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UMass Medical School will mark the beginning of the new academic year with a full slate of events celebrating student and faculty accomplishments. |
UMass Medical School will mark the beginning of the new academic year with a full slate of events celebrating student and faculty accomplishments next week, including the formal Convocation and Investiture ceremonies on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 4 p.m. in the Albert Sherman Center auditorium. Chancellor Michael F. Collins will deliver his annual Convocation address and present the 2016 Chancellor’s Medals for excellence in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical excellence.
The Investiture ceremony, immediately following Convocation, will invest three distinguished faculty members as named chairs and honor them and the donors who endowed them. Faculty members being invested are:
- Jonathan Kay, MD, professor of medicine and director of research for the Division of Rheumatology, as the inaugural Timothy S. and Elaine L. Peterson Chair in Rheumatology, thanks to a gift from philanthropists Timothy S. and Elaine L. Peterson, of Wellesley;
- Katherine Fitzgerald, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology and director of the Program in Innate Immunity, as the third Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research endowed chair. The Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chairs were established through the generosity of donors to the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Scholars Fund; and
- Joel D. Richter, PhD, professor of molecular medicine, will be the inaugural recipient of the Arthur F. Koskinas Chair in Neuroscience, which was established thanks to the generosity of long-time Worcester resident Helen P. Koskinas and her family in support of cutting-edge research at UMass Medical School.
With these new chairs, there are now 45 named professorships and chairs endowed at UMass Medical School. Precious and essential resources for the institution, endowments increase the institution’s ability to attract and retain individuals distinguished in their fields. Named professorships also provide an opportunity for donors to contribute to the enrichment and vitality of the academic and scientific environment.
A reception in the Albert Sherman Center Cube will follow Convocation and Investiture.
The Graduate School of Nursing’s Pinning Ceremony for Graduate Entry Program (GEP) students will take place Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Faculty Conference Room. Now registered nurses after one year of accelerated coursework, these GEP students will receive their registered nurse pins and recite a pledge to serve their communities and their profession. GEP students, who have bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing, will then complete further graduate study to become nurse practitioners, nurse educators and nursing executives. A reception in the ASC Cube will follow the ceremony.
Also on Tuesday, Sept. 13, Robyn Ochs, EdM, a speaker, author and consultant on issues related to sexual orientation, gender and identity, will be the keynote speaker for the annual Convocation Welcome Luncheon for the LGBTA community. RSVPs to Fernanda.gama@umassmed.edu are requested for the luncheon, which will take place in the Faculty Conference Room from noon to 1 p.m.
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences will host its recognition ceremony for students who have successfully completed the qualifying exam on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 3 p.m. in the Albert Sherman Center auditorium. Passing the qualifying exam is a significant milestone for PhD students, marking their transition from classroom-based learning to dissertation research as formal candidates for doctoral degrees. The ceremony will be followed by a reception in the ASC Cube.
Wrapping up Convocation week activities will be the White Coat Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m., in the multipurpose room in the Albert Sherman Center. There in the presence of family, guests and faculty members, first-year School of Medicine students will be welcomed into the medical community by campus leaders, and presented with their first white coats. The keynote speech will be given by 2015 Chancellor’s Medal for Clinical Excellence recipient John K. Zawacki, MD, professor of medicine. A reception will follow in the Albert Sherman Center café.
All events are open to the UMMS community and will be live streamed on the web. For more information about these events, visit the University Events website at http://www.umassmed.edu/events/convocation. Follow the events on the UMass Medical School Facebook page and on Twitter @UMassMedical.
