Legacy Laureates

History

The Legacy Laureate program was launched in 2000 to honor University of Pittsburgh alumni for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments.

2009 Legacy Laureates

Charles I. Berlin, PhD

Charles I. Berlin is a Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Florida and an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Louisiana State University Medical Center, where he was the Kenneth and Frances Barnes Bullington Professor of Hearing Science and directed the Kresge Hearing Research Laboratory. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences in 1958.

Among the many scientific and medical contributions he made in the pursuit of treating and curing deafness during his more than fifty year career, Dr. Berlin is credited with identifying the Mengel-Konigsmark-Berlin-McKusick syndrome of conductive hearing loss and malformed low-set ears. He has authored or coauthored 12 books and numerous scholarly publications and is a member and has served in multiple advisory and governance roles for many professional organizations.

Dr. Berlin was honored by grateful patients, colleagues, and friends, who together contributed $1 million to Louisiana State University to endow the Dr. Charles I. Berlin Chair in Genetic and Molecular Hearing Science. He also has received numerous awards and honors, including the 2000 Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Otolaryngology’s Presidential Citation, that organization’s highest award for teaching, research and science.

He currently serves as a member of the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Board of Visitors.

Christine L. Borgman, PhD

Christine L. Borgman is a Professor, Presidential Chair in Information Studies, and Chair of the Information Technology Planning Board at UCLA. She is an internationally recognized scholar, who has made significant contributions to the field of information science. She earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences in 1974.

Borgman was awarded the first University of California Presidential Chair in Information Sciences and has received a number of prominent appointments, including serving as coprincipal investigator for the National Science Foundation’s Center for Embedded Networked Sensing and the Foundation’s Alexandria Digital Earth Prototype.

She has authored more than 150 books, book chapters, and publications, including Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet and From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure: Access to Information in the Networked World, both of which won the Best Information Science Book Award from the American Society for Information Science and Technology in 2008 and 2001 respectively.

Borgman serves in leadership capacities for multiple organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Library Association, and the American Society for Information Science and Technology; and has received numerous professional honors and awards, including having been elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and receiving the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.

Anthony N.Civello

Anthony Civello is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Kerr Drug, a leading regional pharmacy chain, with more than 90 stores in North Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 1967.

Civello began his career with Pittsburgh-based Thrift Drug Stores, rising to become President of Stores. Since joining Kerr Drug in 1997, he has led the corporation through a period of growth and innovation by pioneering the concept of the community pharmacy as a center of comprehensive health and wellness services. His leadership efforts led Kerr Drug to be recognized as a Top Chain Pharmacy in 2007 and 2008 by the National Medication Therapy Management Firm and receive the 2006 Pinnacle Award, the highest honor awarded by the American Pharmacists Association.

He is a dedicated industry advocate, who has served as Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and in leadership capacities at the American Pharmacists Association and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chain Drug Consortium, which he established in 1997. In 1992, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Pitt’s School of Pharmacy.

Civello has demonstrated his loyalty and commitment to Pitt through his service on the School of Pharmacy Board of Visitors and as a member of the Pitt Alumni Association. He has provided generous financial support to the University, including having established the Joseph N. Civello Student Award in Pharmacy.

Wen-Ta Chiu, MD, DrPH

Wen-Ta Chiu is President of Taipei Medical University, Superintendent of Shuang Ho Hospital and a Professor in the College of Medicine and College of Public Health and Nutritional Science at Taipei Medical University. He earned a Master of Public Health degree in 1987 and a Doctor of Public Health degree in 1989 from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Chiu has had a highly distinguished career as a prominent neurosurgeon, academic leader, medical researcher, and public health advocate in Taiwan. Under his leadership, Taipei Medical University has grown into a world-class medical university and its hospital system has doubled in size to more than 3,000 beds.

He has made important contributions to the advancement of public health practices in Taiwan by serving as a Consultant for the Taiwan Department of Health, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. and Researcher for the Division of Health Policy Research of the National Health Research Institutes. He also is widely recognized for accomplishments as a head injury researcher, who authored numerous scholarly publications; developed the world’s largest head injury registry; and promoted the adoption of helmet laws, which dramatically reduced the rate of motorcycle-related deaths in Taiwan.

He serves as the president of several prominent health organizations and has received numerous awards, including the 1996 Ming-Ning Wang Memorial Award in 1997; the 17th Medical Dedication Award from the Health, Welfare, and Environment Foundation in 2007; and a Contribution Award from the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health in 2007.

John A. Jurenko

John A. Jurenko has been an influential leader in the dynamic growth of the telecommunications industry, and is now active as a consultant, advisor, and director for several telecommunications companies. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering in 1956.

Mr. Jurenko co-founded and served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing of ADTRAN, a leading global provider of networking and communications equipment with annual sales of $500 million. He previously served as Vice President of Engineering for Information Instruments, Incorporated, another company he co-founded. He was the Marketing Director of Teledynamics; National Sales Manager of Universal Data Systems; and Vice President of Sales of Universal Data Systems when it became a subsidiary of Motorola.

