WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – African-American alumni of Wake Forest University School of Medicine have raised money to fund a minority scholarship at their alma mater.
“The Gordon-Watts Scholarship Fund will provide financial aid to medical students who help achieve and sustain the diversity of the student body,” said Brenda Latham-Sadler, M.D., assistant dean for student services and director of diversity and development initiatives at the School of Medicine. “The scholarships will be awarded based on financial need, academic ability, demonstrated leadership and special talents in accordance with the fund’s established policies and procedures.”
The scholarship is named for Joseph Gordon, M.D., the first director of minority affairs at the School of Medicine and Velma G. Watts, Ph.D., who retired in 2000 as associate dean for student affairs and director of minority affairs at the medical school.
The scholarship fund initiative was led by Ira Q. Smith, M.D., class of 1979, Haywood L. Brown, M.D., class of 1978, Latham-Sadler, class of 1982 and Kiara S. Eily, M.D., class of 1991, in conjunction with the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
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Media Contacts: Jim Steele, jsteele@wfubmc.edu, or Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, at (336) 716-4587.
About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. U.S. News & World Report ranks Wake Forest University School of Medicine 30th in primary care, 41st in research and 14th in geriatrics training among the nation's medical schools. It ranks 36th in research funding by the National Institutes of Health. More than 100 medical school faculty are listed in Best Doctors in America.