CONTACT: Patty Hansen
Director
Communications & Public Affairs
732-235-6307, hansenmp@umdnj.edu
Gala Honors Governor Tom Kean for Educational and Environmental Leadership
-- Benefits Scholarships for Medical Students --
New Brunswick, NJ – The Third Annual Scholarship Gala for Alumni & Friends, hosted by University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Foundation for Healthcare Advancement, was an exceptional evening, raising more than $210,000 in support of medical student scholarships. The April 27 celebration at The Heldrich in New Brunswick included 300 alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends, in addition to leadership from the medical school’s hospital affiliates from throughout New Jersey.
“Proceeds from the last three Galas have raised more than $600,000 for scholarships granted to our students, who are 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. The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, former president of Drew University, and Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990, received the Meritorious Service Award for his leadership and dedication to advancing higher education, science and environmental stewardship in New Jersey. Environmental policies and scientific goals established by Governor Kean while in office laid the foundation for the creation of two world-class institutes at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: The Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute and the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine.
Grace Chang, MD, MPH, professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Medical Director, Detoxification and Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for her achievements as a physician scientist to improve the identification and modification of prenatal alcohol use and alcohol use by women with health problems exacerbated by risky drinking. A member of the Class of 1982, Dr. Chang also was recognized as an educator, advancing the training of medical students, residents and fellows, and highlighting the importance of mental health treatment in public healthcare.
John B. Kostis, MD, professor of medicine, director of the Cardiovascular Institute and associate dean for Cardiovascular Research at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received the Honorary Alumni Award for his work in advancing cardiovascular research and treatments. Dr. Kostis is renowned internationally for developing and pioneering integrative strategies to prevent, treat and cure heart disease. He has earned more than $30 million in research grants and created the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System (MIDAS), which includes more than 25 years of data on more than 500,000 people in New Jersey who have had a heart attack. MIDAS enables Cardiovascular Institute faculty to identify important trends in cardiovascular diseases and achieve better clinical outcomes for patients.
The honorees were featured in a video presented during the celebration, which may be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/RWJMS .
“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 for Healthcare Advancement. “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.”
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Foundation for Healthcare Advancement are extremely grateful to area businesses who contributed to the evening in order to provide more scholarship support for our medical students.
NOTE: High-resolution photos of Gala guests and honorees are available upon request.
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 one of the nation's premier academic medical centers. 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 20 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/RWJMS.
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