Health Center Rooms To Be Renamed
In Honor Of Faculty, Physicians
During graduation week, two founding faculty members of the medical school, a preeminent Hartford surgeon, and the Lyman Maynard Stowe library’s longest serving director will be honored by having rooms at the Health Center named after them.
Dr. Henry B.C. Low, who performed the first coronary bypass surgery in the region and the first successful heart transplant in Connecticut, is among the most respected surgeons to have practiced in New England.
Widely regarded as the father of cardiovascular surgery in Connecticut, for decades he has volunteered his time to teach cardiothoracic surgical techniques to residents at the UConn School of Medicine.
The Henry B.C. Low, M.D. Learning Center, formerly known as the Link Room, will be equipped with the latest technology to enhance the Health Center’s teleconferencing capabilities, including internet broadcasts of medical symposia as well as clinical demonstrations.
“It is state-of-the art,” says Low, “and I’m thrilled that my name will be associated with it.”
The Center for Anatomical Studies will bear the name of scientist and educator Dr. Sherwin J. Cooperstein. “Coop” was one of the founding faculty of the School of Medicine and played a key role in the creation of its governance structure and operating principles.
Cooperstein, who died last year, was a respected teacher of gross anatomy and was admired by generations of medical and dental students. The proposed 5,000-square-foot center comprises two laboratory suites with 34 cadaver stations that can serve 136 students, a room for faculty demonstrations, and a conference room used for academic classes, as well as for meetings and conferences.
Another founding faculty member of the medical school will also be honored with the naming of a room. For more than 40 years, Dr. James E.C. Walker has been recognized as an outstanding medical scholar and professional. His insight, vision, leadership, and support have stimulated the development of several academic and clinical programs, including the UConn Center on Aging and the James E. C. Walker, M.D./Physicians Health Services Chair in Primary Care Medicine, which is currently held by Dr. Richard A. Garibaldi.
“There have been enormous changes over the years, and all for the better,” says Walker. “The Health Center is now in the forefront of healthcare, and I’m very touched they are naming the Academic Affairs Conference Room in my honor.”
Ralph D. Arcari served the Health Center and its Lyman Maynard Stowe Library for 30 years. During that time he was committed not only to serving the information needs of faculty and students, but also to meeting the health information needs of the public. It was through his vision and leadership that the library recently underwent a major $1.7 million renovation and has attained local, regional, and national recognition.
A plaque will be placed inside the library in his honor, and will serve as a lasting reminder of his dedication to the institution.
