From left are Drs. Edward Block, Craig Tisher, Bruce Kone and Rick Johnson
This year’s C. Craig Tisher Visiting Professor did not have to travel far to deliver lectures in honor of the former chief of the renal division and dean of the COM. Dr. Bruce Kone, the current COM dean filled that role.
“I was asked by Dr. Rick Johnson (current division chief) to be the Tisher Visiting Professor last year — at the same time I was being considered for the job of dean,” Kone said. “I thought Rick must have known something I didn’t know.”
The division of nephrology, hypertension and renal transplantation within the department of medicine held its 5th Annual C. Craig Tisher Visiting Professorship March 26 and 27. The lectureship, endowed by Drs. R. Glenn Davis, Louis Gregory, and Charles Hayes, honors Tisher, who was chief of the renal division from 1980-1998 and dean of the College of Medicine from 2002-2007. He has made many contributions in basic research, education and leadership as past editor of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and editor of several important textbooks in nephrology and a resident of the American Society of Nephrology, Treasurer of the International Society of Nephrology and recipient of the John P. Peters Award of the ASN.
Kone, the Folke H. Peterson Dean’s Distinguished Professor, delivered lectures both at the COM Jacksonville campus and Gainesville campus. Kone, a 1983 graduate of the COM and a former junior faculty member in the nephrology division, is an accomplished scientist and kidney specialist who considers Tisher a mentor.
The lectureship was highlighted with a dinner Thursday evening at Mr. Han’s Restaurant to honor both Tisher and Kone. A portrait of Tisher, painted by Carolyn Johnston, was presented and now hangs in the Medical Science Building hallway alongside all former COM deans. It also was announced that the C. Craig and Audrae Tisher professorship in nephrology is now an endowed professorship.