NEWS

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Medical Alumni Association presented five Distinguished Service Awards April 23 during their spring banquet.

The Distinguished Service Award was established in 1955 on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UNC-CH School of Medicine to recognize individuals who made significant contributions to the establishment and early growth of the medical school. Today, the award honors alumni and colleagues whose distinguished careers and unselfish contributions to society have brought honor to UNC-CH and its medical school.

This year’s recipients are:

Dr. George L. Irvin III, professor of surgery and chief of the Endocrine Surgery Section at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff, professor and chair of the department of psychiatry and behavorial sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Dr. Duncan S. Owen Jr., professor of internal medicine at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

Dr. James C. Parke Jr., retired chair of the department of pediatrics at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Dr. R. Bertram Williams Jr., retired chief of medical staff at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington.

Dr. Jeffrey L. Houpt, dean of the UNC-CH School of Medicine and chief executive officer of UNC Health Care, presented the awards.

Irvin was honored for his accomplishments as a clinician, scientist and educator. After completing his surgical residency at UNC Hospitals, he served as a senior investigator in the surgery branch of the National Cancer Institute. Irvin’s research into the treatment of patients with hyper-parathyroidism resulted in the development of a technique that would eliminate unnecessary surgery. In 1967, he joined the faculty of the University of Miami School of Medicine and the clinical enterprise of the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, where he quickly rose through the administrative ranks to become chief of the Endocrine Surgery Section, which he helped establish.

Nemeroff earned both his Ph.D. in neurobiology and his medical degree from Carolina. He began his career at Duke University, where he attracted major research grants and published numerous articles. His distinguished career continued when he was appointed the chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine. Colleagues describe him as a "doctor’s doctor" in recognition of his superb diagnostic skills and empathetic treatment of patients.

Owen received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at UNC-CH, completed his residency and fellowship training at the Medical College of Virginia and then served two years in the Army Medical Corps. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his work in Korea. Following his stint in the Army, he returned to Richmond to join the medical school’s faculty. Recognized as one of the nation’s top rheumatologists, Owen is known for his "keen intellect, encyclopedic memory, irreproachable character and unswerving devotion to his fellow man."

Parke began his medical career with the U.S. Navy, then spent a decade in private practice. In 1968, he joined the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte as chair of the pediatrics department -- a post he held for 23 years. There, he developed the residency program, created a neonatal intensive care unit and guided the creation of a clinical-genetics laboratory. As director of pediatric research at Carolinas Medical Center, he continued to make numerous contributions to the improvement of health care across North Carolina. Parke has continued to work closely with UNC-CH, serving on committees and as a clinical instructor.

When Williams attended the UNC-CH School of Medicine, it was a two-year program; after completing his medical coursework, he transferred to Vanderbilt University and received his medical degree. After his surgical residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital and two years in the Navy Medical Corps, Williams returned to his native Wilmington to practice surgery. Determined to provide quality health care to the citizens of southeastern North Carolina, he assumed the leadership role in the creation of a modern, centrally located facility: New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Once the

hospital became a reality, he continued his commitment by serving as the chair of the surgery department and as president of the medical staff for three terms.

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Note to media: Photographs of the recipients are available. Please call Dan Sears, campus photographer, at 919-962-8592.