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New York State Health Commissioner Zucker to address graduates at Upstate Medical University Commencement May 5

Health Commissioner Zucker will deliver the Upstate Medical University Commencement Address May 5

Howard Zucker, MD, JD, commissioner of health for New York State, will deliver the Commencement address to the Upstate Medical University Class of 2019.

Commencement will be held Sunday, May 5 at 10 a.m. in the SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga Community College. Doors open at 9 a.m.

This year’s Commencement will award 478 degrees in the Colleges of Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine and Nursing. Four students will be awarded both a PhD and MD and one student will receive an MD and a MPH.

In addition to Zucker, Commencement will feature remarks from Upstate Interim President Mantosh Dewan, MD.

As the state’s chief physician, Zucker leads initiatives to combat the opioid crisis, strengthen environmental health, end the AIDS epidemic and address major public health issues, including Ebola, Legionella, e-cigarettes and tobacco cessation.

Zucker presides over the state’s Medicaid program, the Wadsworth Center—New York’s premier public health lab and also oversees the entire health care workforce, including hospitals, long-term care and nursing homes.

He trained in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital, anesthesiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, pediatric critical care/pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and pediatric cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is board-certified in 6 specialties/subspecialties.

Zucker ran the pediatric ICU at New York Presbyterian Hospital and was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Montefiore. He has held academic appointments at Yale, Columbia and Einstein medical schools, Georgetown law and on the NIH faculty. He served as a White House Fellow, HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health, Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization and Institute of Politics fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from McGill University an MD from George Washington University School of Medicine, JD from Fordham Law, LLM from Columbia Law and a postgraduate diploma from The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

The College of Graduate Studies will award 22 degrees (three master of science and 19 doctoral degrees, including eight doctorates in neuroscience). Fields of study in the college include anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, neuroscience, pharmacology and physiology.

The College of Health Professions will award 156 degrees (60 bachelor of science, eight bachelor of professional studies, 39 master of science and 41 doctorate of physical therapy). Programs in the college include cardiovascular perfusion, medical imaging, medical technology, medical biotechnology, respiratory care, physical therapy, physician assistant and radiation therapy.

The College of Medicine will award 173 degrees (149 doctor of medicine and 24 master of public health).

The College of Nursing will award 122 degrees and certificates (43 bachelor of science, 68 master of science, five doctorate of nursing practice and six post-master certificates).

Students, their families and guests will participate in individual college pre-Commencement dessert receptions to be held at the Marriot Syracuse Downtown Saturday, May 4.

Caption: Howard Zucker, MD, JD, commissioner of health for New York State, will deliver the commencement address to the Upstate Medical University Class of 2019.

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