The College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) honored two exemplary 1981 graduates — one who made his mark in tuberculosis research and public health, and one who served for three decades on the faculty and went on to champion scholarships for medical students — during the 2025 UAMS Alumni Reunion.
Steven Webber, M.D., executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine, presented the Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus Award to Gerald “Jerry” Mazurek, M.D., and the Distinguished Alumnus Service Award to Rhonda Dick, M.D., at a June 7 dinner and awards ceremony in Little Rock. The honorees incidentally both graduated in 1981.
“The college established the Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1973 to recognize graduates who have made exceptional contributions to medicine and health,” Webber said to UAMS graduates and guests. “These have taken many forms including world-class patient care, groundbreaking research and transformative leadership.”
While presenting the first award, Webber said, “Dr. Jerry Mazurek exemplifies what this award is about.”
After receiving his medical degree, Mazurek continued his training at UAMS with a residency in internal medicine, fellowship in pulmonology and postdoctoral research fellowship focused on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
“Dr. Mazurek’s training positioned him for a globally impactful research and public health career,” Webber said, noting that the alumnus went on to serve at academic health centers and public health agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Public Health Service, from which he retired as a captain in 2020.
“Jerry has organized national and international efforts to address deficiencies in TB diagnostics,” Webber said. “He has developed methods and authored pioneering publications describing the use of DNA fingerprinting for the epidemiologic study of M. tuberculosis, and he has managed multicenter clinical trials and trial sites that evaluated new drugs and treatment regimens for TB and other infectious diseases.”
“Dr. Mazurek also has provided expertise and leadership in times of need around the globe, with deployments to many states and countries for hurricane relief, influenza control, Ebola response, and efforts relating to COVID-19,” Webber said.
While presenting the Distinguished Alumnus Service Award to Rhonda Dick, M.D., Webber noted the slightly different emphasis of the honor. “This award allows us to recognize a graduate who not only has had a successful career in medicine, but who is also having a substantial impact on our college and what we are striving for in Arkansas,” he said.
Dick trained in pediatrics at UAMS and served on the Department of Pediatrics faculty for over three decades until her retirement as a professor emeritus in 2019. For 18 years, she oversaw substantial growth as chief of pediatric emergency medicine and medical director of the Emergency Department at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
“Rhonda has taken on the pivotal role of Class Champion for the Class of ’81, leading it to the top of the class scholarship rankings,” Webber said. “She has successfully rallied support not only within her class, but across decades of alumni. She has devoted countless hours to connecting with alumni and encouraging them to serve as class champions or on subcommittees.”
Rhonda Dick and her husband, Ken, serve on the Friends of the College of Medicine advisory board, and Rhonda leads the scholarship subcommittee. “Rhonda and Ken also have made a lasting impact through their philanthropic support,” Webber said. “Together, they established an endowed scholarship as a heartfelt tribute to those who shaped their own lives.”
“Dr. Dick’s efforts — both in time and generosity — serve as a powerful example of alumni giving back to uplift future generations of medical students,” Webber said.
Read more about Mazurek’s career and accomplishments in this profile on the UAMS Internal Medicine website.
Read more about Rhonda and Ken Dick and what has inspired them in this UAMS news story about their gift to establish an endowed scholarship.
Read more about the 2025 UAMS Alumni Reunion in this UAMS news story.