A Message from President Riley
By Office of the President | May 22, 2025
Educating for Impact: Healing with Purpose
Dear Downstate Community,
This past Tuesday, I was honored to celebrate the 2025 Commencement Exercises of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate), joining with other leaders and more than 600 graduates from the College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health.
Commencement is a call to action and a huge nod of gratitude to those who demonstrate resilience, master excellence, and remain committed to equity and service. As leaders of the next generation of practitioners, scientists, and public health leaders with knowledge, wisdom, vision, and voice, they provide the narrative with work rooted in community, driven by justice, and grounded in the urgent need to keep care close to those most in need.
Among the many highlights of our two commencement ceremonies, 79 percent of our medical graduates will remain in New York for residency, including 33 who will continue their training here at Downstate. This statistic is a source of pride and proof that our mission to keep care close is more vital than ever. These numbers are stories of continuity, belonging, and purpose, representing a commitment to confronting health inequities head-on, particularly in medically underserved communities like Central Brooklyn.
This year, it was my distinct personal honor to confer an honorary Doctor of Science degree upon the esteemed Dr. Clive Callender, M.D., a pioneering force in transplant surgery, a tireless advocate for minority health equity, and the visionary founder of the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program. A towering figure in medicine and justice, Dr. Callender’s presence and message left a profound and lasting impression on our graduates.
I have been privileged to call him a friend and mentor for over 30 years. We first connected through our shared Meharry Medical College roots—he, a proud alumnus, and I, a Meharry graduate and former President of that historic institution. I have long admired Dr. Callender’s groundbreaking work and deliberate commitment to equity and justice in medicine. Standing beside him and celebrating his life’s work was deeply meaningful to me.
Dr. Callender’s legacy is both expansive and deeply personal. He transformed the field of organ transplantation through clinical innovation while championing education, access, and cultural trust in communities historically underserved. His life’s work stands as a powerful example of servant leadership and the healing power of advocacy. This recognition carries added meaning at Downstate, where Dr. Callender shared both collegial and personal ties with two of our most revered figures, Dr. Eli Friedman and Dr. Samuel Kountz, further linking his story to our own.
At Downstate, our mission is not simply to educate. It is to lead with purpose and integrity. This class will enter the workforce, responding to the higher calling as doctors, nurses, scientists, therapists, and public health champions who will shape the trajectory of health in Brooklyn and beyond.
