Penn Vet Launches World Awards

Joan C. Hendricks VMD, PhD The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean The School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania

Launch of a New Awards Program

The launch of a new awards program designed to recognize innovation, creativity and leadership in the veterinary profession was announced April 23, 2007 by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “I am delighted to announce the Penn Vet World Awards, a unique recognition for both members of the veterinary profession and students,” said Dr. Joan C. Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “These awards will encourage and reward visionary thinking and life-changing accomplishment in our profession while emphasizing the importance of veterinary medicine to society. Nothing like it currently exists in the world, and we are honored to be the first school of veterinary medicine to make such an enduring statement in support of our profession and our students.”

Alan M. Kelly B.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., Ph.D. The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean Emeritus, The School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania Chairman Penn Vet World Awards

The Program Offers Two Awards:

• The World Leadership in Animal Health Award will be presented to a veterinarian who has dramatically changed the practice and image of the profession and substantially influenced the lives and careers of others.
  
• The Penn Vet Student Inspiration Awards will be presented to two currently enrolled Penn Vet students who demonstrate the potential to significantly advance the frontiers of veterinary medicine. Penn Vet graduates earn the unique and prestigious Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) degree, which recognizes the School’s roots in Penn’s School of Medicine.

Each of the awards provides $100,000 in unrestricted funding to the recipient, who will be selected by an awards committee chaired by Dr. Alan M. Kelly, the Dean Emeritus of the School.

A Major Gift From The Vernon and Shirley Hill Foundation

The awards program has been established with a major gift from the Vernon and Shirley Hill Foundation.

Vernon W. Hill II Founder, Commerce Bank Shirley Hill Founder and President, InterArch

“My wife and I are excited to underwrite these prestigious awards, which will have a lasting and far-reaching impact,” said Vernon Hill. “The Penn Vet World Awards will help transform veterinary medicine by promoting the same visionary thinking Commerce Bank has championed to reinvent the delivery of financial services and legendary customer service."

Vernon W. Hill II is the founder of Commerce Bancorp, Inc.  Shirley Hill is the founder and president of InterArch, an architecture and design firm in Mt. Laurel, N.J.  The Hills are residents of Moorestown, N.J.  Vernon Hill is a graduate of the Wharton School at Penn.

Commerce Bank is a leading retailer of financial services with more than 400 stores serving New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland and Florida. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., Commerce Bank has assets exceeding $47 billion.

Nominations & Applications

Detailed instructions for application for the Penn Vet Student Inspiration Awards are now available online at www.vet.upenn.edu/worldaward/studentawards.html. The World Leadership in Animal Health Award nomination guidelines can be found online at www.vet.upenn.edu/worldaward/worldaward.html.