmates to remember their BU roots no matter where their careers may take them. He said, "Remember that BU gave us the opportunity to get to where we are today. I am proud to be a graduate of this Dental School and grateful to have been influenced by such amazing faculty and staff and I know this sentiment is shared by many of you as well."
Alumni Association President Shadi Daher DMD 90, OMFS 94 served as this year's commencement speaker and gave a moving speech describing some of the lessons he learned while training to be an oral surgeon, in private practice, and through his volunteer work. He also welcomed the graduates to the ranks of the Alumni Association and added, "Today is one of the biggest milestones of your lives, and you know that you have earned every bit of it. Let everything in this day be a testament and a tribute to your achievement. Let the smiles that surround you today and the hope that fills your heart this hour always be an emotional capital to draw from."
The Spencer N. Frankl Award for Excellence in Teaching was presented during the ceremony and this year there were two recipients. The first was Clinical Professor of General Dentistry & Director of Predoctoral Removable Prosthodontics Dr. Ronni A. Schnell.
"Over the years Dr. Schnell has served on more committees and task forces at our School than I can honestly recount," said Dean Hutter. "She currently leads our efforts to develop an electronic patient treatment record and serves on the Applied Strategic Planning Committee among many other contributions. Today we honor her with the Spencer N. Frankl Award for Excellence in Teaching. She truly personifies this award."
The second recipient was Professor of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Boston University School of Medicine Dr. Carol T. Walsh. Dean Hutter added, "Dr. Walsh is a dedicated and outstanding teacher, with a genuine passion for her profession. Her Dental Pharmacology course is highly regarded and she brings years of experience, energy, and enthusiasm to her role as an educator. She is consistently rated as being an "exemplary" instructor by our pre-doctoral dental students."
For the first time in Dental School history a class gift was also announced at the commencement ceremony and presented by DMD 10 Class President Gary Nord.
"Dentistry is an ever changing science and the future change depends upon us," said Dr. Nord. "We have to give back. We have to give back to our families, to our communities, and to our School." Dr. Nord continued, "In the spirit of this, the class of 2010, my class, has decided to make the first class gift in honor of our School, recognizing the amazing gift that the School has given us: the ability to practice dentistry. I, as the class president, am honored to present Dean Hutter, with this check to the DMD annual fund, as a statement of our commitment to our School, and helping it to move forward into the future."
Dean Hutter brought the ceremony to close with a few final thoughts. He said, "Cherish your education and your profession and measure success not by the amount of money you earn, but rather by the contribution you make to your family, your profession, your patients, and your community. On behalf of the entire Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine family, my wife Kathy and I sincerely wish you the best of success, health, and happiness. Thank you very much for allowing the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine to be a part of your lives."
190 School of Medicine Grads Commence Careers in Health Sciences
“‘Now is not the end. It is not the beginning of the end,’” said Karen Antman, MD, Dean of the School of Medicine and Provost of the Medical Campus, quoting Winston Churchill as she opened the 163rd MED commencement Saturday at Agganis Arena. “‘But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’
“This is the commencement of your careers of lifelong learning in the health sciences,” she said. “We hope you will do well, but even more, we hope you will do good.”
Rather than mentioning the current challenges of the health care delivery system or the problems of health care reform, the focus instead was on the positive roles that the 190 graduates are now moving into as they leave BU behind. Some will start residencies in their chosen medical specialties, while others begin post-doctoral fellowships or employment in their fields of expertise.
Two student speakers, one from the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and one from the School of Medicine, offered comments on behalf of their respective classmates.
Speaking for the PhD grads, Adrian Lynn Oblak, noted about scientists, “We work in a lab to try to figure things out. We crave the unknown and we must explain our contributions to the world and to society. We have inherited the responsibility to make the world a better place.”
Justin Golden, who was elected to speak for his MD classmates, said, “Each challenge that we faced (during medical school) served as a stepping stone to strengthen our resolve.
“The bonds we have built these last four years will carry and support us during the challenges and obstacles we are bound to face in our careers. ... There is no such thing as incorrect effort. ... We are driven by the desire to help people. ... Do the right thing, even when it isn’t the easy thing.”
But perhaps it was the words of Robert Lowe, MD, associate professor of medicine and the educational director of the Section of Gastroenterology at Boston Medical Center, chosen by the students to deliver the commencement address, who stole the show.
“You aren’t the same person as you were when you walked into medical school,” he said. “Being a doctor is the greatest thing in the world. It is about intimacy. It is about access. It is a privilege. It is awesome. People trust us with their lives.
“Medicine extends beyond the office, beyond the OR, beyond the hospital. You are a doctor now. It is who you are, all the time. It defines your role in society, and it defines how you look at people and respond to situations,” Lowe continued.
“Don’t be mean. Love what you do ... medicine is big, with lots of opportunities. Be a doc. You’re gonna find out that life is huge, and amazing, and kinda scary -- in other words, it’s Awesome.” With that conclusion, the entire audience erupted with cheers and a standing ovation.
Among the graduates who are now physicians, were Gretchen and Jonathon Struempf, a married couple who met as freshmen at Notre Dame and tied the knot one month before they started at MED. Gretchen’s mother, Deborah Dado graduated from BU’s School of Nursing in 1973. They were hooded by Gretchen’s father, W. Murray Ryan MD. “I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was 7. Now it’s official,” Gretchen said. “Being married worked for us. We studied together; we went through everything together. Boston University was awesome for medical school. I don’t think we would have been as happy if we were anywhere else.” The couple’s next stop is the University of Kansas-Wichita, where Gretchen will start a residency in pediatrics, Jonathon in orthopedic surgery.
