Washington D.C., November 3, 2001 - University of Michigan President Lee C. Bollinger is the second recipient of the Herbert W. Nickens, M.D. Award for Diversity. Bollinger will be honored at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 112th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., where he will deliver an address on the importance of diversity to education on Tuesday, November 6, 8:00 a.m. at the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel.

The Herbert W. Nickens award, named for the AAMC's former vice president of the Division of Community and Minority Programs, is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to promote justice in medical education and health care.
Bollinger is a renowned First Amendment scholar, University of Michigan Law School faculty member and former dean. His efforts to protect the educational needs of minority students are nationally renown. Under his leadership, the University's undergraduate and law school classes have become models for diversity in higher education. His firm stance on affirmative action has rallied the support of academics, physicians, and business leaders alike. University of Michigan ranks fifth in the nation for graduating African American medical school students.

In response to two 1997 lawsuits filed against the University of Michigan for the use of race in its admissions process, Bollinger strongly defended the University's policy on affirmative action. He argued that a racially diverse student body is fundamental to prepare students for an increasingly multi-cultural world. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit will hear oral arguments on behalf of both of these cases on December 6, 2001.

Bollinger lectures nationally on the benefits of a diverse educational environment. As President he has launched new initiatives to enhance the education of all Michigan students, including underrepresented minorities. The University's HOPE (Health Occupations Partners in Education) Project, which supports local public school students in sixth through twelfth grades, aims to increase interest in health care careers and improve academic achievement among underrepresented minority high school students. Under Bollinger's support, seven University of Michigan professional schools, including the Medical School, School of Dentistry, and School of Public Health, participate in the HOPE project.

Lee Bollinger earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1971. He joined the teaching staff at the University of Michigan Law School, where he stayed until 1994, when he became a professor and provost at Dartmouth College. Bollinger returned to the University of Michigan in 1997 to serve as the University's president.

The first recipient of the Herbert Nickens, M.D. Award was Donald Wilson, M.D., Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Wilson received the award in 2000 for his work in promoting diversity and equity in health care. Wilson is a founding member of the Association of Academic Minority Physicians.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges represents the 125 accredited U.S. medical schools; the 16 accredited Canadian medical schools; some 400 major teaching hospitals, including 74 Veterans Administration medical centers; 91 academic and professional societies representing nearly 88,000 faculty members; and the nation's 67,000 medical students and 102,000 residents. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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