Seven faculty members of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine named to endowed chairs were honored for their academic achievements during a celebration on Wednesday at the Student Life Center.
“They are helping change the lives not only of our patients but also of patients across the nation and the world,” said Susan Wente, Ph.D., Provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Wente also praised the donors of the endowed chairs, whose generosity, she said, is helping to bolster Vanderbilt’s future, “the future of scholarship … (and) really, the future of our discovery and learning missions.”
Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, joined Wente in introducing the new chair holders, who are listed below, along with their academic appointments.
Ted Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., Betty and Lonnie S. Burnett Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology;
Thomas Force, M.D., Dorothy and Laurence Grossman Chair in Cardiology, and professor of Medicine and Pharmacology;
Valentina Kon, M.D., Margaret T. and H. Laird Smith Chair, and professor of Pediatrics;
Pierre Massion, M.D., Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Medicine, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, and professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology;
Gregory Mencio, M.D., Neil E. Green, M.D., Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics, and professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation;
Michael Petracek, M.D., Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Surgery, and professor and chair, Department of Cardiac Surgery; and
Herbert Schwartz, M.D., Orthopaedics Chair, professor and chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.
This was the 16th celebration to honor faculty members who have been named to endowed chairs. A total of 156 chair holders have been honored since the initiative to recruit and retain outstanding scholars and teachers was announced by Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos in August 2010.
