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Dean Dawn Morton-Rias Honored by Ashe Institute

Jun 12, 2008

Brooklyn, NY - The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health recently honored Dawn Morton-Rias, EdD, PA-C, dean of the School of Health Professions at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, at its 14th Annual Sportsball.  The other honorees were Bryant Gumbel, host of HBO’s Real Sports; tennis legend Billie Jean King; Richard D. Parsons, Chairman of the Board of Time Warner; and Terry McDonell, editor at Sports Illustrated Group.

Celebrities and health advocates gather at the Sportsball to celebrate the legacy of the great Arthur Ashe and to honor individuals who promote improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment within urban communities.

Dr. Morton-Rias is a certified physician assistant, and the immediate past-president of the Physician Assistant Education Association. Dr. Morton-Rias’ commitment to quality healthcare services through education of the next generation of health professionals is unwavering. She is nationally recognized for her leadership in PA education, and she has presented and published on various clinical topics, faculty development, accreditation, cultural competence and learning styles.  She will be working in Israel this summer on a Fulbright scholarship.

Students from the Arthur Ashe Institute’s Health Science Academy also shared the spotlight at this year’s Sportsball. The Health Science Academy, a core program of the Ashe Institute, was founded in 1994 as a collaboration between the Institute and SUNY Downstate. The program partners with Brooklyn College, CUNY and New York City public and parochial high schools to offer physiology and anatomy courses to academically talented high school students to encourage them in their pursuit of careers in science, medicine, allied and public health.

Members of the Academy’s 2008 graduating class were presented to the audience by two alumni of the program: Sadeaqua Scott, a student at SUNY Downstate’s School of Graduate Studies, and Julia James, who is finishing her PhD through a joint program of Oxford University in England and the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C.

This year the Health Science Academy graduated 50 students on June 9 in a "Celebration of Achievement" ceremony in SUNY Downstate’s Alumni Auditorium.

 

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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.

UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.