"The Dream Meets Tomorrow's Leaders" event, hosted by the Office of Diversity and
Compliance and the PCOM chapter of the Student National Medical Association, honored
students, alumni, faculty and staff who embody the lives and legacies of civil rights
leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and PCOM alumnus William M. King, DO '62.
The Office of Diversity and Compliance and the PCOM chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) held its
third annual awards dinner and ceremony on Friday, April 21. Titled “The Dream Meets
Tomorrow’s Leaders,” the event was held to honor students, alumni, faculty and staff
who embody the lives and legacies of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
and of alumnus William M. King, DO ’62, who worked tirelessly to improve the lives
of his patients and the larger Philadelphia Community.
The evening's keynote speaker was Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, PhD, who has
served as the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia—the
spiritual home of Martin Luther King Jr.—for more than 12 years. At 35, he became
the fifth and the youngest person ever to serve as senior pastorate of that church,
which was founded in 1886.
This year’s award recipients were:
Students:
Kevin Amuquandoh (MS/Biomed ’17): SNMA Biomedical Sciences Student of the Year
Chinyere Ebo (DO/MBA ’ 18): SNMA Fourth-Year DO Student of the Year
Obianuju Egwuonwu (DO ’ 19): SNMA Elton Cosby Jr. Student of the Year
Margaretta Gergen (DO ’ 19): SNMA Second-Year DO Student of the Year
Ifeanyi James (DO ’ 20): William M. King, DO '62 Scholarship
Odelia McFadden(PsyD ’19): Student of Merit
Ali Mohammed (DO ’ 20): William M. King, DO '62 Award
Kerby Rauscher (DO ’ 20): SNMA First-Year DO Student of the Year
Sydney Walker (DO ’ 18): SNMA Third-Year DO Student of the Year
Faculty/staff:
Arthur Evans, PhD, clinical professor, psychology: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy
Award
Meshonea Fox, administrative coordinator, Student Affairs: Mentor of the Year
Pat Lannutti, DO ’71, professor and chair, Division of General Internal Medicine: Outstanding Faculty
Suzanne Walker-Garland, office manager, Family Medicine at PCOM: Outstanding Staff
Award
Alumni:
Matthew Montgomery DO ’ 09: Meta L. Christy Award
Beverly White, PsyD ’04: Distinguished Alumni Award
About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained
thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral
scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just
symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education,
operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic
medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers
graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical
sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling,
physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance
of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its
community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations.
For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.