AECOM commencement marks milestone

This year’s commencement marks a special milestone for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, as its June 5 ceremony will be the 50th in the medical school’s history. The 2008 Einstein graduation exercises will take place at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall on Thursday, June 5, at 2:30 p.m., with Dr. Albert S. Kuperman, associate dean for Educational Affairs at Einstein, delivering the commencement address. Kuperman’s leadership has guided and shaped the medical curriculum at Einstein for more than 30 years.

Dr. Allen M. Spiegel, The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein, will preside at the commencement ceremonies, joined by Yeshiva University president, Richard M. Joel, who will confer 175 M.D. degrees, 43 Ph.D.s and 13 combined M.D.-Ph.D. degrees.

At the commencement, the Einstein Alumni Association will present its Dominick P. Purpura Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2008 to Dr. Mark Mehler, class of ‘80, professor and chair of neurology at Einstein and a pioneer in improving our understanding of various aspects of the human brain, including its evolution, dynamic brain remodeling, and functions within the neural network in complex neuropsychiatric diseases. In addition, Dr. Susan Coupey, professor of pediatrics at Einstein, will be cited as honorary alumnus; Dr. S. Lawrence Zipursky, class of ‘81, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of biological chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, will receive the Distinguished Ph.D. Alumnus Award; Dr. Edward Burns, class of ‘76, executive dean at Einstein will receive the Association’s Lifetime Service Award; and Dr. Arthur Eidelman, class of ‘63, professor of pediatrics at The Faculty of Health Sciences of the Ben Gurion University of Negev and the Hebrew University School of Medicine, will receive the its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The graduation ceremony also will honor the teaching excellence of six Einstein faculty members:

• The Leo Davidoff Society Lifetime Achievement Award in Education: Dr. Stephen G. Baum (Professor of Medicine and of Microbiology & Immunology)

• Harry Eagle Award for Outstanding Basic Science Teaching: Dr. Douglas Simon (Professor of Medicine)

• Harry Gordon Award for Outstanding Clinical Teaching: Dr. Salvatore Lomonaco (Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences)

• Samuel Rosen Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Preclinical Curriculum: Dr. Joseph Arezzo (Professor of Neuroscience and of Neurology)

• Samuel Rosen Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Clinical Curriculum: Dr. Rachel Katz (Professor of Clinical Pediatrics)

• Ladonne H. Schulman Award for Excellence in Teaching (Sue Golden Graduate Division): Dr. Fernando Macain Juan (Associate Professor of Pathology).