Two Downstate Faculty Members Named SUNY Distinguished Professors:
Nov 30, 2012
Six Faculty and Staff Receive Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
The State University of New York Board of Trustees has appointed two Downstate faculty
members to distinguished ranks, the highest system-wide honor conferred upon SUNY
professors. Six other faculty and staff members have been honored with Chancellor’s
Awards for Excellence.
“We are all proud of those being honored by the University,” said Downstate President
John F. Williams, MD, EdD, MPH, FCCM. “They represent the highest level of professionalism
and dedication and are role models for us all."
Faculty and staff who were honored were recognized at a formal ceremony on November
28, 2012. They included:
Judith H. LaRosa, PhD, RN, has been named distinguished service professor for her contributions to community
health and her key role in establishing the School of Public Health at Downstate—the
first at a public university in New York City, the first in Brooklyn, and the first
new school at Downstate since 1966. Her vision and dedication have helped create a
unique student learning experience and a curriculum focused on the public health issues
facing urban and immigrant communities.
George A. Vas, MD , has been named distinguished teaching professor. A superb educator who has been
on the faculty at Downstate for 37 years, Dr. Vas has made significant contributions
to the field of neurophysiology. He is nationally known for his expertise in interpreting
electroencephalograms and evoked potentials, and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the top one percent of neurologists in the nation.
Three faculty and professional staff members have received Chancellor’s Awards for
Excellence for their contributions to Downstate and the State University:
Nicholas W. Galeota, MS, RPh, is director of pharmacy at University Hospital of Brooklyn. In his 36 years at Downstate,
he has been a leader in using new technologies to expand and improve pharmacy services,
including an automated medication ordering system. Mr. Galeota has also developed
effective medication safety training programs for staff, students, and residents.
Douglas R. Lazzaro, MD , the Richard C. Troutman Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Microsurgery,
is an expert in corneal transplantation and laser refractive surgery. In addition
to directing one of the busiest residency training programs in the nation, Dr. Lazzaro
has played a major role in establishing the SUNY Eye Institute, a partnership between
five SUNY campuses, and has significantly increased grant funding for vision research.
Scott T. Miller, MD , professor of clinical pediatrics, is one of the nation’s leading researchers in
the study of sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disorder that primarily affects
African Americans. Thanks to his work in numerous NIH clinical trials, treatments
are becoming available to improve the lives of people with sickle cell disease.
In recognition of outstanding performance, three additional Downstate staff members
in the classified service have been honored with Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence:
Adanim Luboa, RN, a nurse-educator at the Center for Dialysis at Parkside, has improved the lives of
patients with renal disease by helping them self-manage their illness. She has a well-earned
reputation for nursing excellence and dedication to patient care.
Officer Jacqueline Murray of the University Police Department is an invaluable resource to Downstate and the
community. She is certified as an emergency medical technician, as a domestic violence
and crime prevention officer, and as a field training officer.
Maureen Walsh, RN , is a child-life specialist in the Pediatric Department’s Child Life Program, where
she advocates for children with serious health conditions. By means of therapeutic
play, she helps young patients through the healing process and also provides much
needed support for their families.
### About SUNY Downstate Medical Center SUNY Downstate Medical Center, founded in 1860, was the first medical school in the
United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patient’s bedside.
A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY
Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School
of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, School of Public Health, University
Hospital of Brooklyn, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative including the Downstate
Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. SUNY Downstate ranks twelfth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty
of American medical schools. More physicians practicing in New York City have graduated
from SUNY Downstate than from any other medical school.