Alumni Stories

Melisa Cooper, M’82, C’78, connects with women in medicine.

Melisa Cooper, C’78, M’82, believes that connecting with women in medicine is the key to personal and professional satisfaction. Her substantial involvement with Penn alumnae and students is an important expression of this belief. Serving as vice president for clinical development at VIA Pharmaceuticals, this nontraditional alumna still finds time to offer professional guidance to colleagues, while remaining remarkably devoted to her family and personal life.

Dr. Cooper graduated from PENN Medicine in 1982, and also received her undergraduate degree from Penn. She has been motivated to remain close to her alma mater saying, “I have contacted Penn women, both medical students and undergraduates heading for careers in health care, and offered them a ‘tool kit’ that explains how to identify and interact with a mentor to achieve positive results.”

As a fourth-year medical student, Dr. Cooper was co-president of her class. Since then, she has served on her class reunion committee and recently spent two years as the chair of the Women in Medicine Committee. The group brings together female medical students, alumnae, faculty and house staff to foster relationships that will help women succeed both personally and professionally. The annual Women in Medicine celebration provides Dr. Cooper with the opportunity to share her interest in life-balance issues and to offer her mentorship. Through her class reunion efforts, Dr. Cooper has remained strongly connected with her classmates. She has also proven her alumni leadership through her generous philanthropic support and through her commitment to the Medical Class of 1982 Scholarship Fund. She was presented with the Alumni Service Award in 2007 in recognition of her extraordinary dedication to PENN Medicine.

One of Dr. Cooper’s own mentors has been Dr. Gail Morrison, vice dean for education and director of the Office of Academic Programs at PENN Medicine. She views Dr. Morrison as a model of how to successfully balance a challenging professional career with raising a family. Dr. Cooper says, “Working moms as well as dads have to be smart enough to integrate complex issues and handle multiple competing priorities, while at the same time inspiring their children to set and reach achievable goals. All of this is accomplished with grace, humor, intelligence and high standards ... before breakfast.”

Dr. Cooper has strong family ties with Penn. Her husband, Dr. Mark Cornfeld, C’78, M’82, is an alumnus of the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine, and her two sons are undergraduates at the University. Witnessing firsthand the educational opportunities available has affirmed her belief in the importance of alumni support and involvement. She says, “Penn is a wonderful place for today’s generation of students to receive their education, and I think it is important for alumni to help facilitate this through their financial support, personal guidance and outreach.”

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Martin Kanovsky, M’78, INT’79, RES’81, FEL’83, helps PENN Med students pursue their passion.

It's easy for Martin S. Kanovsky, M’78, INT’79, RES’81, FEL’83, to explain why he has chosen to remain such a loyal alumnus: “I am grateful for the educational opportunities and cardiology training I received at Penn. This is my way of paying something back to the next generation of medical professionals."

Dr. Kanovsky greatly enjoyed his 30th reunion in May 2008. He serves as the co-chairman of the Medical Alumni Advisory Council (MAAC) and was also co-chair for his reunion committee. “I have enjoyed the chance to visit and talk with so many of my classmates in the past and it was wonderful to have all of us gather on campus to reunite,” he says.

Dr. Kanovsky has been a strong proponent of PENN Medicine. He has generously supported the Medical Class of 1978 Scholarship Fund, and in 2003, established the Rose and Hershel Kanovsky Prize to honor his parents. “I think that we need to encourage medical students to select their desired specialty, without concerns about paying back hundreds of thousands of dollars in educational loans.”  He adds that he enjoys seeing students able to pursue careers based on their passion, and that alumni can play an important role in making this a reality for future physicians. “I hope that my philanthropy might encourage my classmates and other alumni to make gifts to our medical alma mater.”

In recognition of his outstanding level of commitment to PENN Medicine, Dr. Kanovsky was presented with the Alumni Service Award in 2004. He describes his entire experience with PENN Medicine as life-changing, but reflects on one memory in particular saying, “My rotation as the junior intern in the MICU solidified my interest in cardiology. I worked hard during that rotation and was on call every other night. I loved every minute of it.” 

Dr. Kanovsky believes that an education at the School of Medicine is one of the most valuable gifts a person can ever receive, and is committed to continuing to make that a reality for medical students. He says, “I get back more than I give to PENN Med. I only wish that I could give more.”

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Mark Kaufman, M’77, goes global with gift planning.

Serendipity led Mark A. Kaufman, M’77, and his wife, Sarah, to support Global Health Programs.

“My wife and I had reached an age where we were rethinking our estate planning,” Kaufman says. “Our children are grown, and we were thinking about how to give something back.”

Dr. Kaufman is chairman of the board and a general internist with Dean Health System, a for-profit multi-specialty group practice in Madison, Wisconsin. He also serves as chief medical officer of Dean Health Plan. Sarah Kaufman trained as a physician’s assistant. Health-care education naturally landed near the top of their list of ways to contribute.

“I read the PENN Medicine story on Global Health Programs in February, and then a good friend of ours, a nurse, received a Fulbright to go to Africa in January 2007 to work with AIDS patients — she had done this before and was eager to go again,” Kaufman says.