He has been an exceptionally devoted supporter of the University of Pittsburgh, serving as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Swanson School of Engineering and providing generous financial support to establish a number of education and research initiatives, including the John A. Jurenko Scholarship in Engineering, the John A, Jurenko Graduate Fellowship in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the John A. Jurenko Computer Architecture Laboratory.

He has been recognized for his financial contributions to Pitt by being inducted into the Cathedral of Learning Society, and has received Distinguished Alumni Awards from both the Swanson School of Engineering in 2007 and from the Department of Electrical Engineering in 1999.

Margaret Grey, DrPH, RN, FAAN

Margaret Grey is Dean of the Yale School of Nursing, the Annie Goodrich Professor of Nursing, and founding Director of the NIH-funded Center for Self and Family Management of Vulnerable Populations at Yale University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing in 1970.

Grey’s impressive career as a nurse practitioner, educator, researcher, and administrator has allowed her to make significant contributions to the prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes that has helped children and families better manage type 1 diabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes in high risk youth.

She was previously the Associate Dean for Scholarly Affairs at the Yale School of Nursing and held progressive academic appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.

She has served as principal investigator for studies that have received more than $25 million in research funding; given presentations at numerous conferences; and authored over 200 journal articles, chapters, and abstracts. She has served in leadership capacities for many health organizations, including the American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the American Diabetes Association, where she helped develop standards of care for juvenile diabetes.

Grey is an elected member in the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Nursing. She received the Outstanding Nurse Scientist Award from The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, a research arm of the American Academy of Nursing in 2008 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing in 1999.

Frank B. Fuhrer Jr.

Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. is the founder and owner of Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale Company, which is one of the largest beverage wholesalers in the United States. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business in 1951.

He owned and managed many successful businesses, beginning with the Fuhrer Clothing Store, in East Brady, Pennsylvania, which was established by his father, Frank B. Fuhrer Sr. He later owned and operated Ridgeway Chemicals, Incorporated; Columbia Lincoln-Mercury; Frank Fuhrer International, Incorporated; and TriState Capital Bank, one of the first credit insurance companies to serve banks and auto dealers in the Pittsburgh region.

He was an accomplished athlete and has been a dedicated sports enthusiast who owned the Pittsburgh Triangles professional tennis team from 1974 to 1976 and the Pittsburgh Spirit indoor soccer team from 1979 to 1981. He founded the Pittsburgh Family House Invitational Golf Tournament and sponsors the Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational and a golf team for the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association.

Fuhrer has demonstrated his commitment to the community by providing extraordinary philanthropic support for many Pittsburgh institutions, including UPMC Shadyside, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and Junior Achievement.

He is a dedicated supporter of the University of Pittsburgh, providing generous financial support to a number of initiatives, including The Frank B. Fuhrer Sr. Conference Room in the Katz Graduate School of Business, The Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Lessons in Success Program, and the Duratz Athletic Complex.

Theresa A. Guise, MD

Theresa A. Guise is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Jerry and Peg Throgmartin Professor of Oncology at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. She earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1985.

She has made significant contributions to the understanding of metabolic bone diseases with an emphasis on skeletal complications of malignancy and the effects of cancer treatments on bone. She serves as the principal investigator on numerous clinical trials, which have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. She was previously the Gerald D. Aurbach Professor of Endocrinology and Director of the Clinic for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases at the University of Virginia and a Mellon Investigator at the University of Virginia Cancer Center and previously held the Zachry Chair for Translational Research at the Institute for Drug Development of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas.

Guise chairs the Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration Study Section at the National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review. She is a member and serves as a director of numerous prestigious professional organizations. She has published extensively and serves in editorial capacities for numerous journals and publications, including the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Bone, and Endocrinology.

She received the 1999 Fuller Albright Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the 1998 Outstanding Investigator Award from the International Bone and Calcium Institute.

Richard B. Kelson, JD

Richard B. Kelson enjoyed a distinguished career as a senior finance executive and legal counsel with Alcoa, Inc., a leading global aluminum producer and fabricator. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1972.

He retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alcoa, Inc., where he undertook two successful billion-dollar cost savings programs; created a top-notch finance team; transformed Alcoa’s shared services organization; and directed numerous mergers and acquisitions. During his 30-year career at Alcoa, he served as Chairman’s Counsel, General Counsel, and as a member of the Executive Council, the senior leadership team that provides strategic direction for the corporation. Under his leadership as Executive Vice President–Environment, Health, and Safety, Alcoa received the prestigious Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement from the World Environment Center in recognition of the corporation’s outstanding worldwide environmental policy.

He currently serves as an Operating Advisor at Pegasus Capital Advisors, LP, a private equity fund management firm and serves on the Board of Directors of the MeadWestvaco Corporation, PNC Financial Services Group, and the Lighting Science Group Corporation.

He received two CFO Magazine Excellence Awards in 2000 for Planning Process/Resource Allocation and Performance Measurement and as the Best CFO in Metals and Mining by Institutional Investor magazine.

