Meharry Medical College holds its annual Reunion & Homecoming celebration, May 15-18, 2024. Complimentary Continuing Education credits, a Rooftop Mixer, the Meharry Alumni Party hosted at the NMAAM, the Alumni Picnic, and much more is on tap for current and former students, faculty, staff, and their families.
The 149th Commencement Exercises of Meharry Medical College will be held Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. at. The Temple Church, located at 3810 Kings Lane, Nashville, Tennessee. This is a ticketed event only, and in-person attendance is limited to invitees of the graduating students. The event will be streaming on YouTube MeharryTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@meharrytube
The Commencement Speaker is Huda Zoghbi, M.D., Distinguished Service Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, founding Director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, and Research-in Chief, Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Zoghbi graduated from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and received her medical degree from Meharry Medical College. She joined Baylor College of Medicine for her residency and subsequently obtained postdoctoral research training in molecular genetics.
Dr. Zoghbi’s expertise ranges from neurodevelopment to neurodegeneration. She and Dr. Harry Orr discovered that Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 1 is caused by expansion of a polyglutamine tract. Her subsequent studies demonstrating that CAG expansion leads to accumulation of the mutant protein in neurons has had profound ramifications since many late-onset neurological disorders involve similar accumulations of disease-driving proteins and inspired her studies in Alzheimer disease.
Dr. Zoghbi has trained over 110 scientists and physician-scientists and is committeed to educating the next generation. She has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Zoghbi’s honors include the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize from Rockefeller University; Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences; the Canada Gairdner International Prize; the Lundbeck Foundation’s 2020 Brain Prize; the Kavli Prize from the Kavli Foundation, and most recently the August M. Watanabe Prize in Translational Research by Indiana University.
Among social event highlights during the weekend are: Virtual Nurses Legacy Round Table, Dean’s Meet & Greet Receptions and a Meharry Alumni Happy Hour on Wednesday, May 15. On Thursday, May 16, Meharry Alumni Circle Dinner (by invitation only), Let’s Reminisce Jazz on the Lawn sponsored by Meharry National Alumni Association (MNAA) and a Reminiscing at the Alumni Rooftop (Special Recognition: 10 Under 10).
Friday, May 17, The Charles E. Brown, M.D. 36th Annual Golf Tournament, School of Graduate Studies Luncheon, The 50th Golden Anniversary Celebration Dinner including the classes of 1939, 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969 and 1974, and The 25th Silver Anniversary Celebration, Class Reunion Meetings & Class Pictures, and the Reminiscing to the Rhythm at National Museum of African American Music.
Saturday, May 18, the Commencement Ceremony, Alumni Picnic, and MNAA Scholarship Gala. Sunday, May 19, Alumni Farewell Champagne Brunch ends the weekend. Also throughout are numerous educational lectures and seminars.
