The University of South Alabama National Alumni Association honored alumni, scholarship supporters, a USA Health physician and the USA Foundation during the 19th annual Distinguished Alumni & Service Awards gala on March 14 at the MacQueen Alumni Center on campus.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to recognize the achievements of our alumni, friends and supporters,” said Margaret Sullivan, vice president for development and alumni relations. “These individuals have shown outstanding leadership in their respective career fields, to the University and in their communities.”
The ceremony took place as the USA National Alumni Association celebrates its 50th year.
“The Distinguished Alumni & Service Awards is an opportunity to pause and recognize alumni and friends who are passionate about the University of South Alabama,” said Kim Lawkis, president of the National Alumni Association. “It’s a celebration of both their professional accomplishments and their personal commitment to the success of our University.”
Jack Anthony DiPalma, M.D., is the recipient of this year’s William J. “Happy” Fulford Inspirational Achievement Award. DiPalma, a native of Brooklyn, New York, arrived in Mobile in 1987 to establish the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. DiPalma established the division’s clinical research program and the gastroenterology fellowship training program. In the classroom, he draws such respect that students bestowed on him the Red Sash teaching award for 13 consecutive years.
DiPalma has been a valuable member of the University’s Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine for more than three decades. He has brought national and international acclaim to the University and USA Health as a result of his work and leadership in organizations such as the American College of Gastroenterology, of which he is a former president, and the World Gastroenterology Organization Foundation. Locally, he has served on, and as a leader of, the Board of Censors of the Mobile Medical Society, the Mobile County Board of Health, Leadership Mobile and the Mobile Botanical Gardens. He has been invited to lecture and teach in several countries around the globe.
DiPalma and his wife, Ann, are longtime, multi-sport season ticket holders and generous donors to Jaguar Athletics. In his spare time, he serves as the faculty advisor for the University’s bass fishing team.
The DiPalmas have two children, Elizabeth and Sister Mary Michael, and reside in Mobile.
Read more about this year's Distinguished Alumni & Service Award honorees.
