The Office of Diversity and Compliance hosted its annual “I am the Dream” awards ceremony on Feb. 26, held in honor of the lives and legacies of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and of William M. King, DO ’62, who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his patients and the larger Philadelphia Community.
Regina Benjamin, MD, the 18th U.S. surgeon general, served as the keynote speaker at the ceremony, which recognized students, faculty and alumni who have made a positive impact on the lives of others, and have demonstrated excellence in their own personal and professional lives. This year’s honorees were:
Barbara Williams-Page, DO ’92—winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award
Judith A. Lightfoot, DO ’92, FACOI—winner of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award
Yuma Tomes, PhD—winner of the Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award
J. Steven Blake, DO '89, MSc.—winner of the William M. King, DO Award
Olivia Menardy (DO ’16), Jameel Shareef, (DO ’16) and Michael Stefanowicz (DO ’16)—winners of the Student of Merit awards
Israel Benjamin (DO ’19)—winner of the 2016 William M. King, DO Endowed Minority Scholarship
Mr. Benjamin was the inaugural recipient of that scholarship, which goes to benefit African-American osteopathic medical students who hail from the Philadelphia area. That scholarship was established through funds given to the College by the William M. King Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit that supports organizations, programs and causes that seek to enrich the quality of life for African-Americans and other underserved audiences.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Benjamin met with students to discuss leadership roles in the changing field of healthcare. “For us to become a healthier nation, it’s going to require leadership,” she said. “That leadership starts right here in this room.”
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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