Nominations for the Levi Watkins Jr. Student Award are now being accepted.
The award is presented annually to at least one graduate student and one medical student associated with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who have made outstanding contributions to fostering a more diverse environment that enriches, encourages and embraces all School of Medicine students, faculty and administrators.
Levi Watkins Jr. has made significant contributions toward increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the sciences. A distinguished physician and researcher, in 1966 Watkins became the first African American student to be admitted to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He was selected as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and graduated in 1970. He continued his training at Johns Hopkins and Harvard. Currently, Watkins is professor of cardiac surgery and dean of postdoctoral programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. He embodies the attributes important for those serving as a role model for those pursuing careers in medicine and the biomedical sciences.
Send letters of nomination to George C. Hill, associate dean for diversity in medical education, to arrive no later than Monday, Sept. 26. Nomination may be sent to george.hill@vanderbilt.edu.
The Levi Watkins Jr. Lecture will be held in 208 Light Hall at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 11.