Office of Public Relations — Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Caitlin Jenney (303) 724-1520, caitlin.jenney@uchsc.edu
UCD to Present 16 Special Awards at May 25 Commencement
Urologist Ted Ning to be awarded honorary doctorate
DENVER (May 24, 2007) - During its May 25 commencement ceremony, the University of Colorado Denver will present 16 special awards, including an honorary doctorate to a physician who used his experience as part of the Medical Corps in Vietnam as the catalyst for a life dedicated to improving the health of individuals in underserved and rural communities both in Colorado and abroad.
Dr. Theodore (Ted) Ning will be awarded an honorary doctorate at the university's commencement ceremony for his extraordinary contributions in global and rural health. He and others will be honored with special awards for their unique contributions to academia, medicine and the Colorado community.
A first-generation American born to Chinese immigrant parents, Dr. Ning graduated from Northwestern Medical School . Drafted into the US Army in 1970, he witnessed firsthand the effects that little or no medical care had on communities. His interest in improving the well-being of individuals in rural communities emerged.
Later, after moving to Colorado to finish his specialty training in urology and set up private practice at Lutheran Medical Center , Dr. Ning continued his extraordinary efforts to care for the underserved.
He and his wife, Constance Ning, founded Friends of Children of Vietnam, an organization that facilitated the adoption of hundreds of Vietnamese orphans across the United States . They also founded Friendship Bridge (TFB), an organization that for nearly 20 years has supplied Vietnam with volunteer teachers, nurses, doctors, public health officials and others to teach local care providers modern advances in healthcare and hygiene. Since 1994, TFB has provided micro loans to women to establish small home-based businesses while providing them with monthly health care classes. This program has been so successful that it is now being replicated in Guatemala .
"Having been involved with the training of residents and physicians since 1975, it is an honor to receive this recognition," Dr. Ning said. "I hope that my serving others in the underserved world will help others maintain their idealism in medicine."
Other 2007 commencement honorees include:
• Joseph Addison Sewall Award : Joel S. Levine, MD, senior associate dean for clinical affairs, director of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program; Mary E. Diaz, IT Professional I, serves as the liaison to the Office of Institutional Research and as the resident authority on the Student Information System and its upcoming replacement; and Terry A. Biddinger, director of external Relations in the School of Nursing;
• Florence Rena Sabin Award : Alfred E. Kelly, former executive director of the San Luis Valley Area Health Education Center, former county commissioner of Alamosa County and former chief of staff for the Health and Human Resource Committee of the Louisiana Legislature;
• Health Sciences Campuses Alumni Legislative Recognition Award : Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald and House Majority Leader Alice Madden;
• President's Excellence in Teaching Award : David Gozalo, DDS, School of Dentistry; Brian G. Dwinnell, MD, School of Medicine; James G. Sampson, ND, School of Nursing; and Laura B. Hansen, PharmD, School of Pharmacy;
• Chancellor's Teaching Recognition Award : Thomas Berry, DDS, School of Dentistry ; Norma Wagoner, MD, School of Medicine ; Teresa J. Sakraida, DNSc, School of Nursing ; Connie A. Valdez, PharmD, School of Pharmacy ; and William P. Schiemann, PhD, UCD Graduate School .
The University of Colorado Denver is one of three universities in the University of Colorado system. Located in Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora , Colo. , the center includes schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry, a graduate school and a teaching hospital. For more information, visit the Web site at www.uchsc.edu or the UCD Newsroom at http://www.uchsc.edu/news .
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