Wright Honored For Minority Medical Education Efforts

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Maggie S. Wright, Ph.D., assistant dean for minority affairs in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, has received the Outstanding Contribution to Medical Education Award for 1996 from the National Association of Minority Medical Educators, Inc.

Wright spent 15 years at UB as assistant dean for student affairs and director of minority programs for the medical school before assuming her current position in order to concentrate on her work with underrepresented students.

One of the goals of UB's Primary Care Initiative is to recruit more medical students from underserved populations in hopes they will return to practice in their communities. Wright has played a major role in increasing the percentage of minority medical students at UB to 12 percent, one of the highest in the nation.

A former teacher, Wright earned master's and doctoral degrees in counseling from UB, and worked at the University Counseling Center before taking her position at the medical school. During her tenure, she has been director of the Minority High School Research Apprentice Program, the Science and Technology Enrichment Program for talented minority college students and the Health Careers Opportunity Program.

Her recent honors include the Sojourner Truth Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs; the award for leadership in meeting the challenge of children with special needs from the Robert Warner Rehabilitation Center Division of Human Genetics; the award from the Buffalo chapter of the National Medical Association for leadership, commitment and service, and the award for outstanding contributions to medical minority education from the Northeast region of the National Association of Minority Medical Education.

Wright serves on numerous boards and is a member of many professional and community organizations.

She is a resident of Williamsville.