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2005 Awards Bennett J. Cohen Educational Leadership Award
Dr. Newton is currently Senior Vice President of Pfizer Global Research and Development, and Director of Esperion Therapeutics, a Division of Pfizer Global Research and Development. He was formerly President and CEO of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR), a biopharmaceutical company founded in 1998 and located in Ann Arbor, MI. Esperion is dedicated to the discovery and development of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases through the use of a new treatment approach called "HDL Therapy" Esperion was acquired by Pfizer, Inc., in December 2003 for $1.3 billion. Prior to founding Esperion, Dr. Newton was with Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis (now Pfizer) from 1981-1998. As a distinguished scientist and Chairman of the Atherosclerosis Drug Discovery Team, he co-discovered and was the product champion of what is now the most prescribed cholesterol reducing drug in the world, atorvastatin (Lipitor®). Dr. Newton's research interests over the past twenty-five years have focused on the nutritional and pharmacological regulation of cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism as they relate to atherosclerosis and vascular diseases.
Science Education Award
Dr. Kocher is currently Vice President for Student Services at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He also serves as the outside unaffiliated member on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at MPI Research and has served in this role for 15 years. Dr. Kocher is totally committed to animal research and the scientific process while emphasizing the humane treatment of animals. As a member of the IACUC, he routinely reviews 15 to 20 protocols per week. He reviews these protocols over the weekend, freely giving up his own time. He then participates in almost every Monday morning IACUC protocol review meeting where he actively participates and contributes to the discussion of these protocols. In addition, he makes additional time available to help conduct the semiannual facility inspections and program review. Science Education Award, established in 1993, is given to individuals who have been instrumental in developing, implementing or contributing to an advocacy program that promotes science and science education.
Dr. Ekstrom has some 30 years of service to Wayne State University's Division of Laboratory Resources as its Director, and similar years of service to the profession as a laboratory animal veterinarian. He has a long-standing voluntary affiliation with the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association's (MVMA) Animal Welfare Committee. The official role of this committee is to "engage in activities that involve or promote animal welfare and the human-animal bond." Each year the MVMA solicits from its veterinarian members animal nominations for 2 awards. The Companion Animal of the Year Award identifies animals which idealize affection, loyalty, security, value and comfort. The Therapy Companion Animal of the Year Award ideals include service, affection, value and comfort in an animal used frequently as a therapy animal. After America suffered the devastating 9/11 Dr. Ekstrom rose to the occasion, and with his excellent skills as an educator at Wayne State University, he was amply prepared to develop a presentation of bioterrorism awareness. "The Connection Between Human Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in Preparedness Against Bioterrorism" is a thought-provoking and valuable tool that has been delivered many times by Dr. Ekstrom to both community and professional audiences. Science Education Award, established in 1993, is given to individuals who have been i nstrumental in developing, implementing or contributing to an advocacy program that p romotes science and science education.
LEGISLATIVE & RESEARCH ADVOCACY AWARD
Ms. Ruch was a Senior Legislative Assistant with the Michigan Senate and was a Legislative Aide to former Senator Joe Schwarz. She has 16 years of experience in a legislative office working on a wide variety of legislative issues, including tracking various state budgets. She is very knowledgeable regarding the legislative process, rules, and state laws and has worked on the successful passage of many new statutes. Her work has included: researching and tracking legislative and appropriation issues; drafting legislation; working with staff, constituents and interest groups to bring legislation to successful completion; preparing materials for Senate sessions; assisting constituents with resolution of problems and procurement of state grant monies; represented Senator Schwarz at constituent events and other public forums; and testified at Senate and House committee hearings on legislation.
Ms. Costello is currently a Legislative Aide to Senator Tom George in the Michigan Senate. Previously to her work with George, she did constituent services for Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow, and prior to that was a Legislative Aide to Senator Mike Goschka. Ms. Costello's initial work as an aide was for 8 years in the Michigan House of Representatives for Representatives Claude Trim and Tom Middleton. Her experience includes: legislative research, constituent casework, public relations, tribute writing, scheduling, aide to subcommittee Chair for Family Independence Agency, and Agriculture budgets.
Senator George was elected to the 20th District of the Michigan Senate in 2002 after serving one term in the House of Representatives. The 20th Senate District includes all of Kalamazoo County, and Antwerp and Paw Paw Townships in Van Buren County. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee George serves on five sub-committees. He is Chair of the History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) sub-committee and Vice-Chair of Capitol Outlay, Department of Community Health (DCH), Family Independence Agency (FIA) and Commerce, Labor and Economic Development. George also serves on the Senate Health Policy Committee and the Joint Capitol Committee. George has been active in the Kalamazoo County Republican Party for over a decade and served the party as a precinct delegate and as a delegate to the State Republican Convention. A practicing physician in the Kalamazoo area for 17 years, George served as the medical director for Hospice of Greater Kalamazoo from 1996 until 2001.
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MISMR members strongly support humane animal study in research. We hope that likeminded citizens will join us in working for rational public policy that assures the continued appropriate use of animals in the course of good science. |