The University of Missouri School of Medicine and Medical Alumni Organization presented its most prestigious awards to graduates and supporters on April 20, in Columbia. The award recipients were honored during a reception and dinner at the MU Reynolds Alumni Center.
The School of Medicine’s highest honor — the Citation of Merit — was awarded to Terry Smith, MD, graduate of the MU School of Medicine class of 1975. Smith is the Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan. The internationally known endocrinologist has studied Graves’ disease, its eye manifestations and related autoimmune diseases for more than 20 years. Smith’s laboratory was the first to describe the unique molecular attributes of tissue surrounding the eye that make it susceptible to inflammation in Graves’ disease.
The Outstanding Young Physician Award is presented to distinguished alumni age 45 or younger. This year’s recipients are Benson Hsu, MD, chief medical analytics officer at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Christine White, MD, medical director of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Burnet Campus; and Lana Zerrer, MD, chief of staff at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia. Hsu, White and Zerrer are graduates of MU School of Medicine classes of 2005, 2004 and 1999, respectively.
Alumni who have distinguished themselves through service to community, medicine or education are recognized with the Distinguished Service Award. This year, the School of Medicine honored three alumni:
- Susan Even, MD, graduate of the 1980 class, who serves as executive director of the MU Student Health Center.
- Russell Hall, MD, graduate of the 1975 class, who serves as the J. Lamar Callaway Professor of Dermatology and chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
- Neal Gray, MD, graduate of the 1966 class, who is a founding member of Tejas Anesthesia in San Antonio.
In addition, the Honorary Alumni Award is given to supporters who have made special contributions to the MU School of Medicine. This year, the School of Medicine recognized two recipients:
- Michael Ashley, MD, a Springfield, Missouri-based surgeon
- Joseph Corrado, MD, a Mexico, Missouri-based surgeon and newly elected president of the Missouri State Medical Association
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