Dr. Cato Laurencin to Receive National Medal of Technology & Innovation

Dr. Cato Laurencin of the University of Connecticut, a world-renowned surgeon-scientist in orthopaedic surgery, engineering, and materials science, is being honored by the U.S., as a recipient of the NationalMedal of Technology and Innovation from the president of the United States. The award is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement that is bestowed by the president on America’s leading innovators.

According to a story published by UConn Today,

“I am excited to be honored by President Barack Obama with this highest award in our land for scientific innovation,” said Laurencin. “I need to thank my family, teachers, mentors, colleagues, and students for inspiring me each and every day. What has been accomplished on this journey is in large part due to them.” Laurencin will receive the medal at the White House (in 2016). This will mark the third time he has received White House honors. He is also the recipient of the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award from President Bill Clinton for his work bridging engineering and medicine, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math, and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama.

At UConn, Dr. Laurencin serves as the eighth University Professor in UConn’s 130-year history. He is professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering; professor of materials science and engineering; and professor of biomedical engineering. He is also the chief executive officer of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS), UConn’s cross-university translational science institute. At UConn Health, he is director of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering; the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery; and director of The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical, and Engineering Sciences. Laurencin is an elected member of both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering.

Edie Canter Reflects on Push for a Women's Studies Program

In the latest installment of its podcasts with Class of 1980 members, the Princeton Alumni Weekly spoke with Edie Canter about the push for a program in Women's Studies. The interview's introduction says, "As undergraduates, Edie Canter ’80 and her friends had many discussions about women’s issues, but rarely in an academic setting. That realization led them to push for a women’s studies program." Canter recalls the organizational efforts:

After a lot of reluctance, the University did respond to some of the advocacy by creating a student-faculty committee to examine whether or not to have women’s studies. They populated the committee on the faculty side, at least in part, with a bunch of faculty members who were known to be in opposition coming into it – either in opposition to women’s studies or generally negative about interdisciplinary programs. It wasn’t completely stacked, but there were definitely people known to have a negative opinion that were on that committee, which meant that it felt to those of us who were advocating for it like a bit of a set-up. Nevertheless, it wasn’t exclusively that, and there was the opportunity for students to have a voice in this committee.

After Princeton, Canter attended law school and practiced commercial litigation before shifting her focus to the nonprofit sector. She is the executive director of the Chicago Debate League and Chicago Debate Commission.