SUNY Downstate Holds Commencement Ceremonies Honoring Leaders in Medicine and Health Education:
Jun 1, 2009
Speakers' Theme Is Maximizing a Lifetime of Service in Healthcare and Science
Brooklyn, NY - Wayne Joseph Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, president of Meharry Medical College, the nation’s largest private, historically Black school for health professionals, and Peggy Strecker Neufeld, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, a leading authority on naturally occurring retirement communities, were the speakers at commencement ceremonies for graduates of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Ceremonies were held May 26 at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.
Drs. Neufeld and Riley both urged graduates to maximize their potential in their chosen fields of medicine, nursing, allied health, public health, and science.
Dr. Riley is a leader in medical education, known also for his role in helping to shape national health policy. He received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree before addressing the graduates of the College of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies, and Graduate Program in Public Health in an afternoon ceremony.
In his remarks, Dr. Riley pointed to the musical legends who performed in Carnegie Hall, from Isaac Stern and Benny Goodman to Marian Anderson and Duke Ellington, and asked the graduates to reflect on how these musical giants left legacies larger than life. He urged the new physicians, scientists, and public health practitioners to make decisions that will earn them the respect of the nation.
At the same ceremony, honorary doctor of science degrees also were awarded to Downstate’s own Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus Hugh J. Carroll, MD, and to Tom F. Lue, MD, one of the most respected names in urology.
The commencement ceremony for graduates of the Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions honored Dr. Neufeld with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of her contributions to occupational therapy and her work on behalf of people with disabling conditions. Dr. Neufeld, a former chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at SUNY Downstate’s School of Health Professions, created the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s acclaimed Gateway to Wellness Program.
During the evening ceremony, Dr. Neufeld advised the graduating students to look for what is most important in the lives of their patients in order to improve their partnership with them. She also told the graduates to seek out others who share the same interests and passions in order to be part of something larger than themselves.
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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.