St. Lawrence graduates have a thirst for knowledge, are innovative problem-solvers, and make their communities, companies, and the world better places. This periodic roundup features Laurentians at the focus of news stories shared in their communities around the world.
Several St. Lawrence alumni were recently featured by news outlets for making medical advancements, giving back to their communities, earning prestigious honors, publishing books, and receiving large grants to support their research.
Robert Montgomery ’82
Robert Montgomery ’82, professor of surgery and director of the New York University Langone Transplant Institute, successfully led a surgical team in transferring a pig's kidney into a human patient–a medical advancement that could impact how the medical community approaches organ transplants. The medical advancement, which is the first time the animal to human organ transplant has been successful, was featured by CBS News on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
“There was complete silence for a few minutes while we were sort of taking in what we were looking at, which was incredible. It was a kidney that was immediately functioning,” said Montgomery in the interview.
Montgomery majored in biology at St. Lawrence.
E-Ben Grisby ’99
E-Ben Grisby ’99 received The Man of Excellence Award, which recognizes a man of color who has made significant contributions to his community. The award was presented by news outlet Madison365. Grisby was featured by Green Bay, Wisconsin, based news outlet WFRV discussing the award’s significance on Monday, Oct. 18.
“It’s also a great honor to have the respect and value from the community, and feeling respected and valued by the community here in northeast Wisconsin and beyond,” Grisby said.
Grisby is a special education teacher at Green Bay West High School and co-chair of the board of Celebrate Diversity Fox Cities. He majored in history and minored in sociology at St. Lawrence.
Heather McCauley ’06
St. Lawrence University Trustee Heather McCauley ’06 has received a $1.6 million Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant in partnership with Joanne Smith-Darden of Michigan State University's School of Social Work. The grant will support a four-year research project to strengthen the evidence base for child sexual abuse prevention through TBCAC's most recent prevention initiative, the Public Will Campaign to End Child Sexual Abuse (PWC). The announcement of the grant was featured in an article published by Traverse City, Michigan news outlet, The Ticker on Saturday, Oct. 2.
McCauley majored in sociology at St. Lawrence.
Cate Doucette Whalley ’04
Cate Doucette Whalley ’04 has traveled around the world as a backcountry skier, horseback rider, and a mountaineer. She discussed the recent publication of a collection of personal essays titled “On The Run: Finding the Trail Home,” which explore her experience navigating outdoor ambitions with society’s expectations of women, with North Country Public Radio and St. Lawrence Professor of English Bob Coswer on Tuesday, July 13.
“I hope that my collection can also cross those barriers that you can not be a skier or really interested in hiking but that it’s really about the human experience more than the actual activity,” said Whalley. “[It’s important] that you share your experiences of being a part of the world.”
Whalley majored in English and minored in educational studies at St. Lawrence.
Michelle Drummond ’99
Artwork by Michelle Drummond ’99 has been permanently installed at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, making her the first Black female artist to earn the prestigious honor. On Monday, June 14, Michelle and her artwork were featured in an article published by Jamaicans.com.
“After 23 years of manipulating multicolored, multi-weighted yarn on and off canvas, pushing the boundaries of my creativity and the medium, while participating in numerous exhibitions, my hopes of finding the audience that would truly appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of my artwork came to fruition. It is an honor, especially being the first Black female artist and also of Jamaican heritage to be awarded this permanent solo public art commission by the City of West Palm Beach ArtLife WPB program,” stated Drummond.
Drummond majored in mathematics at St. Lawrence.
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