UAlbany Alumni Present Scholarships
'Reaching Higher, Achieving More' Recipients Save Lives, Offer 'Voice'
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ALBANY, N.Y. (October 07, 2010) --
A pediatric cardiologist who heads one of the nation's leading heart surgery programs and a nationally recognized radio host are the 2010 honorees at UAlbany's annual 'Reaching Higher, Achieving More' luncheon, Oct. 8 which kicks off the university's Fall Festival and Homecoming Weekend. The UAlbany alumni have also presented scholarships, in their names, to support undergraduate and graduate students.
- Dr. Evan Zahn, '82, the Director of Cardiology at Miami Children's Hospital, has established the Evan Michael Zahn, M.D. Presidential Scholarship to support an undergraduate who is enrolled in a liberal arts program and has a strong interest in health care.
- Kathryn Zox, '83, producer and host of "The Kathryn Zox Show," airing on Voice America/World Talk Radio Network and WMET am 1160 in Washington, D.C., has founded The Kathryn Zox Scholarship at the School of Social Welfare.
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Alumni Evan Zahn, '82, and Kathryn Zox, '83, have established new scholarships for University at Albany students. |
Evan Zahn, '82: Providing Life-Saving Surgery for Children
As Chief of Cardiology at Miami Children's Hospital's congenital heart institute, Dr. Zahn works to save the lives of children afflicted with rare, often fatal disorders. His cutting-edge techniques to help children avoid major surgery have led to his international recognition as a leader in the field of interventional cardiology and catheterization, and being named one of the "Best Doctors in America" in 2009 and 2010.
His work is recognized by U.S. News and World Report, which ranks Miami Children's Hospital as 13th in the nation for 'Pediatrics: Heart and Heart Surgery.' In 2006, U.S. News profiled Dr. Zahn in an article entitled, "When You Need the Best:"
From the time Bobbie Nuhfer was a young girl growing up in West Virginia, she has had fainting spells, sometimes twice a week. In 2003, a cardiologist found the explanation: a hole between two chambers of Nuhfer's heart that was short-circuiting oxygenated blood. Nuhfer could have had an open-heart procedure. But when she heard about a new device which was pushed through a catheter to seal the hole, she was hopeful she could avoid major surgery. Dr. Zahn -- one of only a handful of doctors in the United States familiar with the procedure -- took her on and installed the device. "I have not fainted once," she told U.S. News since seeking out the treatment.
In 2008, Dr. Zahn performed the world’s first non-surgical tricuspid valve replacement via catheter on a 9-year-old boy.
Before assuming the role of Director of Cardiology, Dr. Zahn founded and served as Director of the Miami Children's Hospital Interventional Catheterization Program from 1995 to 2002. Dr. Zahn was also instrumental in developing interventional catheterization programs at the University of California at San Francisco and Oakland Children's Hospital.
After earning a bachelor's degree in biology from UAlbany in 1982, Dr. Zahn went on to earn his medical degree at New York Medical College, and completed his pediatric training at the University of Colorado’s Affiliated Hospitals in Denver.
Kathryn Zox, '83: Your Social Worker with a Microphone
As a nationally recognized radio host,who has interviewed thousands of guests from around the world, Zox has ascended to the upper echelons of broadcasting. In 2008, The Kathryn Zox Show ranked as the No.1 "listened to" radio show on the VoiceAmerica Women's Network.
Zox, who earned her master's degree in Social Work from UAlbany in 1983, has been a trainer of CEOs, an advocate for workers, and a community volunteer--all while raising three children.
In the mid 1980s, Zox co-developed and ran one of the very first corporate training programs on "Managing AIDS in the Workplace" for Fortune 500 companies. She went on to work at Albany Medical College's Clinical Competency Program, training doctors and medical students to communicate effectively with patients. Her volunteer work and charitable causes include The Human Rights Campaign, WMHT Public Television Print Disabled Program, National Recording Books for the Blind and Dyslexic, Planned Parenthood, Ronald McDonald House, The New York State School Music Association and the University at Albany School of Social Welfare.
This work, along with other volunteer activities, earned Zox the 2008 UAlbany Alumni Association's Excellence in Public Service Award.
"I continue to find the connections I made over 20 years ago – the skills I learned in classes, the new knowledge I gained from my professors, and working with people one-on-one -- still in play today," said Zox upon receiving the award.
Zox's experience, from her time at UAlbany through her years as a corporate trainer, has helped her in her role of 'Social Worker with a Microphone' -- helping others make connections whether through information, expert opinion, or shared life experiences.
"The world of opportunities that opened for me with my University at Albany degree is why I am a proud UAlbany alumna and always will be," said Zox.
Reaching Higher, Achieving More
The "Reaching Higher, Achieving More" event is an alumni campaign designed to showcase the remarkable career paths of UAlbany graduates who have made a lasting impact locally and globally. Past featured alumni have included Maureen Baginski, '79, senior intelligence advisor; Gregory Maguire, '76, author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and human rights icon Harvey Milk, '51.
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