The University honored former School of Medicine Dean Robert M. Carey with the Thomas Jefferson Award during Fall Convocation Friday.
The highest honor given to a member of a University community, the Thomas Jefferson Award recognizes an individual who represents the principles and ideals of Mr. Jefferson through personal character and contributions to the University.
"This award is the most prestigious or prominent award given to members of the University," President John T. Casteen, III said.
Carey served as School of Medicine dean for 16 years, from 1986 to 2002, a period of major growth for the Medical School. During his tenure, Carey initiated the construction of four new research buildings, founded 16 interdisciplinary centers and increased the national ranking of the Medical School in research.
"I would say that we brought the basic medical sciences up to a very high level," Carey said. "We brought the clinical sciences up as well. [The] quality of the faculty and the programs were advanced during my term in the dean's office."
Faculty in the Division of Endocrinology and the University at large expressed respect for Carey's work and character.
"He's been a wonderful dean," colleague Jon T. Saunders said. "He did great things for the medical school and has made many research contributions as well, in the area of blood pressure research. He certainly richly deserves the award."
Marcia Childress, Medical Education professor and co-director of the Program of Humanities in Medicine, worked with Carey throughout his term as dean.
"He cared immensely about the School of Medicine," Childress said. "While he was dean, the study of ethics was introduced and the program of humanities and medicine was introduced. Beyond that, he's just a wonderful human being with great integrity and a real love of the work that he does, as a scientist, as a physician and as a dean."
After stepping down as one of the country's longest serving medical school deans last year, Carey has stayed on as a member of the faculty.
Currently, his work focuses on the hormonal control of blood pressure and hypertension, which affects 25 percent of the population. He is conducting research, teaching and treating patients.
In continuing his passion for research, Carey said he hopes to establish a center for hypertension in the future.
Carey said he was blessed and very fortunate to be able to lead the effort to expand and integrate the programs of the Medical School into the larger University community, for which the award largely recognized him.
"It's a huge honor for me, and I think that the work was the product of many people," Carey said. "And these would include faculty, administrators, students and alumni of university."
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