University of Pittsburgh Names 12 New Legacy Laureates

University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg honored Pitt’s 2009 Legacy Laureates during an Oct. 22 dinner that was part of Pitt’s Homecoming events. Standing (from left) are Nordenberg, Wen-Ta Chiu, John A. Jurenko, Hal K. Wrigley, H. Lee Noble, and Richard B. Kelson. Seated (from left) are Frank B. Fuhrer Jr., Theresa A. Guise, Margaret Grey, Charles I. Berlin, James H. McCormick, and Christine L. Borgman. Anthony N. Civello is not pictured.

The University of Pittsburgh has named 12 new Legacy Laureates, alumni recognized for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments. The laureates were honored during Pitt’s Oct. 22-25 Homecoming festivities.

The Pitt Legacy Laureates program was launched in 2000. Following are brief biographies of this year’s honorees.

Charles I. Berlin

Charles I. Berlin, renowned for identifying the Mengel-Konigsmark-Berlin-McKusick syndrome of conductive hearing loss and malformed low-set ears, received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences in 1958.

Berlin is a professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of South Florida and an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, where he served as the Kenneth and Frances Barnes Bullington Professor of Hearing Science and the director of the Kresge Hearing Research Laboratory. The lab has been cited as “one of the best places in the United States to be treated for hearing problems.”

Contributions totaling $1 million from grateful patients, colleagues, and friends allowed Louisiana State University to endow the Dr. Charles I. Berlin Chair in Genetic and Molecular Hearing Science.

Among Berlin’s other numerous awards and honors are the 2000 Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Otolaryngology’s Presidential Citation, that organization’s highest award for teaching, research, and science.

A member of Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Board of Visitors, Berlin has served in multiple advisory and governance roles for many professional organizations. He has authored or coauthored 12 books and numerous scholarly publications.

Christine L. Borgman

Christine L. Borgman is an internationally recognized scholar in information science specializing in digital libraries, information retrieval, information policy, infrastructure, learning and cyberlearning, and human-computer interaction. She is professor and Presidential Chair of information studies at the UCLA; she received her master’s degree in library and information science from Pitt’s School of Information Sciences (iSchool) in 1974.

Borgman is the author of more than 150 books, book chapters, and publications. Her books Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet (MIT Press, 2007) and From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure: Access to Information in the Networked World (MIT Press, 2000) won the Best Information Science Book Award from the American Society for Information Science and Technology in 2008 and 2001, respectively.

Borgman is an American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow who has served as a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford Internet Institute and as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest and Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. She also has received the Pitt iSchool Distinguished Alumni Award and, from the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Society for Information Science, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Information Science.

Wen-Ta Chiu

Wen-Ta Chiu is a highly distinguished neurosurgeon, medical researcher, academic leader, and public health advocate in Taiwan. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in public health from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health in 1987 and 1989, respectively.

As president of Taipei Medical University, Chiu has led the successful growth of a world-class medical university and hospital system, including doubling the size of the hospital system to 3,000 beds, while serving as superintendent of Shuang Ho Hospital and as a professor in the College of Medicine and College of Public Health and Nutrition. At the university, he also has served as superintendent of Wan Fang Hospital, chief of neurosurgery, director of the Biomedical Informatics Center, and dean of the School of Public Health.

Widely regarded for his accomplishments as a head injury researcher, Chiu developed the world’s largest head injury registry and promoted the adoption of helmet laws, which dramatically reduced the rate of motorcycle-related deaths in Taiwan.

Chiu has devoted himself to public service and public health practices in Taiwan as a primary investigator for the Center for Health Policy Research and Development of the National Health Research Institutes and as a consultant for the Department of Health. He has made significant leadership contributions in public health as president of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, the Academy for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology, and the Taiwan Neurotrauma Society; and as president-elect of the Asia Oceania Neurotrauma Society.

Chiu’s leadership in public health has garnered him many awards, including a Contribution Award from the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health in 2007.

Anthony N. Civello

Anthony N. Civello, chair, president, and CEO of Kerr Drug, received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 1967.

Civello forged a distinguished career as a retail pharmacy executive, pioneering the concept that the community pharmacy should be a center of comprehensive health and wellness services. Beginning his career with the Pittsburgh-based Thrift Drug Store and rising to become president of stores, he also served as a member of the board of directors.

At Kerr Drug, Civello led the company to become one of the nation’s leading regional pharmacy chains, with more than 90 stores in North Carolina. Kerr Drug was recognized by the National Medication Therapy Management Firm as a Top Chain Pharmacy in 2007 and 2008 and received the 2006 Pinnacle Award, the highest honor awarded by the American Pharmacists Association. Civello’s honors include the Health Care Hero award from the Triangle Business Journal and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992 from Pitt’s School of Pharmacy.

