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Jennifer Forbes
Communications & Public Affairs
732-235-6356, jenn.forbes@umdnj.edu
First Gala to Support Medical Student Scholarships is Grand Success
New Brunswick, NJ –The inaugural Scholarship Gala hosted by UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Foundation of UMDNJ proved to be an exceptional evening, raising approximately $195,000 in support of medical student scholarships. More than 250 alumni, faculty, staff and students joined in the celebration held April 2 at the Heldrich Hotel, in addition to leadership from 11 of the medical school’s hospital affiliates from throughout New Jersey.
“All proceeds from the event will support our medical students who are being challenged by increasing tuition rates as they enter medical school on the way to becoming physicians,” said Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD, dean of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the emcee for the evening. “The Scholarship Gala allowed alumni, together with faculty and friends of the medical school, to give back by providing financial assistance to this next generation of physicians.”
Three exemplary individuals were honored at the Gala for their dedication to promoting medical and scientific education, research, philanthropy, patient care and community health. Roger S. Fine, Esq., retired vice president and general counsel for Johnson & Johnson, and chair of the Foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, received the Meritorious Service Award for his philanthropic efforts on behalf of the medical school; Neil Calman, MMS ’73, MD, ABFP, FAAFP, president and CEO of the Institute for Family Health, and a clinical professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York City, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for his vast accomplishments in community health; Aaron J. Shatkin, PhD, director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and professor of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology & Immunology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received the Honorary Alumni Award for his work in advancing scientific research and mentoring.
“In an age of increasing tuition costs in medical schools across the country, it is more important now than ever to support physicians of the future,” said George F. Heinrich, MD, vice chair and CEO of the Foundation of UMDNJ. “This gala provided us with a wonderful opportunity to show these future doctors that we encourage their efforts as they work toward realizing their own dreams of helping those in need.”
During the celebration, a video was presented that featured three student scholarship recipients, each with a unique story explaining how their scholarship helped them pursue their dream of becoming a physician. The video presentation, along with a slideshow of photographs from the celebration, can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/RWJMS .
The evening was topped off with a superb Silent Auction, which featured donated items and services from community neighbors, faculty and staff members. UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is extremely grateful to everyone who contributed to the evening in order to provide more scholarship support for our medical students.
About UMDNJ-ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL
As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school’s principal affiliate, they comprise New Jersey’s premier academic medical center. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.
As one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with 2,800 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 22 basic science and clinical departments, hosts centers and institutes including The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs. To learn more about UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, log on to rwjms.umdnj.edu. Find our fan page at www.Facebook.com/RWJMS and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/UMDNJ_RWJMS.
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