The University of California, Davis, is pleased to announce this year鈥檚 recipients of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medal, the highest honor the university bestows on individuals.
Michael W. Chapman, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis alumnus and chairman emeritus of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medical Center; John and Lois Crowe, pioneering scientists and philanthropists; and Gurdev Khush, professor emeritus of plant sciences, will all be recognized for their extraordinary personal achievements and contributions to the ideals of higher education on which 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis was founded.
First presented in 2002, the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medal recognizes individuals of rare accomplishment 鈥渢o be heralded today and in perpetuity鈥 as special members of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis community. Past honorees include such well-known individuals as former President Bill Clinton, artist Wayne Thiebaud, and Robert and Margrit Mondavi.
He wrote the book on orthopaedic surgery
Michael Chapman, considered one of the founders of modern trauma surgery, is the first medical doctor to be honored with the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medal. Chapman鈥檚 groundbreaking work earned the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medical Center鈥檚 trauma service an international reputation. The Michael W. Chapman Emergency and Trauma Center, which includes the region鈥檚 only Level I trauma center for adults and children, is named in his honor.
Chapman is an alumnus of American River College and 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis. He received his M.D. degree from the University of California, San Francisco. His research career focused on the treatment of trauma and the use of bone-graft substitutes for bone loss. He holds eight U.S. patents, and has authored 169 publications including the four-volume Chapman鈥檚 Orthopaedic Surgery, considered a definitive text on orthopaedic surgery.
While chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis and a leader on the trauma team, he improved recovery times and outcomes for thousands of patients with severe fractures.
Since retiring in 2000, Chapman has been a strong philanthropic leader for 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis and has served as chair of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Foundation. Despite having won numerous national awards in his field, Chapman said being honored with the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medal is especially significant.
鈥溞掳拿帕喜誓谀恍畔 Davis is dear to my heart,鈥 said Chapman. 鈥淭his award is very special to me, in that it recognizes work outside of my professional field. That kind of peer recognition from people who are not surgeons is especially meaningful.鈥
Curiosity-driven research changed world of medicine
John and Lois Crowe worked as a research team and were instrumental in helping 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis become one of the top rated biological science programs in the nation.
John is professor emeritus of molecular and cellular biology in the College of Biological Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. from University of California, Riverside. Lois received her Ph.D. from 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis and was a biophysicist in the Departments of Zoology and Molecular and Cellular Biology before retiring.
The two are known for their pioneering work toward understanding how some organisms survive extreme drying. Their discoveries about how these organisms use a simple sugar called trehalose to preserve their integrity in the dry state led to inventions that are in widespread use in pharmacy, medicine and agriculture. For example, their work has enabled the drying of fragile drugs, human cells, foods and plants. Human platelets can be stored dry, improving their storage life from just five days to at least two years.
鈥淭hey are a faculty member and an alumna of 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis whose accomplishments in research have brought international acclaim to the university and whose inventions have had a major impact on society,鈥 said Mark Winey, dean of the College of Biological Sciences.
The Crowes have also made substantial volunteer and philanthropic contributions to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis. Both are founding members of the Davis Chancellor鈥檚 Club and the Mondavi Center Volunteer Advisory Board. Lois was also a 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Foundation trustee from 2009 to 2015.
Agronomist and geneticist helped prevent famine
Gurdev Khush is perhaps best known for his work with the International Rice Research Institute, where he spearheaded the program for developing high-yielding and disease- and insect-resistant varieties of rice.
Khush graduated from Punjab Agricultural University in India and earned his Ph.D. from 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis. During his 35-year career at IRRI, he helped develop more than 300 innovative rice strains, including IR36. That strain, released in 1976, became the most widely planted food crop the world has known.
Owing in large part to Khush鈥檚 contribution, world rice production increased from 257 million tons in 1966 to 718 million tons in 2011. Khush is considered one of the heroes of the Green Revolution. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the 1996 World Food Prize.
Khush has been honored with virtually all of the top international agricultural prizes, but he said receiving the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medal means a great deal.
鈥淚t means so much,鈥 said Khush. 鈥淚 could not have accomplished what I have without the training I received at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.鈥
新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Chancellor Gary S. May will present the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Medal to recipients during a gala on June 8 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Sacramento.
Media Resources
Kimberly Hale, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis News and Media Relations, 530-752-9838, klhale@ucdavis.edu
Amy Quinton, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis News and Media Relations, 530-752-9843, amquinton@ucdavis.edu