Distinguished Alumnus Award
About the Award
The annual Distinguished Alumnus Award & Lecture is sponsored by the MD Anderson Alumni Association and was established in 1980 to recognize a prominent alumnus who has made distinguished contributions to his or her respective field. The recipient of this award is selected from nominations received by the Alumni Association. Candidates must have trained at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, F.A.C.S.
MD Anderson Distinguished Alumnus for 2019
Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, a distinguished scholar, researcher and surgeon was appointed the 17th president of Howard University in Washington D.C., where he previously served as provost and chief academic officer.
Dr. Frederick graduated high school when he was just 14 years old and was accepted into Howard University's B.S./M.D. dual degree program at age 16. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and medical degree at age 22.
After graduation, Dr. Frederick came to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and completed his postdoctoral research and surgical oncology fellowships.
Dr. Frederick then served as associate director of the University of Connecticut's cancer center before returning to Howard University, where he continues to operate the university's College of Medicine and lecture second-year medical students. His medical research seeks to narrow the disparity in all cancer-care outcomes, with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers.
In May 2016, President Barack H. Obama appointed Dr. Frederick to the Board of Advisors for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Dr. Frederick also received the National Association of Health Services Executives' Congressional Black Caucus Distinguished Leadership in Health Care Award and a Congressional Citation for Distinguished Service. In April 2016, Dr. Frederick became a member of the American Surgical Association, which is known as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious surgical organization."
2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award & Lecture
