Leaders in Medicine and Allied Health to Deliver SUNY Downstate Commencement Addresses, May 26
Apr 27, 2011
Harvey Jay Cohen, MD, one of the nation’s leading authorities on geriatric medicine, and Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, president of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), will be commencement speakers at ceremonies for graduates of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Thursday, May 26, at Carnegie Hall.
Dr. Cohen will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary doctor of science degree at the afternoon ceremony for the College of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. A graduate of the College of Medicine, Class of 1965, Dr. Cohen is the Walter Kempner Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development at Duke University, where he has been a member of the faculty for more than four decades.
Dr. Cohen created a national model for the assessment of geriatric patients with cancer, and a model educational program for medical students to teach them to understand and empathize with frail elderly patients. Last year, he was given the B.J. Kennedy Award for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
At the evening ceremony for the School of Health Professions and the College of Nursing, Dr. Clark will address the graduates and also receive an honorary doctor of science degree. As president of AOTA, Dr. Clark heads an organization of 39,000 members that is devoted to ensuring the quality of occupational therapy services, improving consumer access to health care, and promoting professional development.
Dr. Clark is also professor and chair of the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California (USC) and associate dean in the School of Dentistry at USC. She is best known for her publication of the Well Elderly Study, the largest randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of occupational therapy, which showed that an OT program improved health and slowed the declines associated with aging.
Three other educators will be honored at the afternoon ceremony. Ann C. Anderson, PhD, professor emerita at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, will receive an honorary doctor of science degree for her many contributions to public health and for her service to Downstate. An outstanding researcher and innovative administrator, Dr. Anderson was instrumental in developing Downstate’s School of Public Health, the first of its kind in Brooklyn, and the first publicly supported school of public health in New York City.
Sidney Cohen, MD, a 1964 graduate of the College of Medicine, will receive an honorary doctor of science degree for his contributions to academic medicine and the field of gastroenterology. A past president of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), he is also professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, director of research at the Jefferson Digestive Disease Institute, and director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Program at Jefferson University Hospital. He also created AGA’s Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition, which he currently chairs.
Benjamin A. Rosenberg, MD, clinical professor of medicine at Downstate and a graduate of the Class of 1950, will receive Downstate’s Ailanthus Award, in recognition of his more than 60 years of service to the campus and to medical education. A gifted clinician, researcher, and teacher, Dr. Rosenberg is also a talented musician who has directed Downstate’s commencement music program since 1981.
“We are honored to have such respected leaders in healthcare and education at this year’s commencement celebrations,” says Downstate President John C. LaRosa, MD. “They stand as role models and inspirations for our graduates as they begin their careers.”
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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.