On September 18th, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps will present Dr. Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Christine Grady, Ph.D., Chief of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, with the inaugural Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Award for Exemplary Public Service at IVC’s Evening of Gratitude in the National Capital Area. As Dr. Anthony Fauci moves toward retirement after five decades of public service with the National Institutes of Health, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps is beyond proud to honor him and Dr. Grady.
At IVC, we believe that the life experience, wisdom, and skills of senior men and women can transform the world through justice rooted in Gospel values. Drs. Fauci and Grady have used their life experiences, wisdom, and skills to protect and improve health for all Americans, including those marginalized and excluded.
IVC will present Drs. Fauci and Grady with The Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Award for Exemplary Public Service during the National Capital Area’s annual Evening of Gratitude, held at Georgetown Preparatory School.
This new award is named as a tribute to the late Pedro Arrupe, S.J., who served as the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus from 1965 to 1983. Arrupe coined the phrase “men and women for others” in 1973 when he said, “gifted with conscience, intelligence, and power, each of us is indeed a center. But a center called to go out of ourselves to give ourselves to others in love.” For Arrupe, the commitment to others meant undertaking a willingness to pay attention to the injustices around us and develop a “firm resolve to be agents of change in society; not merely resisting unjust structures and arrangements but actively undertaking to reform them.”
Dr. Fauci, a physician, researcher, and graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Cornell University Medical College, is recognized globally as one of the leading voices on immunology and infectious diseases. Since 1984, he has served as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, advising every sitting United States president during that time. Currently, he also serves as Chief Medical Advisor to the President and helps lead the nation’s efforts to fight the COVID19 pandemic.
Dr. Grady, a nurse, clinical researcher, and bioethicist with degrees from Georgetown University (B.S., Ph.D.) and Boston College (MSN), has specialized in the care of HIV patients and the study of the disease itself, as well as the ethics of clinical research. Currently, Dr. Grady serves at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center as the head of the Department of Bioethics.
Of the choice for inaugural recipients, IVC President & CEO Mary McGinnity says “There is no one more deserving of the Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Award than Dr. Fauci and Dr. Grady. Each of them exemplifies what it is to be a true public servant. Their life’s work in healthcare, commitment to the common good, and their dedication to improving the lives of others reflects the values of IVC. We are proud to honor these remarkable individuals and are grateful to them for their service.”
In addition to recognizing Drs. Fauci and Grady for their combined contributions to public service and public health, we will recognize three other leaders within our community: Mr. James Kelley, Mr. Joe Raia, and Ms. Martina O’Shea.