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For immediate release
Nov. 17, 2006
Award created in Richard L. Atkinson's name
Richmond, Va. – The Obesity Society recently awarded the first annual Award for Distinguished Public Service to Dr. Richard L. Atkinson of Richmond, Va., and Dr. Judith S. Stern of Davis, Calif.
This award, named for and given to Atkinson and Stern, was created to honor the individual or organization that has shown “exceptional efforts to improve the lives of individuals affected by obesity,” and will be awarded annually along with a cash prize.
Atkinson is clinical professor of pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University and director of the Obetech Obesity Research Center at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and later received his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. Atkinson is past president of NAASO and, along with Stern, was the co-founder of the American Obesity Association. He has served on the faculties of the University of Virginia; University of California, Davis; Eastern Virginia Medical School; and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he is emeritus professor of medicine and nutritional sciences. Currently he is the editor of the International Journal of Obesity. Atkinson has done extensive research in the field of obesity, most recently studying the role of human viruses in causing obesity.
Stern is distinguished professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, where she has been on the faculty since 1975. She graduated from Cornell University and Harvard School of Public Health. She is a past president of NAASO, co-founder of the American Obesity Association and a member of the Institute of Medicine. She has worked in the field of obesity research for many years and has published extensively.
About the Park:
Situated on 34 acres adjacent to VCU’s medical campus, the Park is currently home to a unique mix of more than 55 technology companies, research institutes affiliated with the VCU Medical Center, and major state and national medical laboratories. After completion of the new $350 million Philip Morris USA Center for Research and Technology, the Park will encompass 1.2 million square feet of space in nine buildings and employ more than 2,000 industry professionals.
Contact:
Nicky Colomb
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
Phone: (804) 828-6884
E-mail: ncolomb@vabiotech.com
Web site: www.vabiotech.com
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