Former medical school leader receives Wake Forest's highest honor

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Dr. Richard Janeway, a Wake Forest University professor of medicine and management and executive vice president for health affairs emeritus, was presented the university’s highest award, the Medallion of Merit, during Founders’ Day Convocation on Feb. 10.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school, Janeway joined the Wake Forest School of Medicine faculty in 1966. His university career includes 23 years as dean, seven years as vice president for health affairs and seven years as executive vice president for health affairs.

Under Janeway’s leadership, the medical school’s faculty increased from 197 to more than 700, and from 569 staff employees to more than 2,300. With North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center became the leading employer in Forsyth County. The student body grew from 290 medical students and 55 graduate students in 1971 to more than 600 students during Janeway’s tenure.

Janeway also led the largest expansion program in the history of the medical center, located five miles from the Reynolda campus. That $200 million program, called the Equation for Progress, included construction of a 15-story patient tower, the 12-story Clinical Sciences Building, which now bears his name, and a six-story addition to the Hanes Research Building.

In presenting the award to Janeway, Wake Forest President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. noted that Janeway “led the school through a period of unprecedented growth and improvement in its educational offerings, clinical services and research programs.”

Janeway has held several service positions in the local community, including campaign chairman and chairman of the board of directors of the Forsyth County United Way and chairman of the Winston-Salem Foundation Committee. He was a founding member of the board of directors of Leadership Winston-Salem.

In addition, a number of other awards were presented to Wake Forest faculty during the convocation ceremony.

Mary M. Dalton, visiting assistant professor of communication, was awarded the Kulynych Family Omicron Delta Kappa Award for Contribution to Student Life. Gordon E. McCray, assistant professor of business and accountancy, was awarded the Reid-Doyle Prize for Excellence in Teaching. S. Bruce King, assistant professor of chemistry, received the Award for Excellence in Research. Michael K. Curtis, professor of law, was presented the Joseph Branch Excellence in Teaching Award. B. Ram Baliga, the John B. McKinnon Professor of Management, was presented the Kienzle Teaching Award.