College of Pharmacy: Ray Symposium
About the Ray Symposium
The Ray Symposium, an annual speaker series, honors Max D. Ray, MS, PharmD, Dean Emeritus of the SWAG视频 College of Pharmacy. As Professor and Dean from 1996-2006, he created a stimulating educational environment that fostered excellence and professionalism.
His professional career was divided almost equally into pharmacy practice, association management, and education. A major focus of his work throughout his career was seeking ways in which to improve the value of pharmacy to society.
Today, the Ray Symposium celebrates the multifaceted role that pharmacists play in improving the lives of patients and the health of their communities.
2024 Ray Symposium Be Infectious. Navigating through an Era of Plagues, Politics, and Public Health
Rear Admiral (retired) Scott Giberson retired as an Assistant U.S. Surgeon General and two-star admiral with the U.S. Public Health Service. He is well versed in the
delivery of healthcare solutions in under-resourced and vulnerable populations and has successfully led organizations through global and domestic health crises.
Currently, RADM (ret.) Giberson is the CEO of AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (USA), a global company that provides medical and public health services and solutions
to the U.S. government, international aid organizations, humanitarian concerns, the private sector and state government agencies in a wide range of remote and
challenging environments.
RADM (ret.) Giberson served as the acting Deputy Surgeon General of the United States (2013-2014). He was the Surgeon General鈥檚 principal liaison with health
leadership in multiple U.S. Departments. He also held executive positions as the Senior Advisor to the Office of Surgeon General, Director of Commissioned
Corps Headquarters, and Senior Public Health Advisor for the Department of Defense, at Pacific Command鈥檚 Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and
Humanitarian Assistance (2003-2006). He also served as overall Commander of the Corps鈥� Ebola Response in West Africa, where he provided oversight of multiple
missions and deployment of over 1,000 officers as a direct task from the White House.
RADM Giberson has authored numerous articles and delivered well over 100 keynote lectures on leadership, pharmacy, global health, and public health at numerous
venues domestically and internationally. He has been interviewed on multiple TV and radio affiliates and serves on several academic boards. RADM (ret) Giberson has
received numerous service and non-service awards including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and USAID鈥檚 Humanitarian Group Award. In 2015, he received the Presidential Unit Citation from President Obama in the Oval Office for the West African Ebola response.
Daniel Kraft, MD
Physician-Scientist and Innovator
鈥淐atalyzing the Future of Health and Medicine: What鈥檚 Next?鈥�
April 27, 2023
Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH
Executive Director of Ariadne Labs
鈥淗ealth Systems Improvement – Scaling for the Globe鈥�
April 28, 2022
Aaron Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
鈥淒rug Regulations in the 21st Century- The FDA, Policy, and Politics?鈥�
April 22, 2021
Katherine Eban
Investigative Journalist
鈥淭he Hidden World Behind America’s Low-Cost Drugs鈥�
April 30, 2020
Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD
University Professor, The University of Connecticut
鈥淎ddressing the Future of Health in America: Diversity, Racism and Health Disparities鈥�
April 18, 2019
Alan I. Leshner, PhD
CEO-Emeritus, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Former Executive Publisher, Science
鈥淐ommunicating Science Effectively鈥�
April 19, 2018
Dana Goldman, PhD
Professor, Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair and Director for the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
鈥淩e-Thinking Value in an Era of Health Reform鈥�
April 20, 2017
Michael W. Kalichman, PhD
Professor, Director of the UCSD Research Ethics Program
鈥淪cience, Truth and the Public Trust鈥�
April 21, 2016 2016 Ray Symposium Presentation
Ellen Peters, PhD
Professor of Psychology, Director of the Behavioral Decision Making Initiative, The Ohio State University
鈥淣umeracy and Health: A Tyranny of Numbers鈥�
April 30, 2015 2015 Ray Symposium Presentation
Eileen Crimmins, PhD
AARP Chair in Gerontology, USC Davis School of Gerontology
鈥淪horter Lives, Poorer Health鈥�
April 17, 2014
Patricia B. Crawford, Dr. PH, RD
Director, Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist
鈥淎ccelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention鈥�
April 18, 2013
Joshua S. Benner, PharmD, ScD
President and CEO, RxAnte, Inc. and Visiting Scholar, The Brookings Institution
鈥淩eforming Health Care: Policy, Politics, and Patient Care鈥�
April 12, 2012
William E. Evans, PharmD
Director and CEO, St. Jude Children鈥檚 Research Hospital
鈥淭he Promise of Genomics 鈥� What Lies Ahead?鈥�
April 21, 2011
Michael Cohen, RPh, MS, ScD
President of The Institute for Safe Medication Practices
鈥淪afe Medication Practices 鈥� Preventing Errors鈥�
April 15, 2010
David B. Reuben, MD
Director, Multicampus Program in Geriatrics Medicine and Gerontology (MPGMG) and Chief, Division of Geriatrics at UCLA Center for Health Sciences鈥淩etooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce鈥�
April 9, 2009
Brian Smedley, PhD
Research Director and Co-founder of the Opportunity Agenda
鈥淓liminating Disparities鈥�
April 17, 2008
Lyle Bootman
Co-editor, 2006 National Institutes of Medicine Report
鈥淧reventing Medication Errors鈥�
April 19, 2007
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.
Corporate Sponsors:
Individual Sponsors:
Dr. Lilia Xu
Dr. Nayan Patel
Dr. Paul Huynh
Victor Law, RPh
Dr. John Sie
Dr. Ray Yutani
Dr. Ramesh Upadhyayula