Celebrating NSM’s Newest da Vinci and Red Jacket Society Members and Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
In-Person Event Recognizes Transformative Giving and Achievements
In April, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics inducted 28 new members into its da Vinci Society and recognized the Distinguished Alumni Award winner Malcolm L. Mazow, M.D. (’56). The da Vinci Society & Distinguished Alumni Recognition Dinner was held at UH’s Rockwell Pavilion.
At the event, Rikki C. Raflo, Ed.D. (’94), a 2018 inaugural da Vinci Society member, was inducted into the Red Jacket Society. In 2020, NSM established that level of recognition for donors who have a cumulative lifetime giving of $1 million or more to the College. Each donor has the option to receive a commemorative red blazer. Red Jacket members unable to attend included, May P. Chu, Ph.D., and Paul C. W. Chu, Ph.D., and Harry Skewes, Ph.D.
The da Vinci Society honors donors for their extraordinary philanthropic support of the College. These individuals have a cumulative lifetime giving level of $50,000 or more, or have included NSM in their estate plans at a minimum of $50,000.
The inductees for 2020 and 2021 have given gifts to NSM totaling more than $3.5 million.
The Society is named for Leonardo da Vinci, an interdisciplinary genius and possibly the greatest inventor of all time. Each donor inducted into the da Vinci Society has played a transformative role in the development of NSM—just as da Vinci did for modern art and science.
Inductees - 2020
Anita L. Cheung (’76) and Edson H. Cheung, M.D. (’76)
Barbara Clark and Edgar Bering, Ph.D.
Kelly Coleman, M.D. (’98)
Janet and Kenneth Hogstrom, Ph.D. (’70)
Nancy Kralik (M.S. ’82)
Eva (’87, M.S.W. ’21) and Dan E. Wells, Ph.D.
Louis Wu (’71, M.B.A. ’83)†
† deceased
Inductees - 2021
Katy Caldwell (’78)
Halina Caravello, Ph.D. (M.S. ’85) and Joseph Caravello
Kathleen and Fred Hilterman, Ph.D.
Virginia Leigh Hollyer (’88, M.S. ‘92) and Joe Webb (’71)
Karen Love, Ph.D. (M.S. ’85, Ph.D. ’90) and Alex Woronow, Ph.D. (M.S. ’73)
Janis Parsley, R.Ph., M.B.A. (’82) and Georges Mirza
Peggy and John Prugh (’89)
Harry Skewes, Ph.D. (Ph.D. ’66)
Chin-Sen Ting, Ph.D.
Patrice Yarbough, Ph.D. (’80, Ph.D. ’85) and Carl Yarbough (’85)
Malcolm Mazow, M.D.: Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
Malcolm L. Mazow, M.D. (’56) has practiced pediatric ophthalmology and treated adult strabismus in Houston for over 50 years. He received a B.S. in biology from UH.
He has been actively involved in academic medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he held the first Walter & Ruth Sterling Professorship in Ophthalmology. He was a founding member of Houston Eye Associates, the largest multi-specialty ophthalmology practice in the U.S., where he served as the senior pediatric ophthalmologist.
His extensive knowledge and decades of experience have provided thousands of children and adults who have visual and ocular motility impairments with treatment to cure or improve their quality of life. His passion for his profession, compassionate manner and devotion to his patients is clearly evident.
Dr. Mazow has influenced the career paths of countless residents in ophthalmology. Additionally, he has trained numerous individuals who selected to specialize in pediatric ophthalmology.
Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics