The winners of the 2004 College of Public Health Outstanding Alumni Awards are:

Gregory L. Burke, professor and chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, N.C. Burke earned an M.D. in 1981 and an M.S. in Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology in 1983. A widely recognized leader in the study of cardiovascular disease, Burke has participated in many of the largest national multi-center epidemiologic studies and clinical trials. Currently, he is the National Chair of the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, a member of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Board of Extramural Advisors, and chair of many national NIH committees.

George B. Caldwell, Lake Forest, Ill., chairman, The Collier Company; president emeritus, Lutheran General HealthSystem. He earned an MA in Hospital Administration in 1955. An innovative leader in the health care industry, Caldwell is best known for his pioneering work in the corporate restructuring of hospital organizations. He was one of the first chief executive officers to use the “Human Ecology” framework in health care, an approach that lay the groundwork for today’s “patient centered care.” He has served as either president or chief executive officer of several health care organizations in addition to holding adjunct and visiting faculty positions at several universities.

Allen M. Hicks, Irving, Tex., co-founder of Voluntary Hospitals of America (VHA); former president and chief executive officer of Community Hospitals of Indianapolis; and former chief executive officer of numerous other health care organizations. Hicks earned an MA in Hospital Administration in 1955. He is a co-founder of VHA, an organization that fosters collaboration between health care providers, and is widely known for his support in educating and mentoring future health care executives. He has received numerous awards for his work, including induction into the Modern Healthcare Hall of Fame in 2001.

Todd C. Linden, president and chief executive officer, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell, Iowa. Linden earned an MA in Hospital and Health Administration (now Health Management and Policy) in 1987. Linden has established a reputation as a leading health care administrator throughout the state. He has been honored with many awards as a health care executive, including the Iowa Hospital Association’s “Excellence in Leadership Award” (2001). He is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees and is affiliated with many other local, state, and national organizations.

Charles F. Lynch, professor, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Lynch earned an M.D. from the College of Medicine and an M.S. from the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health in 1979. He also earned a Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health in 1984. He completed his residency in pathology in 1986 and was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine in 1988. Since 1990 Lynch has been the principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute’s prestigious Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program in Iowa. He has received numerous awards for teaching and research.

Ronald K. Ross, professor and chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine and USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Ross received an M.D. from the College of Medicine and an M.S. from the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health in 1975. During his tenure at the University of Southern California, he has established a reputation as an internationally recognized cancer epidemiologist. His research on the development of prostate cancer has led to intervention strategies for prevention and has helped distinguish the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center as a premier cancer center in the U.S. He maintains ties to The University of Iowa as a member of the College of Public Health External Advisory Committee and as a member of the External Advisory Committee to the University of Iowa’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.