Established in 1998, the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor the College bestows upon its graduates. Throughout the country and world, UI Carver College alumni and friends are influencing the delivery of health care, changing the course of medical education, and conducting groundbreaking research. Each year, outstanding individuals are honored as Distinguished Alumni for their professional achievements and service and their influence in the world of science and medicine. Read more about the awards here.
The awards were presented Friday, April 27, and several recipients this year spent some time in Internal Medicine:
Award for Achievement
J. Antonio G. Lopez
90F – Internal Medicine
Whether in an academic environment, clinical setting, or private practice, J. Antonio G. Lopez has been a model of leadership and integrity. In a career that has taken him all over the United States, Lopez developed special expertise and recognition in the pathogenesis and treatment of cholesterol and lipid disorders, which built on his research training while in private practice in cardiology. In 2014, he became medical director (cardiovascular) at the multinational biopharmaceutical company Amgen, with responsibility for a breakthrough new drug (called a PCSK9 inhibitor) that reduces LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol) to a level previously thought to be unattainable.
Award for Achievement and Service
Basem Dajani
70R – Internal Medicine
Jordan’s medical professionals are among the very best in the Middle East because of Basem M. Dajani. For decades, he has worked to improve medical education and quality of care in his country. In 1977, Dajani revolutionized the internal medicine residency program as well as the hospital at the University of Jordan by introducing rounds, morning report, peer review, grand rounds, mortality-morbidity rounds, and quality control, among other improvements. He also created the intensive care unit at the hospital. By founding the Jordan Medical Board, Dajani single-handedly implemented standards to ensure high-quality medical care where none existed before. Dajani firmly believes the underserved deserve the same excellent quality of care as the most affluent patients.
Award for Academic Excellence
J. Kevin Dorsey
81R, 83F – Internal Medicine
The word “doctor” is derived from the Latin word docere, which means “to teach.” For several decades, J. Kevin Dorsey has been committed to educational improvements, with notable accomplishments in care practices and community service as well as in academic medicine. Dorsey has served in key roles in academic medicine since completing his residency and fellowship at the University of Iowa, including as dean and provost of the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine, from which he retired in 2015. He currently maintains a teaching position at the SIU medical school and serves as acting chief of the rheumatology division. Students and faculty have recognized him with many citations and awards for his sustaining and remarkable instructional contributions.
Award for Leadership
Patricia Winokur
88R, 91F – Internal Medicine
As executive dean of the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Patricia Winokur plays a key leadership role in leading efforts that shape the academic medicine mission of research, education, and patient care. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has served the college and university as interim associate dean for research, associate dean for clinical and translational science, and as a board member for the UI Research Foundation. A nationally recognized leader in the field of infectious diseases, Winokur created the UI Vaccine and Evaluation Unit, one of the leading vaccine research programs in the country and one of only nine in the nation funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Congratulations to all!
A complete list of this year’s award recipients can be found here.