10-9-03
BEHREND HONORS ERIE AREA NATIVE AS ALUMNI FELLOW
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, named alumnus John S. Heller, Ph.D. '67, a scientist with Abbott Laboratories, as the 2003 Alumni Fellow at a reception in his honor on Wednesday, October 8. Penn State President Graham Spanier was in Erie to present Heller the Alumni Fellow Award, the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association.
Heller, a graduate of the former Wesleyville High School, currently lives in of Kenosha, Wisconsin. For the past eighteen years he has worked in research at Abbott Laboratories, a global health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical and diagnostic products. In his earlier years at Abbott, Heller led the team that developed the first commercially available test for HIV antibodies in the blood. This enabled large-scale screening of blood donors and significantly reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infections from blood transfusions
"We are exceptionally proud of John Heller's scientific accomplishments," said Dr. Jack Burke, campus executive officer and dean. "He sets a fine example for our students and demonstrates the value that results from a Penn State education."
During his return to Penn State Erie, Heller spoke to students in chemistry and biology classes and presented a general colloquium on AIDS research. He said that the most effective way to stop AIDS is to interrupt transmission of the virus, and it will take a combination of education, science, and government policy to accomplish that. To the students attending he said, "You are the people who will solve this problem in the coming years."
Heller is currently director of reagent development for Abbott Laboratories and supervises a team of fifty scientists and technicians. He has managed the development of numerous tests for sexually transmitted diseases, and his team is currently developing reagents to be used in testing for hepatitis and HIV.
The Penn State Board of Trustees has designated the title of Alumni Fellow as permanent and lifelong. Recipients of the award are asked to return to campus to share their knowledge and expertise with the University community. Heller will be on campus October 8 to address four School of Science biology classes and conduct a colloquium on AIDS research.
For more information about the Alumni Fellow reception, call 814-898-6159.
Contact:
Loretta Brandon
814-898-6063 (O)
E-mail: lzb6@psu.edu