FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2001
CONTACT: Carole Gan UC Davis Health System(916) 734-9047[email protected]
WILLIAM T. CLOSE TO DELIVER COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT UC DAVIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- William T. Close, a surgeon who served as one of only three physicians in a 2,000-bed hospital in Africa and later supervised the logistics for the international medical team investigating the Ebola fever outbreak in the mid-1970s, will deliver this year's School of Medicine commencement address. The graduation ceremony begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 8 in the Health Sciences Quadrangle on the Davis campus.
A fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Family Physicians, Close spent 16 years in Africa. He is author of the best-seller Ebola, A Documentary Novel, which describes the people and events involved in the first epidemic, and a second book, A Doctor's Story, which describes the human aspects of medicine in New York, Africa and the Rocky Mountains. Close, now in his 50th year of medical practice, continues to see patients in Big Piney, Wyoming, and stays in touch with those responsible for medical care in the Congo. His speech, entitled "Bridging the Gaps in a Shrinking Globe," draws on his lifetime of experience in international medicine.
In addition to Close, student Nikta Forghani was selected by her peers to deliver the speech for the Class of 2001. The title of her talk is "Anatomy 2001."
During the ceremony, the School of Medicine will award 93 Doctor of Medicine degrees and announce the recipients of the student and faculty awards for distinguished teaching and overall excellence in education and research listed below: (More than 30 other awards will be distributed at a dinner on Wednesday, June 6).
School of Medicine Medal, presented to the student with the highest academic performance in the class
Golden Goblet Award, given to a member of the graduating class, who in the opinion of fellow classmates, best and most consistently demonstrates joy and commitment of selflessness and service to others
John C. J. Tupper Prize for Excellence in Teaching
Kaiser Foundation Awards for Excellence in Teaching
Loren D. Carlson Student Research Awards
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