2020 Heritage Award | Johns Hopkins Alumni

Karen Combs, School of Nursing 1970

Karen is celebrating her 50th reunion this year, having graduated from the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing diploma program in 1970. Initially in her career, she enjoyed work in community health, plus taught nursing a couple of years. She decided teaching was not for her, and went back to school for her MBA. Afterward, she worked in finance and advertising before joining Epic, a healthcare software company, in 1988. At the time, Epic was a "start-up" with roughly 30 employees. When she retired in 2011 as Vice President in Sales, there were over 5,000 employees. Karen’s work at Epic was the perfect connection between her passion for nursing and her business experiences. While now retired, Karen was a leader in the healthcare information systems industry. Karen is also a steadfast supporter of the School of Nursing. She supports projects that are focused on community health — such as the CAPABLE Program, Pigs for Peace, and Passports to Freedom. Karen is also a generous supporter of nursing students through her support of scholarships.

Robert Gilman, Bloomberg School of Public Health Faculty

A member of the faculty since 1975, Robert Gilman, MD, has given 45 years of service to the University. In that time, he has mentored hundreds of students and research fellows. His longtime work in Peru has strengthened the brand of JHSPH – leading to a steady stream of students who have trained at Hopkins and returned to Peru to form a strong alumni network. Gilman is currently a faculty member at the School of Medicine and JHSPH, where he is also one of the directors of the Institute of Tropical Medicine. His tenure at Hopkins has also been accompanied by meaningful financial support of the Bloomberg School. Gilman is also a member of the faculty at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, where he is engaged in ongoing infectious diseases research. Prior to joining Hopkins, Gilman worked with the US Public Health Service, and served as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland Hospital. He was also the chief of infectious disease at Wyman Park Hospital. His current research focuses on disease control, and his many scientific contributions include the development of microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility, a rapid tuberculosis diagnostic technique as well as investigative work on Chagas disease, Cyclospora cayetenesis, Helicobacter pylori, and neurocysticercosis. Gilman’s career has also included research in management and training for tropical disease prevention and interventions; community-based clinical trial for drugs; and climate factors associated with infectious disease in developing countries. He is committed to improving health outcomes in developing countries, and his research and teaching legacy have left an indelible mark on the US and South America.

Juergen Glueckert, School of Advanced International Studies, Bologna, 1962

Juergen Glueckert was the president of the SAIS Alumni German Chapter for 30 years and remains a member of the Chapter’s board. In his leadership role, he has supported SAIS not only financially, but also by investing his hard work, time, and energy in keeping the community connected. Over the decades, Juergen made fellowships for German students a priority for the chapter’s increasingly successful fundraising activity, by promoting the establishment of the German Alumni Fellowship. Additionally, he contributed to fostering excellence in teaching at SAIS Europe. He enthusiastically embraced the establishment of the Steven Muller Chair in German Studies at SAIS Europe in Bologna in 1996, a fundraising initiative that received wide alumni support. Juergen also founded the Verein der Freunde der JHU SAIS Europe, which is a German based association run by Alumni that allows tax-deductible contributions to be made to SAIS Europe from Germany. He has generously supported the school.

Ronald Gue, Whiting School of Engineering 1960, 1964

Dr. Ron Gue has been a longtime supporter and friend to the University. Dr. Gue has not only acted as a leader, advisor, and advocate for the institution, but also has a long history of supporting the school philanthropically. He earned a B.E.S. and Ph.D. in mathematical sciences from Johns Hopkins, which helped lay the foundation for his successful career in academia and healthcare. He began his career as an academic at the University of Florida and later Southern Methodist University, where he founded and chaired the university’s Computer Sciences Department. He founded The Medicus Corporation, a hospital IT outsourcing company, which was eventually acquired by HBO Corporation (now McKesson Healthcare Services). He later acquired and led Medical Systems International Corporation. Before retiring, Dr. Gue was the President of Phoenix Health Systems, an organization he founded and today is considered a healthcare pioneer and knowledge leader. He has been a leader among the Johns Hopkins alumni and has served the university in many capacities. He has served on many of his reunion committees, as well as served as the inaugural chair of the Whiting School’s Rising to Challenge Campaign Committee. He was also an active member of the Whiting School Advisory Board, providing his leadership and experience to improve the Whiting School of Engineering. He also supported the Dean directly, by making a pledge gift to support the Dean’s Leadership fund.

Allyson Hughes Handley, School of Education 1975, 1978

Allyson Hughes Handley is the immediate past President of the Alumni Association and served as a member of the University Board of Trustees. She implemented the results of the Alumni Engagement Review and the Gallup Survey to help build the University-wide alumni engagement strategic plan for the Alumni Association. She is an unwavering champion of Johns Hopkins, and has set a splendid example for all graduates of the School of Education and the entire University. She recently became Interim Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the Community College of Rhode Island, having retired from the National University’s Sanford Education Center as Executive Director. Prior to that she was the 11th President at the University of Maine at Augusta (2008-2014) where she was responsible for “leading the institution and ensuring academic quality and accessibility for its students.”

Anita Holloway, Carey Business School 1999, 2002

Anita Holloway’s commitment to Johns Hopkins University runs broad and deep. As a business leader at Humana and as a physician, she understands the true meaning of “business of health”, a theme that runs across the Carey Business School and has lent to her ability to engage and mentor students. Anita has given her time, talent, and treasure in multiple ways. During her tenure as a Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board member, she devoted her energy into analyzing the ways in which Carey could broaden its reach with alumni. The opportunities and challenges of a newer school never phased her, and she rarely missed a meeting or event for the board. Despite being miles away, Anita engaged 100%+ and became a true advocate for the School. This year, she is engaged as a mentor for the Carey students working with Friends of Puerto Rico, another organization in which she is involved. She also dedicated years to the Alumni Council. As an active member of the Alumni Communities Committee she was always at the ready, offering a thoughtful perspective and strategic guidance focused on strengthening alumni connections and community.

Stephen Moore, Bloomberg School of Public Health 1993, University Trustee

Stephen G. Moore, MD, MPH, has served as President and CEO of CarDon & Associates since 2000. Moore, an Indiana native, graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He trained at the Mayo Clinic in Internal Medicine and at Hopkins in Preventive Medicine, where he earned his MPH, and spent one year as chief resident. CarDon & Associates has a 40-plus year history of developing and managing communities for seniors in Indiana and Ohio. The company currently owns and manages 22 communities on 20 campuses. These communities offer skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, long-term care, memory care, assisted living, senior housing apartments, and garden homes. Stephen and Julia Moore are the founding donors of The Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. The Moore Center is an academic research center within JHSPH, which is dedicated to applying the tools and methodology of prevention to the challenging social issue of the prevention of child sexual abuse. Moore has served as a member of the Bloomberg School’s Health Advisory Board for seven years and as the Board’s chair for five years. The Health Advisory Board provides critical guidance to School leadership. Moore has overseen the group’s evolution and growth as they serve as advocates and supporters of the School’s work and the field of public health. In addition to this commitment, he has also been a member of the Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees for four years.