He currently serves on the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Board of Visitors and has provided generous financial support to the University, including gifts to the Edward F. Mason Scholarship Fund in the School of Law.

James H. McCormick, EdD

James H. McCormick is Chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, comprising 32 institutions operating on 54 campuses and serving 390,000 students. He earned a Master of Education degree in 1961 and a Doctor of Education degree in 1963 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Education.

After beginning his career as a high school teacher, he quickly went on to become a leader in higher education, serving as a professor and administrator at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and President of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. In 1983, he became the founding Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. During his 18 years in that post, he was responsible for the organization, administration, and strategic planning for the 14 public universities, serving 95,000 students and employing 11,700 faculty and staff members at the time.

He is Chair of the State Higher Education Executive Officers, founder and member of the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership, and a member of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Education Council. He received the 2009 Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, was named Chancellor Emeritus by the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and received the Distinguished Friend of Public Higher Education Award from the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties.

He has demonstrated his commitment to the University of Pittsburgh by making generous contributions to the Dr. James Harold McCormick and Dr. Maryan Garner McCormick Cathedral of Learning Preservation Endowment.

 

H. Lee Noble

H. Lee Noble served as Executive Vice President of the Bayer Corporation; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Deerfield Urethane, a Bayer subsidiary; and President of Bayer’s Polymer Division. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences in 1962.

He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fluorous Technologies, Incorporated, which is a provider of proprietary technology for the drug discovery and development community; and as the Chief Executive Officer of Noble Consulting. He is a director of Mobile Aspects and the Society of the Plastics Industry.

Noble has served two terms as the Chairman of the Board of Life’sWork of Western Pennsylvania; founded and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Pittsburgh Project for Employment of Persons with Disabilities, now known as Project for Freedom; and serves on the Boards of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

He is a member of the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees and its Budget, Investment, and Student Affairs Committees and is a member of the Boards of Visitors of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He also has demonstrated his commitment to Pitt by providing generous financial support, including gifts to the H. Lee Noble Scholarship Fund and the Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg University Chair.

 

Hal K. Wrigley, DMD

Hal K. Wrigley has developed innovative solutions in the hand tools, biofuels, and real estate industries. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences in 1965 and a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1967.

He served as a United States Army Captain in Vietnam and was a member of the Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets. He was a demolition expert and intelligence officer and received two Bronze Stars and an Air Medal.

He went on to establish and operate a successful dental practice for 15 years, until his interest in tool design led him to found Applied Concepts, Inc. to develop and manufacture RoboGrip pliers, which became the best-selling hand tool in the history of Sears and received the Top 20 Tools Award from Motor Trend magazine in 1993. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Concepts after it became a subsidiary of Emerson Electric, retiring from that position in 2004. He is currently President of Knightsbridge Biofuels and Ecogy Biofuels and is a partner in Tech 21 Partners, LP, the developer of a multimillion dollar mixed-use development in Marshall Township, Pennsylvania.

He has been a dedicated supporter of the University of Pittsburgh, serving as a member of the Board of Visitors of the School of Dental Medicine, and has provided generous financial support to the School of Dental Medicine, the Bioengineering Development Fund, and The Linda C. Baker and Harold K. Wrigley Engineering Legacy Fund.

University Legacy Laureates

• Robert T. Abraham, 2005
• Gary Amelio, 2007
• Stanley T. Battle, 2005
• Steven C. Beering, 2002
• Stanley J. Behrman, 2000
• Derrick A. Bell Jr., 2006
• David F. Bellet, 2000
• Betsy Benson, 2000
• Bibiana Boerio, 2002
• Ellsworth T. Bowser, 2006
• Doreen E. Boyce, 2004
• Barry M. Brenner, 2008
• Paul Richard Bridges, 2008
• Douglas M. Browning, 2007
• Michael A. Bryson, 2008
• Ralph J. Cappy, 2000
• Yu-Mei Y. Chao, 2008
• Samuel D. Colella, 2002
• James L. Craig, 2000
• Pat Croce, 2000
• John P. Curran, 2002
• Judith M. Davenport, 2005
• George A. Davidson Jr., 2000
  
• Catherine D. DeAngelis, 2000
• Peter M. DeComo, 2005
• Mike Ditka, 2000
• Christopher V. Dodds, 2002
• Herbert P. Douglas Jr., 2000
• Helen S. Faison, 2000
• Mounzer R. Fatfat, 2004
• Norman R. Farnsworth, 2000
• Milton Fine, 2000
• Bernard Fisher, 2000
• Maryann F. Fralic, 2000
• Hilda P. Fu, 2004
• Bobbie Gaunt, 2000
• Brian Generalovich, 2008
• Donald W. Grimm, 2004
• Michael R. Grever, 2006
• C. Scott Harrison, 2002
  
• Frances Hesselbein, 2000
• John B. Hibbs Jr., 2004
• Audrey L. Holland, 2007
• David H. Holtzman, 2004