March 24, 2000

ABC News Medical Editor to Address Holy Cross Graduates

WORCESTER, Mass. – Timothy Johnson, M.D., medical editor for ABC News will deliver the principal address and receive an honorary degree at the 154th commencement exercises at the College of the Holy Cross on Friday, May 26.

Holy Cross will graduate 659 men and women during the ceremony, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Fitton Field.  In case of rain, the commencement exercises will be held in the Hart Recreation Center.

Johnson, one of the nation's leading medical communicators of health care information, has provided commentary on medical problems and answers for viewers since 1975.  In addition to commentary on Good Morning America, Johnson provides on-air analysis of medical news for World News Tonight, Nightline and 20/20.  He consults with ABC News regarding
coverage of medical news.  He is also medical editor for WCVB-TV, Channel 5 in Boston.

Johnson holds joint positions in medicine at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.  He is the founding editor of the Harvard Medical School Health Letter and co-editor of the Harvard Medical School Health Letter Book.  He is also coeditor of the book, "Your Good Health," published by Harvard Press, as well as co-author with former
US Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop of the book, "Let's Talk," published by Zondervan in 1992.

He originally intended to join the ministry and graduated from the North Park Seminary in 1963.  Two years later he decided to enter medicine.  Johnson, who is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Augustana College, graduated summa cum laude from Albany Medical College and holds a master's degree in public health from Harvard University.  Johnson is an assisting minister at the Community Covenant Church in West Peabody, Mass.
 

The following individuals will also receive honorary degrees:

Eavan Boland is an Irish poet and essayist.  The Melvin and Bill Lane Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University, she is also the director of the Creative Writing Program.  She has been writer in residence at Trinity College and University College Dublin and is on the board of the Irish Arts Council and a member of the Irish Academy of Letters.

Boland has published eight volumes of poetry, the most recent being, "In a Time of Violence" (W.W. Norton), and "An Origin Like Water: Collected Poems 1967-87" (WW Norton).  She has received the Lannan Award for Poetry and has published a volume of prose called "Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time."

Aaron Lazare, MD, is chancellor of the University of Massachusetts/Worcester and dean of the medical school.  In addition, he is a professor of psychiatry at the medical school.  A graduate of Oberlin College, he earned his medical degree at Western Reserve University.

Lazare taught at Harvard Medical School for nearly 20 years; during that time he was associated with Massachusetts General Hospital.  He has served at UMass since 1982, becoming chancellor in 1991.  Lazare, a renowned psychiatrist, has earned numerous awards.

Sister Mary Rose McGeady is president and CEO of Covenant House, the largest privately-funded childcare agency in the United States, providing shelter and service to homeless and runaway youth.  It was incorporated in New York City in 1972 and has since expanded across the country and outside the United States to Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.  Covenant House has 1,900 employees and 1,700 volunteers.

Sister Mary Rose has served at Covenant House since 1990.  Previously, she was associate director of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y.  She is a member of the Roman Catholic order, the Daughters of Charity.

For additional information contact Cristal Perriello at 508.793.2419