The Thomas Jefferson Award, the University's most prestigious recognition, was awarded to Law Prof. Richard Bonnie during Friday's Fall Convocation.
One of Bonnie's greatest successes stems from his ability to work at the forefront of different fields bridging the gap between them, according to Jahan Ramazani, Thomas Jefferson Award Committee chair.
In his speech at the ceremony, President John T. Casteen, III specifically noted how Bonnie had bridged the two fields of law and medicine through his work.
"Bonnie has formed new insights and crossed new boundaries," Casteen said.
According to Ramazani, Bonnie has excelled on the local, national and global level. At the University, he is the director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry & Public Policy. Nationally, Bonnie has testified before Congress on the subjects of death and dying and abuse of the elderly, and he has helped to develop the present definition of the insanity defense. Globally, Bonnie worked with Eastern European legislators to develop legislation to stop the political abuse of psychiatry in the former Soviet Union.
"All of Richard Bonnie's projects have been to better serve the interest of society," Casteen said, noting that the committee chooses the recipient whom they consider to be the University's most distinguished scholar.
The Thomas Jefferson Award Committee, which consists of 10 faculty members, including the chief student affairs officer, and three student members, chose Bonnie only a few short weeks before Fall Convocation. "We allow just enough time to write the citation, frame it and prepare for the ceremony," Ramazani said, noting that the process of choosing a recipient is not an easy one. "We received many nominations for outstanding individuals to whom we would have been proud to give the award."
In selecting a winner, each college nominates its own candidate, and the committee reviews nominations as well as letters of support before deliberating and choosing a candidate, Ramazani said.
In the end, the committee chose to highlight Bonnie's achievements.
"Bonnie has an enormous humility, graciousness, sympathy, generosity and the determination to get things done," Ramazani said.
According to Bonnie, "it is a genuine honor to be chosen, and I cannot imagine a higher honor."
For Bonnie, the real achievement is carrying on the legacy of former recipients of the award.
"I am in rare company," he added.
The law professor and mental health expert is now working on a program of mental health reform to address mental health services.
"I am hoping for some significant change, especially in light of the Tech tragedy," he said.
Bonnie also is working to help the elderly in nursing homes be able to vote.
"We have an aging population and more people with disabilities, but they are overlooked when it comes time to vote," he said, suggesting mobilized voting as a possible solution.
According to Ramazani, the most outstanding quality Bonnie possesses is his ability to serve as a lawyer and medical expert and to be present at the forefront of public policy change at the same time.
"He can wear all three hats at the same time, and that is highly unusual," Ramazani said. "Bonnie is truly a mover and a shaker"
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