On December 13, 2019, PA Studies graduate students Dominique Borchard and Max Kupferman were surprised in class with the news that they were the recipients of the Jon P. Dyer and Keith Dyer Fellowship Awards   Jon’s passion for advancing the future of medical caregiving is based on his experience caring for his late brother Keith, who had cerebral palsy. Read his personal story here.  His generosity will offset a portion of the awardees’ second-year tuition.

The PA faculty selected Dominique and Max based on three criteria:  academic performance during the didactic year of the PA program, emerging potential as a clinician, and leadership and/or volunteerism. When asked about the award, Dominique (who also goes by “Nikki”) said “It is an incredible honor to receive an award sponsored by a man whose story embodies the compassionate and dedicated care I hope to bring to my patients. It’s a reminder each day of the reason I chose medicine.” For Max, it boils down to a quote from Atul Gawande’s book “Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance”:

 “Better is possible. It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.”

We congratulate both students on this tremendous accomplishment and thank the Dyer Family for their generous contributions to our college.