11
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 2023
2020
2020
FOUNDERS DAY
DISTINGUISHED
DISTINGUISHED
DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNI:
ALUMNI:
ALUMNUS:
RICK T YKWINSKI
RAYMOND PRICE
CLIFTON SANDERS
When Rick
Price graduated
Sanders arrived in Salt Lake City
Tykwinski, PhD ’94, now Professor of
from the University of Utah magna
from Baltimore via the University
Chemistry, University of Alberta, is
cum laude in 1983 and then from
of Michigan in 1977. During his
asked what his graduate-student self
Harvard Medical School. He has co-
appearance as the featured speaker
would be most surprised about with
directed or directed the graduate
at the Hugo Rossi Lecture Series on
his current career, he says, “That I got
surgical education program in
March 15, Sanders detailed what
this far.” Many students, he continues,
the state for hundreds of surgical
it was like to be one of very few
expected graduate school to be all
residents and medical and physician
Black residents in Utah when he
about the laboratory (“how many
assistant students.
arrived. Even so, his experience in U
molecules do I need to graduate?”). As
Chemistry was generally a positive
he looks back, however, the lab was
His areas of interest include advanced
experience. Sanders recently retired
only a small part of it.
laparoscopy, surgical oncology, as
as the Provost for Academic Affairs
well as endocrine and trauma surgery.
and Chief Academic Officer of Salt
“I’ve always been able to solve
He has spent his career expanding
Lake Community College, where he
problems,” he says, “but I never
the role of surgery in public health,
oversaw the education of more than
considered myself to be overly
and has participated in or led surgical
61,000 students annually.
creative, especially as a graduate
expeditions to Asia, Latin America,
student. I was very fortunate at all
and Africa. He co-founded The Center
A saxophonist like his father, Sanders
points in my undergraduate, graduate,
for Global Surgery at the U. He also
has been called “a musician trapped
and post-doctoral education to
currently directs graduate surgical
in a scientist’s body.” “I look at playing
have had mentors that allowed me
education at Intermountain Medical
music almost as a research program,
to be independent and develop my
Center.
just like a scientist would,” Sanders
creativity, giving me just enough
says. “There are little experiments you
creativity to get by.”
do and in the craft you figure out …
He has served with the World Health Organization and is the author of
how to make it work.” Recently, he’s
Tykwinski accepted a position in
numerous peer-reviewed articles,
back with his sax, appearing locally
Canada in 1997 then left to chair
books and chapters in books.
with the George Brown Quintet
Organic Chemistry in Erlangen,
known for its unpretentious, “killin’
Germany before returning to Alberta
Price and his wife have maintained
straight ahead” jazz.
where he is currently chair of the
their home in the Beehive State with
Department of Chemistry.
their seven daughters and one son.
ALUMNI & RECOGNITION | 2023