Stacey Fulton, MD, deferred her residency for one year to do research on spinal chord injuries and pressure ulcers at the Cleveland Clinic. “BU gave me a top-notch education,” she said. “I am prepared. I know I will conquer things that come my way. BU showed me facets of myself that I never knew I had.”
Elizabeth Housman graduated magna cum laude. She will be starting a residency in internal medicine at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. But not before she gets married next weekend to Jonah Cohen, who will be graduating from Brown University School of Medicine on Memorial Day weekend. Elizabeth’s twin sister, also a Brown med student, introduced them. “I’ve been blessed,” she said. “This is an incredible achievement that is something I will never forget.”
Six faculty members also were recognized during the ceremony. The Educator of the Year awards, established in 1999 by the Committee on Faculty Affairs and selected by student nominations, honor, recognize and reward faculty who, as gifted teachers, facilitate the education of their students. Gwynneth D. Offner, PhD, associate professor of medicine, was named the Educator of the Year in Graduate Sciences; Ann C. Zumwalt, PhD, assistant professor of anatomy and neurobiology, was named Educator of the Year in Preclinical Sciences; and Daniel C-R Chen, MD, assistant professor of medicine, was named Educator of the Year in Clinical Sciences.
Gary J. Balady, MD, professor of medicine, and Robert J. Vinci, MD, professor of pediatrics, received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award. The annual award is presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to faculty members at approximately 80 medical schools nationwide who demonstrate outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients and their families as well as their colleagues, and practice clinical excellence.
In addition, David B. McAneny, MD, FACS, associate professor of surgery, received the Stanley L. Robbins Award for Excellence in Teaching, MED’s highest teaching award that is presented annually for extraordinary contributions to medical education at Boston University.
Submitted by Maria Pantages.
Called to Service, BUSPH Class of 2010 Pledges to Improve Public Health
Commitment, determination, leadership, and the refusal to buy into a culture of "no" -- these were the watchwords bestowed on graduates of Boston University School of Public Health by speakers at yesterday's 2010 commencement ceremony. Hundreds of family and friends joined the newly minted master's and doctoral degree recipients at the Boston Convention Center, as they took part in a rousing call to service, pledging to put their skills to work to improve the health of populations around the world.
"Your diplomas won't change the world," said BUSPH Dean Robert F. Meenan, "you will change the world with your knowledge, skills and passion."
"You will face new challenges and new opportunities," he said, pointing to recent public-health issues posed by the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. "The need for resources and leadership are your challenges to solve with the complex amalgam of skills many of you developed at SPH."
Commencement speaker Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, had a simple, but compelling message for graduates: Never take no for an answer.
Dr. El-Sadr, who is director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs and director of the Global Health Initiative at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, culled her advice from her decades-long career in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. Her work has helped provide lifesaving treatment to millions of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa and at Harlem Hospital Center where she was instrumental in developing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis program.
However, at the outset of her career she recalled the many naysayers who said it would be next to impossible to provide HIV and AIDS treatment in Africa, or to impoverished communities in New York City.
"Remember, whether your path takes you to Harlem or Harare, Zimbabwe, or even if you stay right here in Boston, never succumb to the culture of no," Dr. El-Sadr advised. "Believe in your own wisdom, and have the personal strength to push forward with your own ideas. You will make a difference!"
Graduate Mobolaji Odewole, a health policy and management concentrator, delivered the student address at the ceremony. He encouraged graduates to go into their careers with hope and dedication.
"We are in a field that embraces humanity with hope and dedication. We must teach those ideals in our daily walk," Odewole said.
He pointed to the BUSPH Rotaract Club, a student organization he was a member of, which raised $6500 to build homes for orphaned and homeless children in Kenya. "That is what hope and dedication can do," he said.
During the ceremony, two students and two faculty members were presented with awards in recognition of their accomplishments.
Student Grace Jayong Yang was presented with the Leonard H. Glantz Award for Academic Excellence. The award, which comes with a $1,000 cash prize, honors Leonard Glantz, professor of health law, bioethics and human rights, who served the School as associate dean of Academic Affairs for 30 years.
The award recognizes a student whose academic achievement typifies the high standards set by Professor Glantz. Yang was honored for her exceptional academic performance, creative and critical thinking, and a clear potential for future intellectual and creative contributions to public health.
Whitney Cowell, an environmental health concentrator, was presented with the first annual Dr. William B. Patterson Memorial Prize for Excellence in Environmental and Occupational Health. The honor acknowledges her exemplary academic performance and dedication to research in the field of environmental and occupational health.
The award was established by the Massachusetts Medical Society Foundation with contributions from the friends and family of Dr. William B. Patterson, a faculty member in the Environmental Health Department at BUSPH who passed away in March 2008. The prize will be given annually in memory of Dr. Patterson and his commitment to public health, medicine and education.
Associate Professor of Environmental Health Wendy Heiger-Bernays, PhD, was presented with the Norman A. Scotch Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Scotch Award is presented annually to a faculty member who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the education program of BUSPH.
Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Adrienne Cupples, PhD, MA, was presented with the BUSPH Career Award in Research and Scholarship, a new award conferred for the first time this year.
The BUSPH Faculty Career Award in Research and Scholarship recognizes a faculty member for a distinguished body of scholarly or scientific work on a specific topic or within a general area of expertise.
Harold Cox, associate dean for public health practice and professor of community health sciences, closed the ceremony with a Call to Public Service for the graduates.
"It is my honor to say congratulations to my new colleagues," Cox said. "It's time for you to join us who work in public health. We need you. We've been waiting for you to work as clinicians, policymakers, statisticians...to spread health throughout the whole world."
"Impress us with your passion and dedication as you work to bring about change in the world," said Cox.
Submitted by Michelle Salzman