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Eid al-Fitr Celebration
Members of the Medical Campus community came together to celebrate the end of Ramadan on May 14. The event was sponsored by BU alumna and Dean’s Advisory Board member Shamim Dahod (CGS’76, CAS’78, MED’87).
Celebrated by the Muslim community across the world, Eid marks the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan, which was observed April 12–May 12. During this time, Muslims observing Ramadan abstained from food and drink during daylight hours. Eid marks the end of Ramadan and the end of the month of fasting.
Dr. Dahod graciously donated gift bags containing Eid meals and decorated L109 to celebrate the occasion. Students stopped by to pick up their meals, which they enjoyed during a virtual celebration. n
Keefer Society Gathers for Evening of Gratitude & Introduction of New Members
Members of BU School of Medicine’s Chester S. Keefer, MD, Society—which recognizes donors who have supported the school with lifetime gifts totaling $50,000 or more—gathered for the first time since 2019, having paused last year due to the pandemic.
The virtual event’s theme, “An Evening of Gratitude,” featured prerecorded words of thanks from Anatomy & Neurobiology Chair Jennifer Luebke, PhD, for the recent upgrades and renovations to the gross anatomy lab made possible by a gift from Albert and Debbie Rosenthaler; and Vaishali Sanchorwala, MD, director of the Amyloidosis Center, on how decades of support continue to transform the center. Several students also thanked their donors for helping to make their BUSM education possible.
“We are particularly thankful for your continued generosity and support during this challenging time,” said Dean Karen Antman, MD, “which makes it possible for our faculty and students to teach, learn, and discover on the front lines of medicine.”
Dean Antman then introduced the new members of the Keefer Society.
Class of 2020:
• Mary Ann Blount and James A. Blount, Jr. • Alan J. Brody • David R. Edelstein (MED’80) and Eve
Lesser Edelstein • Geraldine L. Feldman (MED’69, CAS’69) • Daphne H. Foster and Lawrence S. Foster • George L. Hines (MED’69) and Helene
A. Hines • Betsy E. Horen and Robert A. Horen • Clinton W. Josey, Jr. and Betty Josey • Reshma Kewalramani (MED’98,
CAS’98) and Abhijit R. Kulkarni, PhD (ENG’93,’97) • The Kibrick Family • Ruth A. Moorman, EdD, and Sheldon
N. Simon • Zein E. Obagi, MD, and Samar A. Obagi • Joel A. Roffman (MED’75) and Nancy C.
Roffman • Albert and Debbie Rosenthaler • Ralph L. Sacco (MED’83) and Scott
Dutcher • The Samowitz Foundation Trust • Barry E. Sieger (MED’68) and
Margarete Sieger • Marian A. Vita • Andrew Yee, MD, and Mirta Yee • Larry C. Young and Sue Young
Class of 2021:
• Ronald B. Corley, PhD, and Janice Corley • R. Gordon Darby • Daniel E. Moalli (MED’61) and Glenna
M. Moalli • Martin S. Rifkin and Judy A. Rifkin • William F. Shields (MED’94) • The Shooshan Family n
Charles Terrell Scholarship Fund Honors Nationally Recognized Expert in Diversity, Higher Education
Anew, permanently endowed scholarship fund in honor of Charles Terrell (GRS’71) will provide annual awards based on financial need to one or more BUSM students, with a preference for students from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine.
The Charles Terrell Scholarship Fund was made possible thanks to donors David L. Walton, MD (MED’83), and Machiko Nakatani. Walton was a medical student when Terrell was associate dean for student affairs and director of student financial management at BUSM.
“I thought this would be a great time to honor Dean Terrell and set up a scholarship with the goal of aiding students from underrepresented groups at the school,” Walton said. He spoke of Dean Terrell’s support for his wife as she adjusted to life in America after moving from Japan.
“There were many people who were so helpful, but there were also a number of anti-Asian interactions while in Boston, and she was struggling with those interactions,” Walton said. “In the end, Dean Terrell’s counsel, empathy, and advice proved to be of the most value for us.”
A nationally recognized expert on diversity and access in higher education, Terrell received a Master of Arts in African American studies from Boston University. In March 1970, Terrell and fellow Colby College students occupied the college chapel in an attempt to remedy institutional inequities and create a more inclusive environment for students from all backgrounds. “In Their Footsteps: A History of Colby College” highlighted Terrell as one of the individuals to have a significant impact on the history of the college over the past 200 years. In 2006, he was appointed to the Colby board of trustees. More recently, he founded Cross Creek Higher Ed Associates, a nonprofit organization providing pro bono higher educational advice and guidance.
The scholarship fund is accepting additional donations to aid in its goal of lightening the financial burden of students who are typically underrepresented in the medical field.
“Support for our students is our numberone priority,” said Suzanne Maselli, BUSM associate dean for development. “We are very grateful to our donors who provide scholarship support and help alleviate that debt burden as our students go into their residences and launch their careers.”
To support this fund, please visit bu.edu/ supportbusm or contact busmdev@bu.edu with giving questions. n
The Dean’s Advisory Board held its spring meeting virtually on April 30.
Board members heard updates from BUSM Dean Karen Antman, MD, and Associate Dean for Development Suzanne Maselli. Assistant Professor of Medicine Juhee McDougal, MD, gave a presentation on the telemedicine curriculum, and Professor of Microbiology Elke Muhlberger, PhD, and MD/PhD candidates Kristine Albo, Aditya Mithal, and PhD candidate Ellen Suder led a COVID-19 research panel.
Attendees also participated in a reprise of the Rising Stars panel from the Rebecca Lee Crumpler Symposia, featuring Dallas Reed (MED’10) and Ebonie Woolcock (MED’10, SPH’10) that was moderated by Samantha Kaplan, MD, assistant dean for diversity & inclusion. n
Judith L. Vaitukaitis Medical Student Research Fund Created at BUSM
Thanks to a bequest from the estate of Judith L. Vaitukaitis (MED’66), a permanently endowed fund has been established at BUSM that aims to launch the careers of physician scientists through medical student research.
“Given Dr. Vaitukaitis’ dedication to research, we have established this fund to support medical student research,” said BUSM Dean Karen Antman, MD. “She was an exceptional physician and scientist and I believe that she would be pleased by this use of the funds she donated.”
An accomplished researcher, administrator, and educator
Best known for her role as director of the US National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Vaitukaitis died in 2018 at age 78 from Parkinson’s disease.
An accomplished reproductive neuroendocrinologist and clinical researcher, she played a key role in developing a biochemical assay in the early 1970s that ultimately led to the creation of the home pregnancy test.
She returned to BUSM in 1974 as professor of medicine, section chief of endocrinology and metabolism at Boston City Hospital, and director of BUSM’s General Clinical Research Center. She rejoined the NIH as director of the General Clinical Research Centers program and ultimately directed the US National Center for Research Resources. Vaitukaitis retired from the NIH in 2005 as senior advisor on scientific infrastructure and resources.
Additional donations to this scholarship will aid student research at BUSM. To support this fund, please visit bu.edu/supportbusm or contact busmdev@bu.edu with giving questions. n
