May 18, 2009

Lincoln University’s 150th Commencement

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

Recently, I was the keynote speaker during Lincoln University’s 150th commencement exercises and received a Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa. I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive the Doctor of Science degree from Lincoln University, an outstanding university with a rich tradition of excellence.

Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was chartered in 1854 and was the first institution in the world to offer higher education in the arts and sciences for male youth of African descent. Since its inception, Lincoln has attracted an interracial and international enrollment from the surrounding community, region, and around the world. Lincoln University’s alumni include Langston Hughes, '29, world-acclaimed poet; Thurgood Marshall, '30, first African-American Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; and Kwame Nkrumah, '39, first president of Ghana. Bishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs. Rosa Parks have been among those who have been so honored by Lincoln University with honorary degrees in the past. I am very humbled to be part of this very prestigious group of honorees.

Posted at 09:09 AM

April 21, 2009

PAWS Awards

Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending the PAWS ceremony and distributing the April awards. One might ask, as I did when I first came to the UConn Health Center, what are PAWS awards? They are awards given to employees that showcase our own for the quiet excellence performed every day. To receive a PAWS award, an employee must be Part of a team, have an Awesome attitude, Wonderful work ethic, and provide Superior service. These employees exemplify the culture that is the cornerstone of our mission here at the Health Center.

The award recipients are Anne Bennett, Medicine; Lynette Branday, Elizabeth Fabbri and Pamela Iannucci, UMG/MFM; Nancy Hoerup, Telecommunications; Cathy Cassineri, Calhoun Cardiology Center; Christine Delgrande, Pulmonary Function Lab; Sonya Dickens, CMHC/Manson Youth; Lynn Grumm, Core Lab; William Kilray, Pharmacy; Marisol Koniar, UMG/IMA Module; Shelly Lombardo and Nicole McDermott, Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chantel Melendez, Radiology; Carolyn Murphy and Jennifer Smedberg, Rehabilitation Services; Frank Nichols, Oral Health & Diagnostic Sciences; Nicholas Noyes, Clinical Engineering; Maria Pessoa, Geropsych/3rd Floor; Sheila Pettway, UMG/GI-ID; Kesia Smith, Radiology; Dana Vibert, Outcome Performance Systems; Agnes White, Faculty Practice Plan Clinic; Abdul Yusoff, Dermatology. The team award goes to the IDX web implementation team. Members include Laurie Heineman, Lori Delvaglio, Diane Hamalian, Paul Consonni, Lori Giblin, Deborah Halle, Linda Clark, Lorraine Boulanger, Elissa Wagner, Kim Bourbeau, Matthew Shannon, and Ingrid Napoletano.

Congratulations to all the PAWS award recipients!

Agnes White is presented with her PAWS award.

Posted at 02:56 PM

February 18, 2009

Congressman Christopher Murphy Visits the Health Center

Ellen Leone and I take Christopher Murphy on a tour of the hospital.

Congressman Christopher Murphy (CT-5) visited the Health Center on Tuesday and met with several individuals to learn about health information technology projects that could be eligible for funding from the Economic Recovery Bill. As a new member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees national health care policy, Murphy pushed for a $19 billion investment in health information technology. During his visit, Murphy also met with researchers and heard about several research initiatives that are critical to the Health Center’s mission and vital to the state’s economy. His visit ended with a tour of the hospital.

Posted at 01:41 PM