Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi Receives Grand Award of Merit from the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi receives the Grand Award of Merit from ASILM's President Dr. Lucio Caputo and Toastmaster of ASILM's Gala Laura Savini
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and surgeon-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, has received the Grand Award of Merit from the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit, the Society's highest honor.
The Grand Award of Merit recognizes Dr. Michelassi for his world-renowned excellence in the fields of surgery and medicine and his accomplishments, dedication and leadership to improving the lives of numerous Americans, Italians and Italian Americans.
The award was presented to Dr. Michelassi Dec. 7 at the Society's 47th annual Gala Dinner Dance and Awards Ceremony at The Pierre Hotel in New York City. This year's other esteemed honorees included: Antonin Scalia, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Arnaldo Pomodoro, an Italian artist; and Ronald Spogli, former United States Ambassador to the Italian Republic.
Previous recipients of the prestigious Grand Award of Merit include President of the Republic of Italy H.E. Giorgio Napolitano, former President of the United States George W. Bush and U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
In 2009, in recognition of his many lifetime achievements, Dr. Michelassi was honored as an Official of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy with the rank of Commendatore, the most prestigious and important distinction awarded by the President of the Republic of Italy to Italian citizens of particular merit. He was then inducted as a member of the ASILM, the Italian-American society comprised of those 600 individuals who have been so decorated by the Republic of Italy. In 2010, Dr. Michelassi received the prestigious Golden Lion Award from the Order of the Sons of Italy in America and the "Campano d'Oro" medal from the University of Pisa, the highest honor that can be accorded to a University of Pisa alumnus.
Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher receives DeWitt Clinton Award from the Masons
Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher and Dr. Robert Kelly with the leaders of the New York Masons
Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College, received the 2012 DeWitt Clinton Award from the New York Masons Dec. 6.
The DeWitt Clinton Award recognizes outstanding public and community service by a non-Masonic organization or individual whose actions exemplify a shared concern for the well-being of mankind.
Dr. Glimcher and fellow awardee Dr. Robert Kelly, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, received their awards at the annual Masonic Toys for Tots drive at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. The drive brings holiday cheer to kids who benefit from the research done by the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation, which works in conjunction with the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Division at the Komansky Center for Children's Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.
Additional awards and honors
Dr. Matthew Fink, chairman of the Department of Neurology and professor of clinical neurology, was elected a Fellow of the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association Oct. 19. Fellowship in the Associations recognizes excellence in the care of stroke patients and/ or stroke-related research and education with accomplishments that demonstrate a commitment to the mission of the Stroke Council and the American Stroke Association.
Dr. Peter Goldstein, professor of anesthesiology and associate professor of anesthesiology in public health, was elected chairman of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Subcommittee on Experimental Neuroscience at the Society' annual meeting in October. The American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
Dr. Mark Lachs, co-chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Irene F. and I. Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine and professor of medicine, presented during the plenary sessions of the Grantmakers In Aging 2012 annual conference Oct. 26 in Cleveland, Ohio. His presentation, "GPS for Health: Guiding Older Adults to their Best Health Care Solutions," discussed opportunities to help older adults navigate the increasingly complex medical care system. Grantmakers In Aging is the only international professional organization of grantmakers active in the field, and is dedicated to promoting and strengthening grantmaking for an aging society.
Dr. Neel Mehta, assistant professor of anesthesiology, gave an invited talk at the Pain Management and Research Foundation Global Update on Pain meeting in Mumbai, India Oct. 25-26. The Foundation is strives for a pain-free world, and works to create awareness about pain and develop a specialty in pain management in India.
Dr. Thomas Murry, professor of speech-language pathology in otolaryngology, was an invited keynote speaker at the first Australia-Asia-Pacific Laryngology and Dysphagia Conference hosted Oct. 27-28 in Melbourne, Australia. The conference covered a wide-range of issues in the specialties of laryngology and swallowing disorders.
The NeuroICU this October received the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence for the next three years from The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. This makes NYP/Weill Cornell the first Beacon unit in New York City. The Association created the Beacon Award to recognize individual critical care units that distinguish themselves by improving every facet of patient care signifying exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall satisfaction.
Dr. Devin Peck, instructor in anesthesiology and educational director for the Weill Cornell Medical College Fellowship Program, was elected director-at-large for the New York Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Sept. 27. He was also elected chair of the Society's Scientific Committee during its annual symposium Oct. 19-21. The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians is a not-for-profit organization representing interventional pain physicians across the country. In addition, Dr. Peck was an invited speaker at the meeting "Pain Management for Non-Pain Management Clinicians: Current Practices/Recent Advances" hosted Sept. 27 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The educational program provided pain management strategies for non-pain management clinicians focusing on best practices and evidence-based practice in effort to improve patient satisfaction, Hospital Care Quality Information from the Consumer Perspective scores and care for patients experiencing pain.
Dr. Kane Pryor, assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology and assistant professor of anesthesiology in clinical psychiatry, was awarded "Best Abstract of Meeting" Oct. 16 by the American Society of Anesthesiologists meeting in Washington, D.C., where he also gave an invited lecture about his research entitled, "Administration of propofol after learning improves memory performance in human subjects via loss of competitive consolidation: Evidence that propofol amnesia occurs at the induction of consolidation and reconsolidation." The American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
Dr. Michael Stewart, vice dean, E. Darracott Vaughn, Jr., M.D. Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology and professor of otolaryngology and public health, became a member of St. Xavier High School's Alumni Hall of Fame Oct. 12 in Louisville, Ky. St. Xavier High School is a Catholic college preparatory school sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers since 1864 that engages young men in rigorous academic programs and extracurricular activities that foster respect, honor and service to God's world.
Dr. Jonathan Victor, the Fred Plum Professor of Neurology and professor of neurology and neuroscience, was appointed series editor in October for Springer Surveys and Tutorials in the Applied Mathematical Sciences. The series will take on the goal of producing tutorials and surveys that strongly link mathematics to the science, are up-to-date and readable, written in a style accessible to researchers, professionals and graduate students, that can serve as an introduction to recent and emerging subject areas.