On December 17, 2008, the 16 member Awards Council of the Tufts University Alumni Association met to evaluate and choose their recipients for the 2009 Tufts University Alumni Distinguished Service Award. Of the many nominated, there were 34 finalists for the award.
The Distinguished Service Award is given each year to several graduates of the University for outstanding accomplishments in profession, community and service to Tufts. David J. McGrath, DVM, veterinarian and owner of Wignall Animal Hospital and Lowell Veterinary Clinic has been chosen as a 2009 award recipient. A formal award ceremony and dinner honoring the recipients is scheduled for early April 2009.
2009 Distinguished Service Award Recipients
Sherwood L. Gorbach, M.D., M62, J84P, has been a continuously funded N.I.H. primary investigator since 1969. His research at Tufts has provided paradigm-qhifting insights into subjects as diverse as AIDS, e.coli, and probiotic bacteria, and has improved the quality of life for people around the world.
Catherine Hayes, D.M.D., Dr. Med. Sc., D87, holds the Delta Dental of Massachusetts Professorship and chairs the Department of Public Health and Community Service at the School of Dental Medicine. She has focused her research, advocacy, and teaching activities on addressing health disparities and the serious access-to-care crisis for dental services in the United States.
Steven E. Karol, A76, A04P, is a managing partner and founder of Watermill Ventures and Watermill Advisors. He is the current chair of the Engineering Board of Overseers at Tufts and has been a founder and leader in an array of non-profit causes outside the Tufts Community.
* Alan M. MacDougall, A65, had a distinguished 30-year career in public service, with both the U.S. Army and the Central Intelligence Agency. As a former president of the Alumni Association and a devoted member of the Class of 1965, Alan committed his life to Tufts service and ambassadorship. *Alan passed away on January 21, 2009. Jeanne MacDougall will accept the award on behalf of her late husband.
David J. McGrath, III, D.V.M., G83, V86, A11P, is a veterinarian and the proprietor of several animal hospitals in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. An esteemed member of the community, he serves on the Tufts Board of Trustees and is chair of the Board of Overseers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
Karel Zelenka, Ph.D., F69, F70, F85, is the current Zimbabwe country representative for Catholic Relief Services of Baltimore and is an expert in development and international relief work. He has managed CRS programs world-wide, focusing on assistance to the poor, major emergency response, respect for human dignity, justice, and peace.
2009 Young Alumni Achievement Award Recipients
David M. Backman, A94, is president of the San Francisco Tufts Alliance. His leadership in the Alumni Council has been evident by his dedication and support to training volunteers of all ages.
Sister Anna L. Kupin, J00, has devoted her life to improving the lives of others and is a nun at Hogar Sagrado Corazon, an orphanage for more than 120 girls and young women in Bolivia.
