December 7, 2001 UNT Inhouse publication: UNT Health Science Center president to speak at fall commencement

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UNT Health Science Center president to speak at fall commencement

Ronald Blanck, UNT Health Science Center president, will be the featured speaker at UNT commencement ceremonies Dec. 15.

The general convocation begins at 12:30 p.m. and will include Blanck's commencement address, recognition of honor graduates and the hooding of doctoral candidates. All commencement activities take place in the UNT Coliseum.

At 2:30 p.m., ceremonies will begin for the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and the School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management. At 4:30 p.m., the College of Business Administration, the School of Community Service, the School of Library and Information Sciences, the College of Music and the School of Visual Arts will conduct commencement ceremonies.

About 1,800 students are expected to receive degrees, including the first 13 students to complete the major portion of their upper-level course work at the UNT System Center at Dallas. President Norval Pohl and his wife, Barbikay, will host a reception for all graduates, their families and their guests from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the University Union Courtyard.

As president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Blanck oversees a growing academic health center that includes the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Public Health. Full-time faculty members at the Health Science Center and volunteer community physicians work with students training to be osteopathic physicians, researchers, public health officers, physician assistants or other health professionals.

Blanck, who received his doctor of osteopathy degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, is board certified in internal medicine. He joined the UNT Health Science Center in August 2000 after retiring from the Army with the rank of lieutenant general.

Blanck began his military career in 1968 as a medical officer and battalion surgeon in Vietnam. He retired 32 years later as Army surgeon general and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command. During his distinguished military career, he also served as commander of Walter Reed Medical Center North Atlantic Region Medical Command and as director of professional services and chief of Medical Corps affairs for the Army surgeon general.

Blanck's military honors include Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service and Army Commendation Medals.

Since joining the UNT Health Science Center, he has continued to be recognized for his leadership in health and medicine. The American Medical Association honored him with its highest award for government officials, the Dr. Nathan Davis Award. He was elected to the National Board of Medical Examiners and the board of directors for the Health Industry Council. He now chairs the Texas Medical Association's Task Force on Bioterrorism to help improve the medical community's response to mass casualty incidents or those involving weapons of mass destruction.

Blanck and his wife, Donna, have two daughters, Jennifer and Susan.