At Convocation, Chancellor Collins honors faculty, celebrates institutional milestones and looks to the future
At the 2010 Convocation Ceremony that officially opened the academic year on Thursday, Sept. 16, Chancellor Michael F. Collins recognized outstanding faculty, noted the many recent and upcoming reasons to celebrate the institution and challenged the UMass Medical School community to take a leadership role in health care reform initiatives.
Chancellor Collins presented the first Chancellor’s Awards in service, teaching and research as a follow-up to last year’s pledge to better recognize the significant contributions of the Medical School’s faculty. Each awardee received a medallion, a cash prize and a specific honor related to the award.
Susan Gagliardi, PhD, professor of cell biology and neurology, who received the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, is “a visionary teacher who has consistently received recognition from both students and peers for achievements in education,” according to Collins. As the recipient of this award, Dr. Gagliardi will present a campus-wide “Last Lecture,” a celebration of education that recognizes the importance of teaching.
Michael P. Czech, PhD, the Isadore and Fannie Foxman Chair in Medical Research and chair and professor of molecular medicine and biochemistry & molecular pharmacology, received the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Research because he has “brought worldwide acclaim to our university, through his own research as well as through the work of those he has recruited to our campus,” said Collins. Dr. Czech will give the keynote lecture at this year’s annual Research Retreat.
John L. Sullivan, MD, vice provost for research and professor of pediatrics and molecular medicine, received the Chancellor’s Award for Service and will carry the UMass Chan mace at formal functions, including Commencement. “As the standard bearer for our faculty, this position of prominence is well deserved for someone who has given such outstanding service to our university throughout a career,” said Collins.
Besides recognizing outstanding faculty, Chancellor Collins introduced the concept of the “science of health care reform,” which requires “comparative effectiveness studies that we are most adept at performing.”