With their interest in global medicine piqued, the Kaufmans contacted Nancy Biller, administrative director of Global Health Programs, for more information. They also investigated other international programs for medical students.

“Penn’s program seemed more mature and institutionalized than the others we looked at,” Dr. Kaufman says, explaining their decision to support his alma mater. He and his wife set up a planned gift that would begin to seed Global Health Programs immediately. “We were impressed that Global Health Programs offer students an opportunity early in their studies that can impact their whole career,” he says. “These experiences can fundamentally change your views of life, of the world, and of medicine.”

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For Darryl Landis, M’89, stethoscopes get to the heart of PENN Medicine.

During the White Coat Ceremony in August 2006, each member of the entering Medical Class of 2010 received a shiny new stethoscope. The gift is practical — after all, stethoscopes are a primary tool in patient care — but also highly symbolic.

“The stethoscope signifies the relationship between medical technology to humanism and the doctor-patient relationship,” says Darryl L. Landis, M’89, who donated the stethoscopes. “It’s also meant as affirmation and an official pat on the back — welcome to medical school!”

Dr. Landis knows the challenges and thrills that lie ahead for the new class; he speaks fondly of his student days at Penn. Since his graduation in 1989, he has consistently acted on the deep loyalty he feels to his alma mater. “I had a great experience at Penn and being an alumnus of such a brilliant top-tier institution has been an absolute asset in my career,” he says.

After graduation, Landis practiced family medicine, but decided he was more interested in the business side of medicine and health care. He is the president of Mustard Seed Ventures, a management firm specializing in health-care ventures. He also volunteers as a member of the Medical Alumni Advisory Council (MAAC), a body focused on bringing new strength and philanthropic support to the School of Medicine. By networking with alumni and urging them to “step up” and support the School, Landis views MAAC as “a way to ensure that the School maintains its level of excellence.”

“I never have a problem asking for money for Penn,” Landis says. “Education and health care are the two most important areas to invest in — and they have an incredibly high rate of social return. By supporting the best medical school, I am investing in the best physicians and clinicians in the country. When I give to Penn, I am ensuring that its status and the good that it does in society continues.”

Landis hopes the students who received his stethoscopes keep the same principles in mind during and after their years of training. “They should never forget the gold standard that the School of Medicine instills in them,” he says, alluding to the special status a Penn degree confers. “The School of Medicine is excellent, therefore they are excellent.”

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Steve Larson, M’88, dedicates his efforts to underserved populations.

As a longtime member of the Penn community, Steven C. R. Larson, M’88, has dedicated much of his career to reaching out to underserved populations locally, nationally and internationally. As the assistant dean for Global Health Programs at PENN Medicine, Dr. Larson oversees multiple projects dedicated to providing these groups with access to essential medical care.

In 1993, Dr. Larson began serving as a volunteer medical consultant for Project Salud, a nurse-practitioner-managed migrant health clinic located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The clinic not only provides the predominantly Mexican local agricultural workers with skilled medical care, but also offers first-year School of Medicine students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the underfunded atmosphere of health care for the disenfranchised.

“Over the 13 years that I worked there, I took perhaps 400 to 450 medical students, nursing students and residents down to Project Salud, principally to introduce them to their collaborative health-care model,” says Dr. Larson. His work with Project Salud inspired him to apply a similar concept through Puentes de Salud, located in South Philadelphia. He established the clinic with Dr. Jack Ludmir in 2004.

As a School of Medicine alumnus, Dr. Larson has a full understanding of the essential tools that an education at Penn instills in its students. As a teacher, he feels that sharing insights into learning and research is one of the most valuable ways in which he can impart his own passion for medicine to his students.

Additionally, he understands the critical role that alumni support and involvement play in the education of PENN Medicine students. He says, “Whether simply serving as a role model or through financial support, alumni have the opportunity to influence the growth and development of each individual student at Penn.” Dr. Larson believes that the University’s unique partnership with its alumni fosters a dynamic atmosphere for education and research, changing the lives of students while reaching out to those in need within the surrounding community.

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For John Mikuta, C’48, M’48, INT’49, RES’54, service is a lifetime achievement.

Professor Emeritus John J. Mikuta epitomizes what it is to take full advantage of the Penn experience. He has explored all that the University has to offer, as an undergraduate (C’48), a medical student (M’48), an intern (INT’49), a resident (RES’54), a practicing clinician and professor, and as a very loyal alumnus. In recognition of his many contributions to the alumni community and his remarkable commitment to PENN Medicine, Dr. Mikuta received the inaugural School of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award in May, 2008 during Medical Alumni Weekend.

Though he has many memories involving Penn, he is particularly fond of his days as a medical student. He says, “There was a lot of pride in being at the oldest medical school in America and it was a great feeling to be a part of that community and to feel like I was a member of a larger family.”

Now retired, Dr. Mikuta is the Franklin Payne emeritus professor of gynecologic oncology. Additionally, he is the former president of the emeritus faculty committee and has been recognized by the department of obstetrics and gynecology through the creation of the John J. Mikuta, M.D., Award for Professionalism in Women’s Health. Dr. Mikuta is recognized universally by his peers as the father of gynecologic oncology. He has been involved in numerous professional societies, and was a founding member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, established in 1970. He went on to serve as the group’s president in 1973. Dr. Mikuta has also been a devoted member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and remains active in several other professional societies.

