W&J alumni Alumni trio honored at Homecoming
A nationally renowned leader in neonatology, an entrepreneurial business owner, and an up-and-coming anesthesiologist were honored by Washington & Jefferson College at the annual Homecoming & Reunion Weekend dinner in October. Recognized for their contributions to their professions, their community and their alma mater, the three honorees were presented awards by members of the W&J community who know them best. – KERRI DIGIOVANNI ’09
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Gary Silverman ’78
Charlie P. Eaton ’64
Kristin Ondecko Ligda ’03
Recipient of more than 23 awards from groups like America’s Top Doctors, member of 18 professional societies and associations, and author of more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific publications, Gary Silverman ’78, M.D., Ph.D., has established a distinguished career.
As the founder and owner of C.P. Eaton Partners, LLC, Charlie P. Eaton ’64 maintains a roster of investors that includes more than 200 of the largest and best-known institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Under his leadership, the independent marketing firm has raised more than $33 billion for 70 funds.
Yet Silverman’s extensive resume does not note the countless hours he has invested in mentoring students, bringing more than 50 students from W&J’s pre-health program into his labs.
Eaton’s success is not a surprise to his classmates and Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers who knew him as an economics major and member of the football team at W&J. “Charlie is the kind of guy you want in your corner,” Vaughan Blaxter ’65 said. “I count myself among the many people who greatly admire Charlie not just for his incredible business sense, but also for his commitment to giving back to the community.”
“As one who epitomizes the concept of ‘paying it forward,’ Gary began, early in his career, to mentor students,” Dennis Trelka, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology at W&J, said. “Dr. Silverman gave them the training and confidence to realize that they could function well in this elite company of research scientists.” Silverman, who oversees the newborn medicine program at Magee-Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, also serves as a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. For nearly 25 years, Silverman also has been returning to W&J as a guest lecturer. He made valuable contributions to W&J’s first two Howard Hughes Medical Institute grants and spearheaded the fundraising effort behind the Trelka Prize for Original Research in the Life Sciences. He is a former member of the Alumni Executive Council.
Eaton began his career as an investment research officer at Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., predecessor to J.P. Morgan Investment Management. Working his way up Wall Street, he also worked at Mitchell Hutchins, Morgan Stanley and H.C. Wainwright & Co., where he was a partner. “W&J inspired a spirit of entrepreneurial approach to school life,” Eaton, a former member of the W&J Board of Trustees, said. “It helped me figure out a creative way of getting into my own financial business.” Eaton also is a leader in his hometown’s chapter of United Way and a supporter of “Operation Comfort,” a San Antonio-based group that supports wounded veterans.
Just months after completing her residency at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Kristin Ondecko Ligda ’03, M.D., is making a name for herself in the medical field. An anesthesiologist at UPMC Mercy, Ligda is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and Society for Education in Anesthesia. She attended the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine on a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship for Graduate Study, which provided her with $50,000 per year toward her medical degree. At VCU, she was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha—a medical honor society limited to less than 10 percent of medical students—and was named MVP for Internal Medicine Residency. Ligda, who was president of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity at W&J, still remains dedicated to her alma mater, serving on the Alumni Executive Council and Pre-Health Advisory Board and giving several on-campus presentations for pre-health students. Also active in the Alumni Mentor Program, Ligda mentors biochemistry major Michael Liebert ’12. “During the past two years, Kristin has offered extraordinary advice on everything, from what it takes to become a physician to the simplest advice on how to make the most of life,” said Liebert, who is seeking admission into medical school after graduation.
WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE
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