As the new U.S. President enters his first 100 days in office, the 2008-2009 Millennium Lecture Series will focus on issues that are likely to challenge the new Administration. Dis-tinguished speakers have been invited to share with us their perspectives on such topics as education, workforce and global competitiveness; energy resources and policies; healthcare access and quality; physical infrastructure; foreign policy and immigration. We hope that you will plan to join us for these thought-provoking presentations.
President Diana Natalicio
The College of Science
and
The African-American Studies Program
Cordially invite you to attend
The UTEP Millennium Lecture
Willarda V. Edwards, MD, MBA
President and COO, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
President-Elect of the National Medical Association
Thursday, February 12, 2009
4:00 p.m.
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 106
UTEP Campus
Reception to Follow Presentation
Dr. Edwards is president and chief operating officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA). She is President-Elect of the National Medical Association and will be installed as president in July 2009. Since 1984, she has provided medical services to the Baltimore community as managing partner and internist in a private practice partnership.
Dr. Edwards received her undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at El Paso, her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola College of Baltimore. Her medical experience began with the United States Navy at Annapolis and Bethesda Naval Hospital. Dr. Edwards has served as assistant dean of Student and Faculty Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Edwards holds national offices in both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Medical Association (NMA) and has served on the NMA Board of Trustees in numerous capacities. In 1995, she became the first physician to serve concurrently as president of both local medical societies of the AMA and NMA. From 2004-2005 she served as President of the Maryland state medical society (AMA) and as director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) Health Advocacy Division.
She has served on several governor-appointed commissions and task forces, including the Maryland hospital rate setting commission, where she served as commissioner for eight years. Her task force experience includes work on the appeals and grievances process, graduate medical education and the task force on small group insurance.
Dr. Edwards is a recipient of the 1997 Zeta Phi Beta Women of the Year in Medicine Award and Maryland’s 2003 Top One Hundred Women Award. She was recognized by The Girl Scouts of Central Maryland in 2004.