Nominations are being sought for the Levi Watkins Jr., MD, Faculty Award and the Levi Watkins Jr., MD, Student Award.
The awards will be presented at the Levi Watkins Jr., MD, Lecture, which will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at noon in 208 Light Hall. The keynote speaker will be Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
The Levi Watkins Jr., MD, Faculty Award is presented annually to at least one member of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) faculty or administration who has made outstanding contributions to the institution in fostering opportunities for underrepresented minorities in its educational and/or research programs. The award also recognizes individuals who have contributed to increasing diversity at VUSM.
The Levi Watkins Jr., MD, Student Award is presented annually to at least one graduate student and one medical student associated with VUSM who have made outstanding contributions to the institution in fostering a more diverse environment that is enriching, encouraging, and embracing to all VUSM students, faculty and administration.
Levi Watkins Jr., MD, who died in 2015, made significant contributions toward increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the sciences.
In 1966, Watkins was the first African-American student to be admitted to VUSM. He graduated in 1970 and was selected as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. A distinguished physician and researcher, he continued his training at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard.
Watkins embodied the attributes important in serving as a role model for those who pursue careers in medicine and the biomedical sciences.
Please send letters of nomination to Lashonda Moore, Office for Diversity Affairs, lashonda.m.moore@vumc.org, by Sept. 28.