Dr. Samuel Maldonado Vice President of the Child Health Innovation and Leadership Department was awarded the 2015 Frank Broderick Award on October 9, 2015 at Janssen Research and Development during the Princeton-Blairstown Center’s Fall Fundraiser, Soirée Under the Stars.
Dr. Samuel Maldonado Vice President of the Child Health Innovation and Leadership Department at Janssen Research and Development was awarded the 2015 Frank Broderick Award on October 9, 2015 at the Princeton-Blairstown Center’s Fall Fundraiser, Soirée Under the Stars. The Frank Broderick Award is given to an individual who demonstrates a deep commitment to social justice, compassion and selflessness– qualities that supported Dr. Broderick, Princeton University class of 1943, in his efforts to achieve racial integration of the Princeton Summer Camp and to mobilize those who advocated for racial integration of Princeton University in the 1940s.
Maya, a 15-year-old volunteer and summer intern at PBC, proudly introduced Maldonado in front of over 100 guests who attended the annual event. She presented a poster of thanks to Maldonado which highlighted the 585 pediatric labels that have been added to medicines over the last 25 years.
Dr. Maldonado was selected for this recognition because of his life-long commitment to children’s health and wellness. Early in his career he advocated for appropriate medications and dosages to effectively prevent mother-to-infant transmission of HIV/AIDS, an illness that by the late 1980’s affected African American children in greater numbers. His work led to broader questions about the wide range of diseases and conditions beyond HIV/AIDS for which there was little-to-no scientific data to guide the use of medicines for children. Dr. Maldonado immersed himself in closing this knowledge gap and began grass-roots efforts to do so while he was a Medical Officer in the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products and subsequently in the Division of Antiviral Drug Products of the FDA.
All proceeds from the event will support the Center’s innovative programs for vulnerable youth with a particular emphasis on the organization’s Summer Bridge Program, a one week leadership program designed to reduce summer learning loss and increase social emotional learning skills. Students spend five-days and four-nights at the PBC’s 264-acre Blairstown Campus, near the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. They actively engage in at least three hours of academic enrichment each day and Center staff members utilize multiple challenge and ropes courses to help students develop critical SEL skills like communication, team building, healthy risk-taking, cooperation, resiliency and grit.
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