news - Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

alumninewsFrom the Alumni Association PresidentWe Should All Come Togetherto Build a Bright Future for KCUMBWilliam Halacoglu, D.O. (COM ’91)Serving as your Alumni Associationpresident for the past year hasbeen a rewarding and enlighteningexperience, and an honor I will notsoon forget. During Homecoming,Sept. 19-22, I will symbolicallypass the gavel to the next AlumniAssociation president.As my time in this position draws to a close, I amable to reflect on a year of accomplishment, while alsorecognizing that there is still much work to be done by theAlumni Association’s Board of Directors and its members.As alumni, we provide an indispensable link to theUniversity’s storied past, but most importantly, we arealso the guardians of KCUMB’s future. We are looked toas mentors, educators and protectors of the Universityand the osteopathic medical profession. KCUMB-COM’s7,000 living alumni may have each built their own legacies,but all 7,000 of them intersect on Independence Avenue.Though it may be in different generations or indifferent facilities, we share experiences and memoriesforged during our time in medical school. In addition,the history of the University encompasses thousandsmore faculty, staff and community members, each ofwhom have worked – and continue to work – tirelesslyfor the success and advancement of our alma mater. It ismy hope that our accomplishments through the KCUMBAlumni Association during the past year have furtherstrengthened the University, while serving the future.As members of the KCUMB Alumni Association, it isour charge to serve as an important voice, resource andbenefactor for current and future students. The numberof applicants to attend KCUMB continues to increase,and with that so does the need to provide those studentswith the facilities, scholarships and programs that willhelp them achieve their dreams of becoming successfulosteopathic physicians, bioethicists and researchers.During our Alumni Association board meetingin April, we moved to make available $2,500 in funds,which were matched by the University to create a $5,000scholarship for a deserving student. It is my hope that theKCUMB Alumni Association will continue to partner inthis way with the University, so that students may knowthat alumni will always be there to support them duringtheir journey into our beloved profession.The future of KCUMB is bright. These are excitingtimes to be associated with our alma mater. KCUMB wasestablished in 1916, and as the centennial of the Universityapproaches, I would encourage you to please take a fewmoments to reflect on how the experiences and opportunitiesafforded you by KCUMB-COM have affected yourlife and the lives of those you serve. It is my sincere hopethat your reflections lead you to engage the University asa mentor, donor and advocate.Together, we are more than 7,000 strong. KCUMBneeds your support.Become a Part of theKCUMB Legacy FundThe Legacy Fund honors KCUMB-COM faculty, staff, alumni and physicianpartners, both past and present,who have left a lasting imprint onstudent doctors of all generations.All gifts designated to the LegacyFund will be directed to specific programsbenefitting faculty or educationalinitiatives and will be dispersed annuallyat the Faculty Senate’s discretion.A gift of $500 is required for inclusionin the Legacy Fund.For more information on howyou can support the KCUMB-COMLegacy Fund, please call the AdvancementOffice at 816-654-7280, emailalumni@kcumb.edu or visit www.kcumb.edu/legacyfund.Aug. 21Aug. 27Aug. 28Sept. 12Oct. 2Oct. 3Oct. 4Oct. 5Oct. 6Oct. 8-10Make a lasting impact for generations to come as a member of theHeritage SocietyLookout!Watch for KCUMBComing to a City Near YouMake plans now to join KCUMB representatives, including H. DannyWeaver, D.O. (COM ’84), president and chief executive officer, for a specialregional alumni gathering near in a location near you.Kansas CityClevelandDetroitDenverHoustonDallasTucson, Ariz.PhoenixLas VegasAOA Conventionin San DiegoOct. 23 Wichita, Kan.Oct. 25 St. Joseph, Mo.Oct. 30 AtlantaNov. 5 West Palm Beach /Fort LauderdaleNov. 6 Orlando, Fla.Nov. 7 Tampa, Fla.Watch your mailbox for a specialinvitation to an event in your area.Create a better tomorrow by including KCUMB in yourestate plan today.KCUMB Awards Special Recognition to Two Individuals for Advancing the Osteopathic Medical Profession2012 Betty Jo White, D.O. (COM ’63),FACOS, Prize for ResearchAsma Zaidi, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry,was named the 2012 recipientof the Betty Jo White, D.O. (COM ’63),FACOS, Prize for Research, for her project,entitled “Disruption of Calcium Homeostasisin Parkinson’s Disease,” which sheDr. Zaidipresented during the KCUMB Research Symposium.The Betty Jo White, D.O., FACOS, Prize for Research wasestablished to encourage research activity at KCUMB. It isawarded annually to researchers whose work significantlyadvances the osteopathic medical profession and the University’sposition in the research community.2012 Mamie E. Johnston, D.O. (COM ’17),FACOP, Creative Medical Artin Teaching AwardLynne Boone, a third-year osteopathicmedical student, was awarded the 2012Mamie E. Johnston, D.O. (COM ’17),FACOP, Creative Medical Art in TeachingBooneAward. Boone used funding from theaward to attend the Society for the Arts in Healthcare’s 23rdAnnual International Conference May 2-5 at Children’s Hospitalof Michigan in Detroit.The Mamie E. Johnston, D.O., FACOP, Creative MedicalArt in Teaching Award was established by Betty Jo White,D.O. (COM ’63), FACOS, to encourage the incorporationof medical and scientific art in teaching at KCUMB and toadvance the osteopathic medical profession.Your gift can benefit the University as a whole or bedirected toward the specific program of your choice.You can make attending KCUMB more affordable forstudents studying osteopathic medicine, bioethics orbiomedical sciences.Maybe you prefer to support research that improvespeople’s health and changes lives? Your gift can makethe difference.For more information, please contact Ted Place, executivedirector of alumni development, at 816-654-7286,tplace@kcumb.edu or visit www.kcumb.edu/PlannedGiving.Please note: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences does not providetax or legal advice. Gift calculations may be provided for illustrative purposes only,and the actual values may vary based upon the timing and nature of your gift.Advice from legal and tax counsel should be sought when considering a charitablegift of any kind.26 Summer 2012 KCUMB CommunicatorSummer 2012 KCUMB Communicator 27