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perfected his skills to the point that he didn’t need a steering device to manipulate the guidewire. He taught fellows that the feel of the wire was important in maneuvering it through tortuous coronaries or through total occlusions. His skill set is what we all should aspire to.” Affectionate nicknames aside, Dr. Marshall also thinks of his mentor in terms of his passion and commitment to furthering a field that has helped so many patients. He recalls: “Back in the early ’80s, when angioplasty was in its infancy, there was a limited number of guide catheters and balloons, so Mike and his partner, Dr. George Vetrovec, would travel up and down Interstate 95 so they could share equipment with Dr. Kenneth Kent at Georgetown. They logged hundreds of highway miles to make sure their patients were able to get state-of-the-art care.” Dr. Cowley served as the Society’s president in 2004–05. He also chaired SCAI’s Interventional
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Committee for years and continues to spearhead many of the Society’s regional education activities. He supported many of the Society’s initial efforts in the area of carotid artery disease education and serves on the Editorial Board of www.Seconds-Count.org, SCAI’s public-education web site. “Mike has been dedicated to acting on opportunities to move SCAI forward,” adds Dr. Weiner. Dr. Cowley has spent most of his medical career at the Medical College of Virginia, part of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He joined the faculty in 1977, becoming a full professor in 1986. “One of the things he’s best known for is being an educator, engaging younger individuals and teaching them the skills and behaviors necessary to be an interventional cardiologist,” said Dr. Weiner. Also well-known as a researcher, Dr. Cowley has authored or co-authored more than 150 papers, 265 abstracts, and 17 book chapters. n
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