FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           

For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957, schampli@uthsc.edu or

Dena Owens – (901) 448-4072, dowens10@uthsc.edu

 

 

Rhea Seddon, MD, Astronaut, Surgeon, Alumna of

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center to

Speak at September 17 Centennial Gala

_________________________________________

 

Memphis, Tenn. (June 16, 2011) – A Memphis-trained physician, turned NASA astronaut returns to her alma mater – the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) – this fall.  Margaret Rhea Seddon, MD, a 1973 graduate of the UT College of Medicine, Memphis campus, will deliver the evening address at the UTHSC Centennial Gala on September 17.  Some 500 guests are expected to join the black tie event to hear the surgeon, researcher and veteran of three space shuttle flights share her perspective on the legacy and future of UT Health Science Center.   With more than 722 hours in space, Dr. Seddon’s experience with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration includes flights on Space Shuttles Discovery and Columbia.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Seddon back to campus for this historic occasion,” said UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab.  “Like so many of our alumni throughout our first century, she is a remarkable leader who has both created and seized extraordinary opportunities – opportunities to serve, heal, lead and discover.  We eagerly look forward to all she has to share with us during our centennial gala.”

Born in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Dr. Seddon is married to Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson, who is also a former astronaut.  They reside in Murfreesboro with their three children. 

From 1996 until 2007, she served as Assistant Chief Medical Officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  Since 2007, she has been a co-owner of LifeWings Partners, LLC, providing health care institutions across the country with support and guidance on leadership and patient safety.  She travels widely, sharing insights gleaned from her astonishing career and current interests.

The UTHSC Centennial Gala will be held in the original quadrangle of the main campus surrounded by buildings named after some of the institution’s most esteemed administrators -- Hyman, Wittenborg, Mooney, Johnson and Crowe.  A clear tent will allow guests to view the expansive fall sky and the structures that comprise the heart of the campus, just north of Union Avenue.   The gala includes a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.  For gala tickets, please contact Pam Houston at phouston@uthsc.edu or (901) 448-1164.  For additional information about the UTHSC centennial, visit www.uthsc.edu/100/.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service.  In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrates its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.  The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

###