Civello served as chair of the board of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and chair of the board of directors of the Chain Drug Consortium, which he established in 1997. He also has served in leadership positions at the American Pharmacists Association.

As a member of the School of Pharmacy Board of Visitors and Pitt’s Alumni Association, Civello established the Joseph N. Civello Student Award in Pharmacy.

Frank B. Fuhrer Jr.

Frank B. Fuhrer Jr., founder and chair of one of the largest beverage wholesalers in the United States—the Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale Company—earned his master’s degree in Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business in 1951.

A sports enthusiast and former athlete, Fuhrer owned the Pittsburgh Triangles professional tennis team from 1974 to 1976 and the Pittsburgh Spirit indoor soccer team from 1979 to 1981. He also founded the Pittsburgh Family House Invitational Golf Tournament and sponsors the Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational and a golf team for the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association.

Fuhrer previously owned and directed Fuhrer Clothing Store, which was established by his father; Ridgway Chemicals, Inc.; Columbia Lincoln-Mercury; Frank Fuhrer International, Inc.; and TriState Capital Bank.

Fuhrer has demonstrated his commitment to the community by providing philanthropic support for many Pittsburgh institutions, including an extraordinary gift that resulted in the naming of the Frank B. Fuhrer Magnetic Resonance Wing at UPMC Shadyside and generous gifts to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Junior Achievement, and the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

Fuhrer has provided generous financial support to a number of Pitt initiatives, including the Frank B. Fuhrer Sr. Conference Room in the Katz School, the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Lessons in Success Program, and the Duratz Athletic Complex.

Margaret Grey

Margaret Grey has made significant contributions to the prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes, and her work with affected families to develop behavioral approaches has improved the lives of countless children with diabetes.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from Pitt’s School of Nursing in 1970, Grey eventually went on to hold academic appointments at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Yale University. She currently serves as the dean of the Yale University School of Nursing, Annie Goodrich Professor of Nursing, and founding director of Yale’s Center for Self and Family Management of Vulnerable Populations.

Grey has been principal investigator for a number of well-funded research studies and has had a major impact on the study of the management of chronic illnesses. She has served in leadership positions with the American Medical Association, American Diabetes Association, and National Institutes of Health.

Grey is an elected fellow and member of a number of organizations, including the Institute of Medicine, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and American Academy of Nursing. Her many honors include the Outstanding Nurse Scientist Award from The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science in recognition of the impact her research has made on health care and nursing practice and the 1999 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing,

Theresa A. Guise

An expert on metabolic bone diseases, Theresa A. Guise has made significant contributions to the understanding of these diseases, with an emphasis on skeletal complications of malignancy and the effect of cancer treatments on bone.

Guise earned her medical degree at the Pitt School of Medicine in 1985 and is currently a Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Jerry and Peg Throgmartin Professor of Oncology at that university’s Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.

Guise has been a member of the endocrinology faculty of the University of Texas Health Science Center, where she held the Zachry Chair for Translational Research at the Institute for Drug Development of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. At the University of Virginia, she was the Gerald D. Aurbach Professor of Endocrinology, the director of the Clinic for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases, and a Mellon Investigator at the University of Virginia Cancer Center. She was the principal investigator for a number of clinical trials in the study of endocrine disease.

Guise has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Fuller Albright Award and the International Bone and Calcium Institute Outstanding Investigator Award.

John A. Jurenko

John A. Jurenko earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering in 1956. After three decades in the electronics and telecommunications industry, he cofounded a Huntsville, Ala., start-up company in 1986 called ADTRAN, which designs and produces high-speed data communications products. With Jurenko as vice president of sales and marketing, ADTRAN grew from a company with no sales and a staff of seven to having $250 million in sales and 1,000 employees by 1997. Jurenko retired from ADTRAN that year but still consults and directs several telecommunications companies.

Jurenko is a longtime member of the Swanson School’s Board of Visitors. He received the school’s Distinguished Alumni award in 2007 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the electrical engineering department in 1999. His support has created an engineering scholarship, graduate fellowship in electrical and computer engineering, and the John A. Jurenko Computer Architecture Laboratory. He recently funded the creation of John A. Jurenko RFID Electricity and Magnetism Characterization Laboratory, which is one of three testing laboratories in the school’s RFID Center of Excellence.

Jurenko has demonstrated his commitment to community by providing philanthropic support for many arts and social services institutions, including the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Museum of Art.

In 2004, Jurenko was inducted into Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning Society, which recognizes individuals whose lifetime support to the University exceeds $1 million.

