Traisman Lounge Post-Renovation Rededication
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| Feinberg students Chris Childers, Bruce Henschen, and Silviu Diaconu, showed their support at the rededication celebration for the Howard S. and Regina G. Traisman Medical Student Center. |
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine faculty, staff, and students celebrated the rededication of the Howard S. and Regina G. Traisman Medical Student Center on March 4. The space was created through the generosity of Howard S. Traisman, MD ’47, GME ’51, BSM ’46, BS ’43, formerly professor emeritus in the Department of Pediatrics, and his wife Reggie, who wanted to create a student-only place for studying and socializing. With Traisman’s passing in October 2010, the event also served to honor his memory.
Established in 1997, the lounge — located on the first floor of the Tarry Research and Education Building — recently went through a renovation to update its furnishings and electronics. This project was initiated by Traisman, who was adamant that the space benefit generations of students. In addition to the original pool, poker, and foosball tables, the space now features a television, comfortable and modern couches, tables, and chairs, and a portrait of Dr. and Mrs. Traisman.
Speakers Raymond Curry, MD, vice dean for education, and Darren Boyd, a fourth-year student and class president, described the event as bittersweet, since Traisman wasn’t there to see the renovated space he helped create.
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| Dr. Traisman’s son, Edward Traisman, MD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg, attended the lounge rededication with his wife Adrienne. |
“Dr. Traisman was a great role model for me. Even in our last conversation, he conveyed his passion for medicine and education,” said Boyd. “By developing a space for students to further their studies and interact socially, he showed his ever-present concern for both the academic and humanistic sides of medicine. While we cannot say thank you to him today, we can thank the family.”
In attendance with his wife Adrienne, Edward S. Traisman, MD ’81, GME ’84, BSM ’79, associate professor of clinical pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg, accepted the students’ gratitude on behalf of his father, who he called a diehard Northwestern supporter and fan — a physician and teacher who “bled purple.”
“Not only was Northwestern important to my father, but the University made him feel important. When you become a student here, know that you are joining a family,” Edward Traisman told students. “My father was always a proud alumnus of this school; he made a commitment to his home.”
The Traisman family also announced the creation of a new scholarship named the Dr. Howard S. and Regina G. Traisman Scholarship Fund. A gift from the late Traisman’s estate and other contributions, the scholarship — awarded to a first-year medical student based on need and merit — will provide approximately $4,500 per year in relief funding for all four years of school.
