WASHINGTON (Sept. 16, 2011)— Leonard Wartofsky, M.D., M.P.H., who earned four degrees from The George Washington University, was one of five distinguished alumni who received this year’s Alumni Achievement Awards. The award are the highest form of recognition that the University and the GW Alumni Association bestow upon alumni each year.
Wartofsky earned his B.S. from GW in 1959, a well as an M.S. in 1961, an M.D. in 1964, and an M.P.H. in 1995. He currently serves as the chair of the department of medicine at the Washington Hospital Center. In addition, he holds faculty appointments at GW, Georgetown University, Howard University, the University of Maryland, and the Uniformed Health Services in Bethesda, Md.
“Throughout his long and distinguished career in medicine, Dr. Wartofsky has embodied the great traditions and most important values of our school, as well as those of the medical profession,” said Jeffrey S. Akman, M.D., ’81, G.M.E. ’85, interim vice provost for Health Affairs and dean of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “He is a brilliant physician and scientist who has been at the top of his field for many years, and I can think of no one who is more deserving of the Alumni Achievement Award.”
An internationally renowned authority on thyroid disorders, Wartofsky has authored or co-authored more than 300 articles and book chapters, as well as serving as an editor of books on thyroid cancer for physicians and patients. In addition, he served as the director of the Endocrinology Division and chief of the Department of Medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and was a consultant to Surgeon General of the United States.
Lynn Goldman, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the GW School of Public Health and Health Services, said, “Dr. Wartofsky exemplifies the mission of the School of Public Health and Health Services through his commitment to enhancing public health for every citizen. We are very proud of his achievements and congratulate him on earning this distinguished alumni award.”
This year marks the 75th annual presentation of the award. Recipients were selected from a pool of more than 50 nominees by the GW Alumni Association Awards Committee.. This year’s awards were presented to the alumni at the W Hotel in downtown Washington on Sept. 15.
About the Alumni Achievement Award:
Alumni Achievement Award recipients are recognized for the lasting impact they have made on society though outstanding professional, voluntary, or philanthropic accomplishments. In 2007, the GW Alumni Association split the awards into two categories, Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards and the Recent Alumni Achievement Award, which recognizes graduates of the past 10 years.
Prior Alumni Achievement Award recipients include:
Arnold “Red” Auerbach, B.S. ’40, M.A. ’41, 16-time NBA champion and coach, president, and general manager of the Boston Celtics
- Julius Axelrod, Ph.D. ’55, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine
- Abby Joseph Cohen, M.A. ’76, president of Goldman Sachs Global Markets Institute
- Diana B. Henriques, B.A. ’69, The New York Times senior financial writer
- Allyn E. Kilsheimer, B.S. ’63, CEO of KCE Structural Engineers, who managed reconstruction of the Pentagon after 9/11
- Colin Powell, M.B.A. ’71, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon
- Syngman Rhee, B.A. ’07, first president of South Korea; and Kerry Washington, B.A. ’98, multi-award-winning actress and performing arts professional.
The George Washington Alumni Association (GWAA) is a nonprofit organization founded to represent the interests of the more than 225,000 living graduates of university. The association’s three main goals are enabling lifetime engagement of alumni with fellow graduates, current students, and the University; providing a voice for alumni by institutionalizing a two-way dialog between GW graduates and the University; and building a culture of philanthropy to support current and future generations of GW students and alumni.
