Hong Jin Kim, MD, Honored with the Ted B. Seagroves, Jr. Distinguished Professorship On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, Hong Jin Kim, MD, was honored with Ted B. Seagroves, Jr. Distinguished Professorship. The event, which took place at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, was marked by speeches that honored and recognized the late friend, father, and husband Ted B. Seagroves, Jr. and the remarkable career of Dr. Hong Jin Kim. Pete Seagroves, son of Ted B. Seagroves, Jr., took the stage to talk about his father. Theodore “Ted” Baxter Seagroves, Jr., was a Durham native, Durham High School graduate and Vietnam veteran who owned Ted B. Seagroves Insurance Agency from 1971 until his passing in 2014. Seagroves supported many charities and fund-raising organizations in Chapel Hill, served on countless boards in the community, was a very active member of Chapel Hill Country Club, and was a wellknown supporter of UNC athletics, especially men’s basketball. Ted Seagroves was considered the “unofficial mayor” of Chapel Hill and was inducted into the Chapel Hill10
UNC SURGERY | FALL 2019 | EDUCATION
Carrboro Business Hall of Fame. “My dad’s glass was always overflowing, never half full,” Pete recalls, “he never had a bad day. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Kim and Lineberger (Cancer Center) we had two and a half fantastic years with my dad.” Standing beside Pete was Roy A. Williams, UNC Men’s Basketball Coach. He shared kind words and insightful, hilarious stories about his best friend. “Teddy was an unusual person. He was the best friend I had in this town without any question. He would do anything for anybody and would do some things for me. I miss him terribly, but not nearly as much as his family does. I remember the day he told me he had pancreatic cancer. It was a tough time because I loved the guy, still do. Giving Ted’s family, me, and Wanda another two and a half years with Teddy was the greatest gift anybody could possibly ask for.” The Ted B. Seagroves, Jr. Distinguished Professorship was established in June of 2019
to honor and recognize the importance of Hong Jin Kim, MD, to the UNC Department of Surgery and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Kim is a tenured Professor and Vice Chair of Strategy and Outreach in the Department of Surgery and the Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery in the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Kim joined UNC in 2001 as an Assistant Professor on the tenure track in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery. In 2008, he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure and in 2013 to Professor with tenure. In 2014, he was named Chief in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery and in 2017, was appointed Vice Chair of Strategy and Outreach. As a surgical oncologist, Dr. Kim’s clinical specialties include GI cancers with a focus on pancreatic cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, and hepatobiliary malignancies. Dr. Kim has been instrumental in developing and
