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Phyllis Warkinton, M.D. | Samuel Pirruccello, M.D. |
A total of 131 faculty members, celebrating service milestones of 30, 20, 10 and five years, will be recognized during the Annual Faculty meeting on April 20 at 4 p.m. in the Durham Research Center Auditorium.
Below, two colleagues with 30 years of service share their favorite UNMC memories.
Samuel Pirruccello, M.D., professor, pathology/microbiology
Here are a few of my favorite memories: witnessing the amazing growth and maturation of UNMC in research, clinical care and education since graduating medical school in 1982. Having to use a horse hair and a microscope to clean the flow cell orifice on our original Epics C flow cytometer back in the late 80s. The flow cytometry technologists taping down everything in my office while on vacation one year. The flamingo sanctuary gag and the birth of the flowmingo as the lab mascot. Dr. Rod Markin giving Dr. Sam Cohen a pair of cowboy boots with training wheels at one of the faculty dinners. The department Christmas parties and Sam Cohen’s department baby parties. Resident Ross Miller’s bitingly accurate faculty parodies at the resident farewell dinners. Most importantly, all of the smart, kind, funny and creative people I have had the pleasure to know and work with over the past 30 years at UNMC.
Phyllis Warkentin, M.D., professor, pathology/microbiology, and pediatrics hematology/oncology
My most rewarding memory of years at UNMC is the 2006 meeting of the board of directors of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) in Omaha. The board celebrated its 10th anniversary with the dedication of a bronze plaque at UNMC, which now hangs just outside of The Lied Transplant Center. FACT created the first quality standards and voluntary accreditation program inclusive of clinical medicine. The long-standing support of the university has been important to FACT’s success in accrediting stem cell transplant programs and cord blood banks worldwide, making an important difference in the lives of our patients.
Dr. Pirruccello is such an amazing individual – I don't work directly with him and he still takes time to say hello and chat for a minute whenever he sees me.
Congratulations Dr. Warkentin on 30 years of service at UNMC and 20 years of leadership of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. As a founding board member and Chief Medical Officer, you have been an icon and an invaluable beam of light guiding the organization to its premier international status today. Kudos and looking forward to many more years!