Dr. David Ferry - Teaser Trailer

It's been exciting working with Dr. Ferry these past few weeks, documenting his stunning woodworking. Be on the lookout for the full video very soon, but in the meantime, here is a teaser of what's to come. You can purchase Dr. Ferry's candlesticks at his website: http://www.andurildesigns.com

Kwame Agyeman - Education: A Weapon for the Poor

Here is one more student story that we'd like to share. For a while now, Kwame has been supporting his village back in Ghana and providing the SDA school there with computers--something that he didn't have access to until much later in his educational career.

Jo Everett - Overcoming Setbacks

Besides being able to whip up an amazing batch of chocolate chip cookies, Jo has managed to face and overcome major setbacks throughout her life. We are very lucky to be able to share her powerful story with all of you.

Ben Damazo - Lessons from Swimming

We have a few more student stories coming your way! Today, we'd like to share Ben Damazo's story. Ben is an avid swimmer and has been running a local swimming program to help end drowning-related deaths.

Mike Diatte - The Gift of Medicine

We are always inspired by the amazing stories of our current students--and Mike's story is no exception. Having overcome a medical complication himself, Mike is determined to give back to his community through medicine.

2017 Alumnus of the Year: Dr. Anton Hasso ’67

2017 Honored Alumnus: William Smith ’67

As an instructor for the U.S. Army, Dr. Smith developed the first computer-assisted teaching program in the Army Medical Department. He took an anesthesiology residency at the LA County Harbor General Hospital and LA Children’s Hospital. Moving to Tennessee, he became head of the School of Anesthesia at Madison Hospital. The school eventually became the Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia and is the only free-standing fully-accredited graduate institution for nurse anesthetist training in the U.S. At his retirement in 2006, Dr. Smith had trained nearly 1,000 CRNAs—more than any physician in American history. In 1981, Dr. Smith founded Holiday Seminars, Inc., which has since provided continuing education credits for 15,000 anesthesia practitioners at locations around the globe. He retired from clinical practice six years ago and served as president of Holiday Seminars until 2014. He and his wife, Bonnie, life in Madison, Tennessee.

2017 Honored Alumnus: Dr. Helgi Heidar ’67

Raised in Iceland, Dr. Heidar taught in the Seventh-day Adventist school system there and took his training in business and school administration in the U.S. before pursuing medicine at Loma Linda. He spent three years in the U.S. Public Health Service and then returned to Loma Linda for an ophthalmology residency. Three years of private practice led to an interest in the intra ocular lens and further training in Holland in 1976. In 1985, Dr. Heidar cofounded the Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute, the first ophthalmic outpatient eye surgery center in Washington. The institute now comprises 17 centers in six states. In 1995, Dr. Heidar took a mini fellowship at Gimbel Eye Centre in Canada. He helped modernize the eye department at Montemorelos University and twice taught phacoemulsification cataract surgery in China. In 1998, he founded Laser Vision Specialists in Olympia, where he performed refractive surgery. He and his wife, Drusilla, are now retired in Chehalis, Washington.

2017 Honored Alumnus: Dr. Gerald Kirk ’67

Following his internship, Dr. Kirk was a missionary physician in Ethiopia. Military service took him to Alaska, where from 1970 to 1972 he served in the Indian Health Service. Returning to Loma Linda, he took a radiology residency and began a “study tapes” ministry. Over time it became known as Pine Knoll Publications and at its peak was distributing more than 1,000 pieces of material a month to missionaries posted around the world. In 1975, Dr. Kirk joined the faculty of nuclear radiology at Loma Linda. Three years later he became director of the department, a position he maintains today. He has served as chair of the Radiation Safety Committee and been involved with a number of other committees and associations in his field. His research activities, presentations, and published papers number in the dozens. A cancer survivor himself, Dr. Kirk and his wife, Cherie, live in Redlands.

2017 Honored Alumnus: James Couperus ’67

Following an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in infectious diseases at Loma Linda, Dr. Couperus served two years as chief of medicine and laboratory officer at the Naval Hospital in Oak Harbor, Washington. He practiced medicine in Tennessee, California, and Oregon before joining the faculty of infectious diseases at Loma Linda in 1979. He has dedicated his career to the school ever since. Dr. Couperus has held numerous faculty and administrative positions including associate professor of medicine, medical director of hospital epidemiology, head of infectious diseases, and chair of the Infection Control Committee. He has served on many boards and committees including the admissions committee, the executive committee, and the bylaws committee. He was twice recognized by his senior internal medicine residents for his outstanding contributions to the program. He and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Redlands.

2017 Honored Alumnus: Dr. Charles Knapp ’62

With his eyes set on becoming a missionary surgeon after medical school, Dr. Knapp was instead drafted by the U.S. Army in 1963. As a battalion surgeon he directed medical civic action projects in Central and South America. Due to circumstances out of his control, he remained in the Army, a move that led to an eclectic and nontraditional career in medicine. During his distinguished military career of nearly 30 years, Dr. Knapp held key roles including command and senior staff. After a residency in aerospace medicine, he served as a NASA support physician for Apollo 11. He was involved in bioengineering research and development in aviation safety. In the 1980s his responsibilities included medical support and diplomatic medical logistics negotiations in the Middle East. He served in Desert Storm and received numerous military awards and badges. Since retiring from the military, Dr. Knapp has founded five successful businesses. He and his wife, Mary, live in North Carolina.

2017 Honored Alumnus: Dr. Albert Crum ’57-aff

After two years of medical school at Loma Linda, Dr. Crum went on to graduate from Harvard Medical School in 1957. Following service in the U.S. Air Force he completed a psychiatric residency at Columbia University in 1963. He served as medical director of Psychiatric Services International and was a consultant to a number of well-known figures around the world. In 1987, he completed a master’s degree in neuroscience from New York University, continuing on as clinical professor of management sciences and behavioral sciences there for 25 years. In 2000, he published a book about his precept method of stress relief: “The 10-Step Method of Stress Relief.” That same year Dr. Crum founded The ProImmune Company, which produces immune-enhanced dietary supplements based on a 2003 patent of his. Dr. Crum and his wife, Rosa, life in New York.