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Honors & Other
Things
MLK
Community Involvement Awards
As
part of the eighth annual Interfaith
Commemoration of the Life of the Reverend
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., two Campus
Awards, two Community Service Awards,
and a Special Recognition Award were
announced at the ceremony on January
23.
Campus
Honorees
Dr.
Steven Larson has been a
full-time faculty member in the
Department of Emergency Medicine
at HUP since 1992. His dedication
and commitment to the medically
underserved in both the local
community and abroad exemplify
Dr. King's spirit of service
to others. Since the beginning
of his medical training, Dr.
Larson has devoted himself to
improving the health of migrant
Mexican farm workers who labor
in the mushroom fields in Kennett
Square, PA. He was instrumental
in founding Project Salud, a
free clinic for the farm workers
and their families. Besides providing
medical care, Dr. Larson has
also helped his patients negotiate
the complexities of the American
health care system, working with
HUP administration to arrange
no-cost hospitalizations and
therapies. He also created a
patient assistance fund to help
those who cannot afford the cost
of health care.
Besides
his work in the region, Dr. Larson
has devoted vacation time to working
in clinics in El Salvador, Ecuador
and Honduras. He has developed opportunities
for medical students to do elective
clinical rotations in community clinics
and hospitals in Central and South
America.
Aviva
Moster is a senior in the
College of Arts at Sciences.
Her work with diverse organizations
and people inside and beyond
the Penn community demonstrates
an exemplary commitment to serving
others. As a peer educator with
PACE (Programs for Awareness
and Cultural Education), Ms.
Moster serves as a resource for
facilitating understanding and
cross-cultural dialogue among
all students. She is a co-founder
of Shebrews, an organization
that provides a forum where women
can explore social issues affecting
their community. She works with
LGBT Center, and has extended
her efforts beyond the Penn community.
She worked with Habitat For Humanity
in Fort Worth, Texas during spring
break of her junior year. She
has also tutored students living
in Chinatown.
Community
Honorees
Gregorio
Pac Cojulun has devoted himself
to improving the quality of life
in West Philadelphia for over
a decade. He has assisted the
Philadelphia Police in attempting
to reduce crime, while working
closely with city agencies and
community groups to have needed
services provided in West Philadelphia.
He currently volunteers his service
for Town Watch, the 18th District
Advisory Council, the Friends
of Malcolm X Park--of which he
has been President since 1997--and
serves as block captain for his
street, the 5000 block of Osage
Avenue where he has lived for
nearly 40 years. Since 1992,
he has participated actively
in the Garden Court Community
Association, serving as Vice
President, President and Chair
of the Safety Committee. As President
of the Friends of Malcolm X Park,
he collaborated with the Department
of Recreation and the Horticultural
Society to transform the park
from an area of blight and lawlessness
into a place where children can
play and families can enjoy a
summer evening. He also works
with the Huey Family Center developing
after-school programs and Saturday
activities for students and families,
and was instrumental in the establishment
of a new school library at Lea
Elementary School.
As
Executive Director of Neighborhood
United Against Drugs (NUAD), Joseph
Purnell is a tireless advocate
for at-risk youth. NUAD, which Mr.
Purnell helped to found in 1988, is
a grassroots community organization
committed to reducing drug abuse,
teen pregnancy, the spread of HIV
and violence among at-risk youth in
Southwest Philadelphia. NUAD provides
activities designed to equip them
with the education and skills to enable
them to make positive choices, to
develop a positive concept of themselves
and others and to achieve socially
responsible behavior and make a positive
contribution to their communities.
In addition, Mr. Purnell has served
on the advisory board for the Health
Annex at Myers, as the first president
of the Southwest Community Action
Coalition and is the founder of the
Shaw Community School.
Special
Recognition
James
Gray started his employment at
Penn's Law School Library in July
1961 and retired from the Annenberg
School for Communication's Library
in 1999. He was a founding member
of AFSCME Union Local 590 on campus,
an advocate for employee benefits,
jobs, student enrollment and retention.
Mr. Gray was an active and outspoken
member of the Black Administrators,
Faculty and Staff from the early '70s.
In 1985, he was one of the members
that aided in the group's revitalization
and name change to the African American
Association or Triple A. He served
as the Tri-Chair for Staff until his
retirement. As Tri-Chair, he played
a vital role in the development of
Triple A's Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Celebration, and the Black Senior
Awards program that celebrated the
outstanding achievements of black
students.
Almanac, Vol. 49, No. 20, February 4, 2003
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