Project L/EARN News and Events » Meeting The Surgeon General

Project L/EARN students meet with former U.S. Surgeon General
October 2008: Three Project L/EARN alumni were among six undergraduate Rutgers students from health fields who had an opportunity to present their research to former Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. C. Everett Koop during his recent visit to Rutgers. In October 2008, Dr. Koop attended a high-level conference with researchers from around the world on Biology and Biomaterials at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick.
Dr. Koop asked that during his visit with the professionals, he would like to meet with a handful of the best Rutgers students and spend an hour hearing about their research projects and future plans. A distinguished committee of Rutgers faculty nominated their top students to meet with Dr. Koop. Each student was asked to make a short presentation of about the aspects of public health they are studying.



From left to right: Jacqueline Palmer (L/EARN ’08, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, faculty mentor: Dr. Derek DeLia), Jennifer Lugris (L/EARN ‘07, sociology major, faculty mentor: Dr. Helene White), Dr. Koop, and Datrell Ward (L/EARN ’07, biology major, faculty mentor: Dr. Howard Leventhal).

According to Matt Masuda of the College Avenue Dean’s office, who organized the event: “The students were stellar and Dr. Koop, at 92, was amazingly generous, critical, blunt, and full of sharp insights. Each student got a personal hearing and an inquisition from the fun, charming, and very opinionated Surgeon General.”

A project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, and Rutgers University © 1997-2008 IHHCPAR, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All Rights Reserved