Jacobs School Distinguished Alumni Awards

Each year we present a Distinguished Medical and Biomedical Alumnus/a Award to an MD, PhD, Resident and Volunteer of our school who is recognized nationally or internationally for his or her outstanding contributions to medicine and the biomedical sciences, the arts or the humanities.  This event takes place annually during Reunion Weekend.

We are proud to recognize our Distinguished Medical and Biomedical Alumnus/a for their outstanding accomplishments and the distinction they bring to our school!

Myron Glick, MD '63

Dr. Myron Glick completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1988 from Houghton College. He graduated from the SUNY-Buffalo School of Medicine in 1993, completing his Family Practice Residency training in 1996 at the Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dr. Myron Glick has been certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and New York State Medical Board since 1996. He completed a Faculty Development fellowship in 1997 at SUNY-Buffalo.

In 1997, Dr. Myron Glick and his wife, Joyce Glick, opened the doors of Jericho Road Family Practice at 184 Barton Street on Buffalo’s West Side, with the goal of providing excellent medical care to all who walk through the doors, regardless of ability to pay. In 2013, Jericho Road Community Health Center (JRCHC) became a federally qualified health center, allowing it to further expand its services across the City of Buffalo. JRCHC now operates five clinical locations in Buffalo, a safety-net dental office, two pharmacies, a medically oriented gym with physical therapy, and numerous social service programs that address social determinants of health. Globally, JRCHC operates five clinical sites, three in Sierra Leone, one in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and one in Nepal. Dr. Myron Glick serves as both the Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the executive team and making major corporate decisions, as well as a family physician with obstetrics, where he serves a full panel of patients.

Claire Fraser, PhD ‘81

A pioneer and global leader in genomic medicine, Dr. Fraser is one of the most highly cited investigators in microbiology. In 1995, Dr. Fraser was the first to map the complete genetic code of a free-living organism—Haemophilus influenza—the bacterium that causes lower respiratory tract infections and meningitis in infants and young children. This achievement took place at the Institute for Genomic Research, where Dr. Fraser served as Director from 1998 until 2007.

Her discovery forever changed microbiology and launched a new field of study—microbial genomics. During that time, she and her team also sequenced the bacteria behind syphilis and Lyme disease, and eventually the first plant genome and the first human-pathogenic parasite. She even helped identify the source of a deadly 2001 anthrax attack in one of the biggest investigations conducted by U.S. law enforcement. In 2007, Dr. Fraser launched the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at the University of Maryland, which holds over 25 percent of the funding awarded by the Human Microbiome Project.

Her current research interests center on the structure and function of the human gut microbiota. Dr. Fraser has authored more than 320 scientific publications, edited three books, and has served on committees of the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Promega Biotechnology Award and the E.O. Lawrence Award from the Department of Energy. Dr. Fraser uses her skills and position of leadership in genome sciences to improve the lives of women throughout the world.

Jonathan D. Daniels, MD '98 (posthumously)

Dr. Jonathan D. Daniels was an associate director of admissions at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was a tireless advocate for diversity – recruiting and mentoring hundreds of scholars from traditionally underserved backgrounds. Dr. Daniels was a lead advocate for various programs throughout the Jacobs School, including the Associated Medical Schools of New York post-baccalaureate program and the Early Opportunity Program in Medicine. After his tragic passing, the Jonathan Daniels, MD ’98 and Family Memorial Scholarship was established to support the need to help make medical education more affordable and more diverse and helping us to recruit scholars from underrepresented communities and serve our local pediatric community. Jonathan was past president of the medical alumni association and would have been celebrating his 25^th Reunion. More information about Dr. Daniels available.