True Dedication

HMS honors commitment of veteran employees at Longer Service Awards

Longer Service Awards Reception. Image: Roberto Farren

Longer Service Awards Reception. Image: Roberto Farren

Since 1954, Mortimer Litt, the associate dean for educational programs in the faculty of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has worn many hats, from conducting basic research to performing administrative and teaching responsibilities.

“I’m doing something that’s very intellectually stimulating, I believe it’s very important for the reputation of the school and I’m appreciated. I can’t think of any set of reasons that are more compelling than those,” said Litt of his ongoing commitment to HMS.

Now, because of his 60 years of service to the School, Litt was among 32 faculty members and 68 staff who were recognized at the Longer Service Ceremony held Jan. 29, in the Toteson Medical Education Center. The event is dedicated to recognizing the sustained passion and commitment of employees who have devoted long years of service to HMS.

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The ceremony, which is typically held annually, this year celebrated two years worth of milestones, recognizing employees with 20 years of service to those who have been with HMS up to 60 years.

John Czajkowski, executive dean for administration, opened the ceremony by noting that the combined individual contributions of all the honorees provided 2,695 years of service to HMS, without which groundbreaking discoveries and changed paradigms in medicine would not have been made possible.

“What drives many of us who are employed by HMS is its commitment to the mission of excellence and diversity as well as to achievement in health and sciences,” said Maureen Connelly, dean for faculty affairs.

Julie Stanley, HMS chief human resource officer, credited opportunities for intellectual growth, learning and good relationships with managers as some of the reasons employees may remain at HMS for so many years.

The afternoon ceremony honored 40 employees who had reached the 20-year milestone, 24 who had reached the 25-year milestone, 14 who had reached 30 years, six who were celebrating 35 years, seven who had hit the 40-year mark, one who had committed 45 years of service, four who had reached 55 years of service and Litt, who has served 60 years at HMS.

Those who attended noted the positive, reflective and congratulatory atmosphere. Those who have been working at HMS for decades exhibited pride, as friends, family and colleagues in attendance celebrated alongside honorees.

For more information about the award and criteria click here.

2016 Longer Service Award Honorees

James Stanley Adelstein, Traci Anderson, Anne Edith Becker, Patti Ann Bement, Welcome W. Bender, Vladimir Berezovskii, Richard Todd Born, Robert Alan Bridges, Stephen Buratowski, Judy Yat Ming Chin, Susanne E. Churchill, Jonathan Brewer Cohen, William A. Connolly, May Wong Corrigan, Mark W. Coyle, Debra Ann Croft, Esther DeBordes-Jackson, Dianne M. DeMasi, Karon L. Denison, Charles Deutsch, Lauren K. Dewey Platt, Stephanie McHale Donvan, Karen Waterman Easley, Rachel E. Eastwood, Elaine A. Elion, Maria Ericsson, Donald G. Farley, Francis William Farley, Paul Edward Farmer, Carla Helen Fujimoto, Edwin Jean Furshpan, Patrick Gerard Gilligan, Thomas E. Gillogley, Rebecca Jane Grow, Lois M. Guenin, Patricia Guest, Gregory J. Heffron, Patrick M. Henebury, Ann Hochschild, Anne E. Hudson, Samuel Watkins Kennedy, Tomas Leopold Kirchhausen, David Mahan Knipe, Edward Arthur Kravitz, Lauren G. Kreisberg, Bruce Evan Landon, Mary Elizabeth Landrum, Mortimer Litt, Cedric L. Lodge, David J. MacNeill, Jose L. Maldonado, Hemsley A. Matthews, Robert L. McDonald, Barbara Joyce McNeil, Rodger D. Middleton, Carol Ann Mita, Diane Murdock, Lisa M. Muto, Jane M. Neill, Max Lee Nibert, Nickolaos Pavlidis, Paul Anthony Phipps, David Dickinson Potter, Alvin Francis Poussaint, Tammy N. Quon, Barbara J. Rankin, Robin Elizabeth Reed, Joan Reede, Margarita M. Rivera, Ninoska Rosado, Serena E. Rose, James A. Russell, Yi Shen, Valerie Colby Sherman, Mary Elizabeth Shertick, Leah Wade Simons, Randall M. Smith, Rosa J. Soler, Betty L. Sousa, Roger D'Avesne Spealman, Michael N. Starnbach, Kevin Struhl, Joan H. Thomas, David L. Van Vactor, Gerhard Wagner, Robin R. Walker, Ying Wang, Fred Marshall Winston, Lauri Ruth Wyner, Lawrence Zaborski, Jonathan H. Zaldivar.