Richard B. Kelson

Richard B. Kelson, retired executive vice president and chief financial officer for Alcoa, Inc., received a Juris Doctor degree from Pitt’s law school in 1972.

Kelson forged a highly distinguished career at Alcoa, serving in a number of leadership roles during his 30-year career, including as a member of the Executive Council. He also served as Alcoa’s executive vice president-environment, health, and safety, and, under his leadership, Alcoa received the prestigious Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement from the World Environment Center.

Among Kelson’s many accomplishments at Alcoa were undertaking two successful billion-dollar cost-savings programs; creating a top-notch finance team; transforming its shared-services organization; improving environmental, health, and safety performance; and overseeing numerous mergers and acquisitions.

Kelson also serves as an operating advisor at Pegasus Capital Advisors, LP, a private equity fund management firm, and on the boards of directors of the MeadWestvaco Corporation, PNC Financial Services Group, and the Lighting Science Group Corporation.

Recognized for his exceptional leadership capabilities, Kelson won two CFO Magazine Excellence Awards in 2000 for Planning Process/Resource Allocation and for Performance Measurement and was honored with the Best CFO in Metals and Mining award from Institutional Investor magazine.

A member of Pitt’s School of Law Board of Visitors, Kelson provides generous financial support to the University, including gifts to the Edward F. Mason Scholarship Fund in the law school.

James H. McCormick

James H. McCormick is chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, comprising 32 institutions operating on 54 campuses and serving 390,000 students. He received the Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees, in 1961 and 1963 respectively, from Pitt’s School of Education.

After beginning his career as a high school teacher, he quickly went on to become a leader in higher education, serving as a professor and administrator at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and president of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. In 1983, he became the founding chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. During his 18 years in that post, he was responsible for the organization, administration, and strategic planning for the 14 public universities, serving 95,000 students and employing 11,700 faculty and staff members at the time.

McCormick is chair of the State Higher Education Executive Officers, founder and member of the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership, and a member of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Education Council. He received the 2009 Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, was named Chancellor Emeritus by the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and received the Distinguished Friend of Public Higher Education Award from the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties.

McCormick has demonstrated his commitment to the University by making generous contributions to the Dr. James Harold McCormick and Dr. Maryan Garner McCormick Cathedral of Learning Preservation Endowment.

H. Lee Noble

H. Lee Noble, recently retired as executive vice president of the Bayer Corporation, earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences in 1962. At Bayer, Noble served as board chair for Deerfield Urethane, a Bayer subsidiary, and president of the Bayer Polymer Division, where he doubled sales to $2 billion, completed four major acquisitions, and oversaw capital projects of more than $1.2 billion.

Noble currently serves as chair of the board of directors for Fluorous Technologies, Inc., a provider of proprietary technology for the drug discovery and development industry, and as the chief executive officer of Noble Consulting, which specializes in strategic planning, the financing of start-up companies, and mergers and acquisitions.

Noble has helped lead a number of community organizations, including service as chair of Life’sWork of Western Pennsylvania; founder and chair of the board of the Pittsburgh Project for Employment of Persons with Disabilities, now known as Project for Freedom; and a member of several boards of directors.

Noble has supported Pitt in a variety of ways, including service as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and of the board’s budget, investment, and student affairs committees. He also is a member of the Boards of Visitors of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He has provided extensive financial support to the University, including gifts to the H. Lee Noble Scholarship Fund and the Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg University Chair.

Hal K. Wrigley

Hal K. Wrigley, who has had a remarkable and varied career as a dentist and an entrepreneur, earned his bachelor’s and Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees at Pitt in 1965 and 1967, respectively.

After completing his studies at Pitt, he served as a U.S. Army captain in the Vietnam War and as a member of the Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets; he received two Bronze Stars and an Air Medal. Following his military service, he led a successful dental practice for 15 years.

Interested in tool design, he founded Applied Concepts, Inc., to develop and manufacture the RoboGrip pliers. This tool became the bestselling hand tool in the history of Sears and received the Top 20 Tools Award from Motor Trend magazine in 1993. He continued to serve as president and CEO of Applied Concepts when it became a subsidiary of Emerson Electric, retiring from that position in 2004.

Today, Wrigley’s business ventures include service as president of Knightsbridge Biofuels and Ecogy Biofuels, where he oversees research and development, and as a partner in Tech 21 Partners, LP, the developer of a multimillion-dollar mixed-use development in Marshall Township, Pa.

Wrigley is a dedicated supporter of the University, providing generous financial support to the School of Dental Medicine, the Bioengineering Development Fund, and The Linda C. Baker and Harold K. Wrigley Legacy Fund and serving on the dental school Board of Visitors.