Dr. W. Gerald Austen, an internationally renowned cardiac surgeon and medical adviser to Akron legends John and James Knight and many other Akronites, has been elected to the board of The University of Akron Foundation.
The foundation comprises volunteers who assist in raising and directing private financial support on behalf of The University of Akron. Foundation trustees serve three-year terms on the board.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Austen on the Foundation Board. He is a renowned and accomplished professional whose leadership, expertise and commitment to excellence will serve us well,” said UA President Luis M. Proenza. “As past chairman of Knight Foundation, he understands the roles universities play in driving economic development, revitalizing the community and improving quality of life.”
An Akron native, Austen, 80, has had a profound impact on Akron’s civic and professional landscape. He joined the Knight Foundation board in 1987, and later served as chairman from 1996 to 2010. As chairman he was instrumental in gaining Knight Foundation support for the greater Akron region. The Knight Foundation has provided support for investments such as the John S. and James L. Knight Building at the Akron Art Museum, the Fund for Our Economic Future, the University Park Alliance and the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, which is named in his honor.
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School, Austen began a distinguished career in developing a world-class cardiac surgical program at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he served as chief of surgery for 29 years. A member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Austen has served as a visiting professor at more than 50 medical centers worldwide and served as president of a host of major national medical societies.
Austen and his wife Patricia’s involvement with UA goes back many years. Austen was honored by the University with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1980, and an honorary alumni award in 1981.
Media contact: Sarah Lane, 330-972-7429 or slane@uakron.edu.