School of Medicine Commencement

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., and Steven L. Berk, M.D., TTUHSC executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, presided over the school’s commencement ceremony May 19. More than 135 medical students received their medical doctor degrees.

Berk said commencement is an exciting time for faculty, students and family members.

“As the dean, I have witnessed their journey these past four years, and now have the honor of experiencing the celebration of all their hard work,” Berk said. “These graduates have received an exceptional education and have endless possibilities of contributing to patient care and research across this country.”

Awards presented were the following:

• The Gold Headed Cane Award is a symbol for excellence in the art of medicine and in the care of patients. This student was selected by faculty and students as the individual who best exemplifies those attributes most desirable in the competent and caring physician — Meera Subash
• The 2014 Dean’s Recognition Award for the School of Medicine — Gregory Walker and Lela Ruck
• Dean’s Highest Academic Achievement — Christina Walker
• The John Aure Buesseler, M.D., Founding Dean Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence — Jim Hutson, Ph.D.
• The John Aure Buesseler, M.D., Founding Dean Memorial Award for Student Excellence — Marie Pfarr

Bernard A. Harris Jr., M.D., astronaut, entrepreneur and president of the Harris Foundation, gave the commencement address. Harris, a graduate of the TTUHSC School of Medicine, was at NASA for 10 years. Harris was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-55/Spacelab D-2 in 1993. As payload commander on Space Shuttle Discovery STS-63 in 1995, he served on the first flight of the joint Russian-American Space Program, becoming the first African American to walk in space. As a veteran astronaut, he has logged more than 438 hours and traveled more than 7.2 million miles in space.

Harris is the CEO and managing partner of Vesalius Ventures Inc., a venture capital firm, that invest in early to mid-stage health care technologies and companies. He also is the founder of the Harris Foundation, a non profit organization that supports math/science education and crime prevention programs for America's youth.

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