Dr. James A. Vosswinkel Named First Endowed Professor of Trauma Surgery
Investiture Ceremony honors the physician and trauma team’s care of patient Lillian Schneider
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Dr. James A. Vosswinkel, second from left, was honored as the inaugural Lilian and Leonard Schneider Endowed Professor in Trauma Surgery at an investiture ceremony. From left: Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, Senior VP of Health Sciences and Dean of the School Medicine; Lilian Schneider; and Stony Brook University President Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr. |
Stony Brook, NY, September 14, 2017 – James A. Vosswinkel, MD, Chief of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, and Medical Director of the Stony Brook Trauma Center and Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Stony Brook Medicine, was named the inaugural Lillian and Leonard Schneider Endowed Professor in Trauma Surgery at a Stony Brook University investiture ceremony on September 7, 2017.
The new endowed professorship position was created by Mrs. Lillian Schneider in memory of her late husband Leonard Schneider and in grateful recognition of the care she received from Dr. Vosswinkel. In 2016, Schneider was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital’s emergency department after a serious automobile accident in Montauk.
“Chairs and professorships are one of the most prestigious and permanent investments that can be made at any university,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD, “They are considered the hallmark of a great institution and give the University a competitive edge in recruiting and retaining hard-to-find specialists.”
Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, Senior Vice President of Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine, said the endowed professorship is a fitting commendation of Dr. Vosswinkel’s leadership in trauma and surgical critical care.
“When I think of Dr. James Vosswinkel,” said Kaushansky, “one word comes to mind: dedication. He embodies energetic, driven leadership in the relentless pursuit of a world-class trauma system for Suffolk County.”
During the ceremony, Dr. Vosswinkel acknowledged the trauma leadership team at Stony Brook Medicine and expressed his gratitude to Lillian Schneider and her family. He said that due to the Schneiders’ generosity, the research efforts designed to further advance trauma care at Stony Brook will continue in perpetuity.
“The professorship will have a profound effect on advancing our mission,” said Dr. Vosswinkel, “including programs training EMT volunteers, lifesaving hemorrhage control training in public school districts and other community outreach programs.”
Dexter A. Bailey Jr., senior vice president for University Advancement, said Lillian Schneider represents the best of those who support Stony Brook: friends who share in the University’s core values, believe in its purpose and are inspired by its potential.
“Thanks to Lillian Schneider, Stony Brook will continue to attract the very best in trauma medicine faculty,” he said.
There are currently 45 endowed faculty across the campus of Stony Brook University. One of the goals of the University’s $600 million Campaign for Stony Brook is to create a total of 100 endowed faculty positions by June 30, 2018.
For more information, see this link about endowed faculty positions at Stony Brook.
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About Stony Brook Medicine
Stony Brook Medicine elevates all of Stony Brook University’s health-related initiatives: education, research and patient care. It includes six Health Sciences schools — Dental Medicine, Health Technology and Management, Medicine, Nursing, Social Welfare and Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences — as well as Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and more than 90 community-based healthcare settings throughout Suffolk County. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookmedicine.edu.
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become a flagship as one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with more than 26,000 students and 2,600 faculty members, and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S. News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 50 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University is a driving force in the region’s economy, generating nearly 60,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of more than $4.6 billion. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.