The Epidemiology of Mentorship:Age-Adjusted Analyses of Dr. Ron LaPorte PowerPoint Congratulations from Andrea

Kriska , Faina Linkov, Eugene Shubnikov, and Jan Dorman and from all Ron’s students and

colleagues

“To teach is to touch lives forever”

Sunday, May 29, 1949

60"By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn." - Latin Proverb

Congratulations

For me what characterizes Ron are his values of creativity, courage and compassion manifested in an attitude of “yes, we can.” He is an equilibrist exploring the razor thin envelop of what is possible versus the impossible, dissolving through his imagination the constraints imposed by traditional dogmas and wisdom.

Francois Sauer

What is the secret of Ron’s Magic???

1. Ron is a very giving person…

Ron in Santo Domingo 1989

2. Always willing to try new food!

3. Being from Buffalo, Ron is never bothered by extreme weather conditions

4. Ron is not scared of Russians

5. Ron is not scared to explore new controversial areas, for example alcohol epidemiology

NIH MeetingLupus

Jamaica1992

Ron – Introduction toe-mail on theInternet (who remembersBitnet……..?)

Alan Patrick – What is the Internet?

Unlikely origin of a lasting collaboration………………(from Dr. Bunker)

6. Great sense of humor!

Ron and a mentor and as a scientistEpidemiological data

Spectrum of Mentoring(Age Adjusted)

Mentor shipFrom Andrea

Ron’s Impact: Estimated Cumulative Publications by Year

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2014

Ron+Students

“To infinity and beyond…”

From the albums of Ron’s students

1995 “Karaoke” Epidemiology Training Course, Hawaii

Congratulation from Mitchell, Emma Barinas

Congrat… Wav! From Benson!

Congratulations from “dying” biomedical Journals

Congratulations!

Congratulations!500 lectures!

Congratulations!600 lectures!

Congratulations!From Montreal, 2002!

Congratulations! Soni, Eugene, Akira and Japanese Team - Montreal, 2002

Pittsburgh, August 2002

FoodFest, Kaunas, Lithuania, 2005

Pittsburgh, February 2008

Pittsburgh, February 2008

Faina’s house, Pittsburgh, February 2008

Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2008

Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2008

Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2008

Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2008

Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2008

BioHaza-Milan 2008, Italy

BioHaza-Milan 2008, Italy

Ron’s office in the Diabetes Research Center - 1990

EuroDiab meeting in Madeira (?) 1989 (Ron and Claudia circled in red)

Santo Domingo 1989 – Jaakko, Eva, and Christian

“Bat cave” – Dominican Republic 1989 – Eva, Jaakko, Claudia, Jan – photo taken by Ron

Ron’s Postcards

I feel honored very much to have had Ron as my academic mentor and his continuing support. It is a great feeling to know that you can always count on someone like Ron. The greatest lesson I have learned from Ron is the importance of taking initiative and going for your dream and never giving up. Thank you Ron for always being there for us."

Former Heinz Fellow, Saida Karimova

I am amazed by your dedication to your students and research, your enthusiasm for new things and thinking "outside the box". You provide inspiration and I am very fortunate to know you. Happy Birthday!

Mita Lovalekar

For his efforts in Global Health and Prevention, Ron deserves a Nobel Prize. Happy birthday!

Luiza Gharibyan, former fellow from Armenia

Jasna Stikova, Macedonia

Great job as a mentor on a

Fulbright fellowship!

NEW EDUCATION PATHWAYS FOR GLOBAL

PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY:

US-MACEDONIAN COLLABORATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Final QuizQuestion 1:

How many times have you heard this statement?“IDDM is the epidemiologist’s dream disease.”

Choose the correct answer:

a) Neverb) Oncec) Twiced) >500 times

CORRECT ANSWER IS … d) >500 times

Question 2:

What is the appropriate level of support for foreign epidemiologists to help them keep up high standards of case definition and

complete reporting in an international collaboration?

Choose the correct answer:a) $10 per caseb) Travel funds so PI can attend

international meeting

c) $100 per case d) Nothing at all

CORRECT ANSWER IS … d) Nothing at all

“If you don’t pay them you only get the crazies who really want to know – so they will give you

really good data!”

Question 3:

What is the right place for a talk based on the 1972 hardcore porno film ‘Behind the Green Door’?

Choose the correct answer:

a) Stag party at 3 amb) A walk in the park with your dogs c) A formal GSPH seminar for ~150 faculty &

students, of whom >100 were kids in 1972

CORRECT ANSWER IS …

c) A formal GSPH seminar for ~150 faculty & students

Don’t ask!

Question 4:

Why are these people smiling?

a) They are in Pittsburgh in 1984b) They are embarrassed to be seen with so

many nerds

Ron, you gave a whole lot of us our starts in epidemiology

… and stayed in touch as a friend and mentor over the years

Here’s to many, many more years of great mentoring and good times!

c) Ron LaPorte!

Happy Birthday Ron!From Sherry

I will attend the beer party on Friday.

Ron LaPorte

1980

Ron LaPorte, 1981Jane Cauley

Don’t get discouraged; I submitted 48 grants before one was funded

See you next year! Same Day!