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May
12 , 2003
La
Salle University Bestows Honorary Degrees to Medical Researcher
Hilary Koprowski, M.D., Ethicist Lisa Cahill, Ph.D.
La
Salle University bestowed honorary degrees on two individuals who
have made significant contributions to their respective fields,
Hilary Koprowski, M.D., and Lisa Cahill, Ph.D.
Koprowski
and Cahill received their honorary degrees at La Salle's commencement,
May 11th, at McCarthy Stadium on the University's campus. Tradition
at La Salle is for a graduating senior to deliver the commencement
address. This year's speaker was Margaret Kane, a communication
major from Fort Washington, PA.
The
2003 graduating class numbered,1,479. Bachelor's degrees were awarded
to 956 graduates, Associates degrees to 29, Master's degrees to
480, and Doctoral degrees to 14.
One
of the world's leading researchers into viruses, Dr. Koprowski's
work has led to the elimination of polio through a vaccine, the
development of the standard vaccine for rabies and a monoclonal
antibody used widely for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Cahill,
a professor at Boston College, has also been president of both the
Catholic Theological Society of America and the Society of Christian
Ethics. On many occasions she has been a theological consultant
to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"It's
been 50 years since the discovery of DNA, and society is still grappling
with the questions of where medical science has taken us and where
it will take us," said Brother Michael McGinniss, President
of La Salle. "As a scientist, Dr. Koprowski has created a foundation
for significant medical breakthroughs, while Professor Cahill, as
a bioethicist, has explored the ethical ramifications of such breakthroughs."
A
native of Poland, Koprowski arrived in the United States in 1944.
For more 35 years he was Director of the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia.
He currently is Head of the Center for Neurovirology at Philadelphia's
Thomas Jefferson University. He has authored more than 800 scientific
publications and is co-editor of several journals. His many awards
include the "Great Order of Merit" by the President of
Poland for his polio research.
Koprowski
was nominated for the doctorate by Brother Daniel Burke, a former
president of La Salle. "He is a world famous scientific researcher,
and his contributions have been incalculable," said Burke.
Cahill
is widely acclaimed as a preeminent contemporary Catholic theologian
and bioethicist. She is currently the J. Donald Monan, S.J., Professor
at Boston College, where she has taught theology since 1976. She
is a past president of both the Catholic Theological Society of
American and the Society of Christian Ethics.
She
was nominated for the doctorate by Geoffrey B. Kelly, a professor
of Religion at La Salle.
"Professor
Cahill has produced a compelling record in the field of ethics,
as she continues to give witness to the moral responsibility that
flows from scientific discovery and genetic possibility," said
Kelly. "She has provided remarkable service to the Church as
an educator, scholar and advisor on the major issues of social ethics
in our time."
La
Salle is a comprehensive, coeducational university established in
1863 by the Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic teaching order.
Today, the university educates approximately 5,500 undergraduate
and graduate students in nearly 60 academic disciplines at its main
campus in northwest Philadelphia and at its Bucks County Center
in Newtown, PA. One of seven Christian Brothers colleges and universities
in America, La Salle is built on a strong tradition of quality education,
service to students and overall excellence.
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