Photo courtesy: University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences Facebook page
At Savage Arena on Friday, May 20 at 2 pm, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who uncovered the Flint, Michigan water crisis, has been chosen by a committee of faculty and staff members to deliver the commencement speech at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences ceremony.
In 2015, during her time as an assistant professor at the the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University, Dr. Hanna-Attisha discovered a rise in the blood lead levels in the residents of Flint, Michigan.
“What happened to me in Flint reaffirmed why I went into medicine,” she said in a press release. “I was in the right place at the right time with the right team and the right training to make a difference. I went into this profession like so many of these graduates — to make a difference and help people.”
In her book, “What the Eyes Don’t See,” Hanna-Attisha speaks about her experiences with not only being a daughter of immigrants, but the Flint water crisis.
“Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha exemplifies the kind of physician we want our medical students to become. She is a talented clinician-scientist and a passionate advocate for her community — particularly the most vulnerable members of that community,” said Dr. Christopher Cooper, executive vice president for clinical affairs and dean of the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in a press release.
During this commencement over 200 students will be receiving masters, philosophy and Doctor of Medicine degrees.
This year’s 2022 commencement, will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the very first physicians, graduated from the then-named Medicine College of Ohio.
For more information regarding the University of Toledo Commencement visit utoledo.edu.