As one of PENN Medicine’s most dedicated and loyal alumni, he has supported the Medical Class of 1948 Scholarship Fund and the John J. Mikuta, M.D., Endowed Scholarship Fund. “When you look at the quality of education that you get at the School of Medicine, it’s amazing,” says Dr. Mikuta. “I want to do whatever I can to ensure that students have access to the same high caliber education that I received.” 

A 1994 recipient of the PENN Medicine Alumni Service Award, his current volunteer activities include serving on the Medical Alumni Advisory Council (MAAC) and on his 60th reunion committee. Dr. Mikuta is also a longtime class agent, and continually involves himself in alumni relations and calling programs. He regularly reaches out to alumni from his class, as well as to those from classes who do not have representatives, to try to increase their involvement with the School. He says, “Alumni participation is so important because that connection can inspire today’s medical students. Alumni make a huge difference in the lives of students by serving as role models and mentors.”

Dr. Mikuta attributes his own involvement to fellow alumnus Harry Fields (M’36, INT’40). He says Dr. Fields pioneered the idea of keeping alumni connected, and together they worked toward creating the kind of alumni program that exists today at PENN Medicine. Of the current alumni community Dr. Mikuta says, “I think the heart and soul of the School of Medicine is the alumni.”

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Nobel Prize winner Stanley Prusiner, M’68, places his confidence in Penn.

“Winning the Nobel Prize was an amazing honor, absolutely surreal and humbling,” says Stanley B. Prusiner, C’64, M’68, HON’98, one of the School of Medicine’s three Nobel Prize winners.

Dr. Prusiner received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1997 for his discovery of prions — protein particles in the human and animal brain. Prions are responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases such as mad cow disease and its human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Dr. Prusiner credits his success to the power of perseverance.

Dr. Prusiner remains close with his alma mater, and in the spring of 2008 celebrated his 40th class reunion. He shared his story with those who attended Medical Alumni Weekend in May, including many of his M’68 classmates. Dr. Prusiner presented “From Penn to the Nobel Prize,” illustrating how the University gave him the foundation necessary to pursue his dreams in the medical sciences. “Having received both my undergraduate and medical degrees from the University, I have many memories from my time there that have stayed with me throughout my life. I enjoyed my entire educational experience and owe much of my success to my education at Penn. I want to give back in any way possible.”

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Dr. Prusiner was also recognized with the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1994 and PENN Medicine’s Distinguished Graduate Award in 1991.

Exhibiting his unparalleled confidence in the organization, Dr. Prusiner believes PENN Medicine will lead the way in medical research well into the future. He says, “Penn has always been at the leading edge of both research and teaching, and it is because of this that I believe that PENN Medicine will continue to play a direct role in many of the medical world’s most exciting new developments.”

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Rhoda Rosen, M’58, helps shape the future through her support.

May 2008 marked the 50th reunion of Dr. Rhoda Rosen’s graduation class. She was quick to express her excitement over returning to campus to celebrate this milestone with her peers. “I found my 50th reunion for my undergraduate class with the College for Women at the School of Arts and Sciences to be extremely memorable. In fact, the alumni procession at graduation actually moved me to tears. I could not wait for my reunion with PENN Medicine and looked forward to having a similar, if not even more remarkable, experience.”

With a long list of alumni volunteer activities and involvement to her credit, Dr. Rosen, CW’54, M’58, was recognized at Medical Alumni Weekend as one of the 2008 recipients of the Alumni Service Award. The award is given annually to two alumni who exhibit a stellar commitment to the School of Medicine’s alumni relations programs and development efforts. “I was shocked to have been selected but am truly honored,” says Dr. Rosen. “This is a wonderful form of recognition and I am thrilled to have been involved with PENN Medicine for so many years.”

Dr. Rosen says that Dr. Elizabeth Kirk Rose, a pioneer female physician and founder of the Women in Medicine Celebration more than 45 years ago, played a critical role in her Penn experience. “Dr. Rose got the women in the medical school together and provided an example for female doctors who were able to have a life and family, and still practice. It was an eye-opener for me.” 
  
As a retired physician and associate professor with Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Dr. Rosen now spends much of her time dedicating herself to PENN Medicine and to the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), from which she received her B.A. through the College for Women in 1954. At SAS, Dr. Rosen serves as a member of the Class of 1954 Gift Committee. She has also been a PENN Medicine class agent for several decades. She believes that encouraging her classmates to remain involved with Penn is critical to the future of the University and says, “We want to have some participation as graduates in the directions that the School is taking, and being hands-on gives us the opportunity to do exactly this, to shape future development.”

Dr. Rosen has been a regular philanthropic supporter of both PENN Medicine and the University. For her, the significance of alumni giving cannot be understated. “My education was made possible through scholarships that I received from the City of Philadelphia and elsewhere. It is because of this that I feel very strongly that making contributions to support students and the School is an important way for alumni to show appreciation for what they have received,” she says.

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