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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dr. Andre’ Lemont Churchwell, a Vanderbilt University cardiologist whose distinguished career has included extensive professional and community service and support for aspiring minority faculty, is the recipient of the 2005 Walter R. Murray Jr. Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Churchwell, who graduated magna cum laude in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt in 1975, will be honored by the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni during an Oct. 14 dinner at the University Club. The award, established in honor of a 1970 Vanderbilt graduate, recognizes lifetime achievements in personal, professional and community arenas.
Churchwell, who is a partner with the Page-Campbell Cardiology Group and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Vanderbilt, graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1979 and later completed an internship, residency and cardiology fellowship at the Emory University School of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals Program in Atlanta. He was the first African-American chief medical resident at Grady Memorial Hospital.
“The Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni is proud to recognize a man who has dedicated his life to helping others,” said Myria Carpenter, the association’s president. “Dr. Churchwell is not only one of the nation’s leading cardiologists but also a community leader and teacher. We’re honored to celebrate a great among us.”
Churchwell, who is also an associate clinical professor of medicine at Meharry Medical College, has been recognized as one of the nation’s top cardiologists for the past nine years by The Best Doctors in America.
Other honors for Churchwell include the 2004 Emory University School of Medicine Resident Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award and the J. Willis Hurst Award for Best Clinical Teacher in 1991 from the Emory University School of Medicine. He served as president of the Nashville Cardiovascular Society 1995-1996. In addition, he has been on the boards for the Association of Black Cardiologists and the Nashville Heart Gala.
Churchwell’s brothers have strong ties to Vanderbilt. His brother Keith is an assistant clinical professor of medicine, while his brother Kevin is an associate professor of pediatrics and associate professor of anesthesiology.
For more information on the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni, click on www.vanderbilt.edu/alumni/avbaclub.htm.
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-NEWS
Annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu