A recently established scholarship endowment in honor of a physician and public health leader will benefit graduate students in the School of Public Health at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno. The Dr. Gregory J. Hayes Memorial Scholarship Endowment, established by his wife, Joan and supported by colleagues, friends and loved ones, recognizes Gregory J. Hayes’, M.D., MPH, significant contributions to the University and public health.
Beloved Greg passed away unexpectedly on November 21, 2022. Greg was known to many for his kind, gentle and active spirit. He was a passionate public health advocate whose leadership lead to the formation of the School of Public Health.
Greg received his M.D. in 1972 from the University of Southern California. He interned at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York state. After several years of working as a staff physician and general practitioner in Colorado and California, he explored his interest in public health and served as County Health and Mental Health Officer for Alpine County in California in the 1980s. He earned his Master’s in Public Health at the University of Washington in 1991.
Greg joined the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno as part of the School of Public Health faculty in 1989 where he served as an assistant professor of Community Health Sciences. He was then promoted to associate professor in the Department of Health Sciences, specializing in teaching bioethics in the pre-med program. He ultimately served as an associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Ecology, finishing his academic career in 2005 as acting director and emeritus associate professor of the School of Public Health.
Dean of the School of Public Health Muge Akpinar-Elci expresses her gratitude, “Gregory Hayes’ contributions to our school as well as our community are nothing short of monumental. As an avid environmentalist, educator and advocate, his legacy will continue to support the success public health students for generations to come.”
Greg’s teachings and shared institutional knowledge continue to inspire students, faculty and public health leaders. Greg left behind a legacy of compassion, dedication and perseverance. In Spring 2023, Greg was posthumously inducted as an honorary member into the Delta Phi Chapter of Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health for his years of service.
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