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Awards Celebrate Alumni’s Contributions to Medicine and to the Geisel Community

The Geisel School of Medicine’s second Annual Alumni Awards ceremony on November 6 felt like a reunion of cherished friends and family. The eight awardees shared memories of their medical school days at Dartmouth, their reflections on exceptional careers, and their profound gratitude for their education and the faculty who were important mentors to them. (Click here for more details on this year's honorees.)

“All of us received a wonderful gift from Dartmouth,” said Sarah Donaldson, MD ’66, who holds an endowed professorship at Stanford University and is internationally known for advancing cancer treatment protocols for children. Donaldson was one of five alumni to receive this year’s Career Achievement award and among the first women to attend the Geisel School of Medicine (formerly Dartmouth Medical School). The school has “a culture and environment that has been for me so nurturing and enriching,” she said.

Alan J. Friedman, MD ’57, who was honored for his outstanding service to the medical school, spoke of the school’s “deeply humanistic approach to medical education.” Teaching the art of medicine, as well as the science of medicine, is a cause that Friedman, the second of three generations of ophthalmologists, is passionate about, both in his own practice and in his support of the Geisel School.

The medical school’s Alumni Council established the alumni awards program two years ago to recognize and honor alumni for service to the school and to celebrate the achievements of graduates who have distinguished themselves in the fields of medicine, science, or other endeavors. See below for a list of this year’s awardees.

“Each of you brings tremendous honor to your alma mater, and we could not be more proud to recognize you tonight,” Interim Dean Duane Compton told the awardees. “Today’s students are eager to follow in your footsteps. You are their inspiration, their role models, and often, their mentors.”

“Serendipity—that’s what Dartmouth was for me,” said Roy Wade, Jr., MD ’07, PhD, MPH, who was encouraged to apply to Dartmouth Medical School by a fellow PhD student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Wade was one of two alumni to receive the Young Alumni Award this year. “What I found was a great medical education, wonderful mentors, lifelong friends, and an extended family,” he added.

“The accomplishments of these eight distinguished alumni elevate the reputation of this school, and remind us that it is through our more than 5,000 alumni, collectively, that this institution has such a far-reaching impact,” said Compton.

FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Alan J. Friedman, MD, D’56 MED’57
Year after year, Dr. Alan Friedman continues to be an exceptional volunteer for the medical school and his 1957 classmates. He cares deeply about medical education, as evidenced by his service to the school and his generous gift to establish the Friedman Family Legacy Fellowship for Teaching the Art and Practice of Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine.

FOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

Sarah S. Donaldson, MD, MED’66
The Catharine and Howard Avery Professor, Stanford School of Medicine; Chief, Radiation Oncology Service, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Hospital
Dr. Sarah Donaldson is an internationally known physician-scientist who has led the way in developing and testing regimens that reduce children’s exposure to radiation while sustaining good therapeutic outcomes—a complex and difficult task.

Karen Hein, MD, MED’68
Adjunct Professor of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine; Visiting Fellow, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Nationally known for her work in health administration and youth development, Dr. Karen Hein has successfully connected people with differing views, disciplines, and perspectives to create policies and programs that address the most pressing and unmet societal needs.

Haig H. Kazazian Jr., MD, D’59 MED’60
Professor of Pediatrics and of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Since the 1970s, Dr. Haig Kazazian has been at the forefront of genetic medicine, discovering previously unknown aspects of human genetics and their relationships to particular diseases.

Martin H. Weiss, MD, D’60 MED’61
The Martin H. Weiss Chair in Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Dr. Martin Weiss chaired the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Southern California for 26 years, contributing broadly to his field, to the training of neurosurgical residents, and to the care of thousands of patients.

Douglas P. Zipes, MD, D’61 MED’62
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Pharmacology and Toxicology and Director Emeritus of the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. Douglas Zipes is among the world’s leading cardiac electrophysiologists, having made transformational contributions to the understanding and treatment of cardiac conditions.

FOR YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT

Roy Wade, Jr. MD, PhD, MPH, MED’07
Instructor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Stoneleigh Foundation Fellow
Dr. Roy Wade works to improve health outcomes for at-risk populations, with a particular focus on the role of social determinants—such as poverty, racism, and peer victimization—in the persistence of health disparities.

Narath Carlile, MD, MPH, MED’09
Chief Medical Officer and Chief Information Officer, Accountable Care Transactions; General Internist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Narath Carlile uses his expertise in information technology to improve communication and coordination among health care providers in this country and abroad. He also cares for patients as a general internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.