2018 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting-Distinguished Service Award

Video Transcription

Ladies and gentlemen, there are few among us who better represent this meeting's theme than our 2018 awardee of the AANS Distinguished Service Award, Dr. Robert Harbaugh.  I can't come close to the beautiful and heartfelt introduction that his wife, neurosurgeon Kimberly Harbaugh, gave as a prelude to his 2015 presidential address,  and will attempt to be brief. Robert E. Harbaugh obtained his MD from the Penn State University College of Medicine and his general surgery and neurosurgery training at Dartmouth.  He was appointed assistant professor of surgery at the Dartmouth Medical School in 1985, and progressed to the rank of professor in 1997. In 2003, Dr. Harbaugh accepted the position  of tenured professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, neurosurgery residency program director, and professor of engineering science and mechanics  at Penn State University. He has since been promoted to the rank of university distinguished professor and appointed as the director of Penn State University's  Institute of Neurosciences. In 2013, he was named the Penn State Alumni Fellow, the highest award of the Penn State Alumni Association.  More recently, he was named senior vice president of the faculty practice plan.  He is past treasurer and vice chairman of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, and continues to serve on the Neurological Surgery Residency Review Committee.  He's past president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons and serves on the executive committee of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery.  He's past chair of the Cerebrovascular Section, as well as past chairman of the Washington Committee. And he's still serving a nine year sentence to the AANS Executive Committee.  When I inquired as to his service of the AANS, I received a spreadsheet listing 118 positions, everything from committee chair to section chair,  president of NeuroPoint Alliance, AANS treasurer, president-elect, president, and past president. And it should be noted that his AANS meeting  in Washington, D.C. still holds the record for the largest attendance in the history of our meetings.  Dr. Harbaugh also serves as a member of the National Football League's Head, Neck, and Spine Committee, and its Injury Surveillance Committee.  Bob and his wife, Kim, have five children, Catherine, Aleric, Tad, Gwen, and Bea. And on top of all that, Bob is one of the few neurosurgeons in this audience who can tap dance.  Well thank you for the award and for the privilege of serving. I can assure you that any work done for neurosurgery was a labor of love. Thank you very much.

Video Summary

Dr. Robert Harbaugh is introduced as the recipient of the AANS Distinguished Service Award in a video. He obtained his MD from Penn State University College of Medicine and completed his training in general surgery and neurosurgery at Dartmouth. Dr. Harbaugh held various positions at Dartmouth Medical School before becoming a tenured professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Penn State University, where he also serves as the director of the Institute of Neurosciences. He has received multiple honors and appointments in his career, including being named senior vice president of the faculty practice plan and serving on various committees and executive boards. Dr. Harbaugh is known for his extensive service to the AANS, including holding numerous positions and breaking the record for the largest attendance at an AANS meeting. He is also a member of the NFL's Head, Neck, and Spine Committee and Injury Surveillance Committee. Dr. Harbaugh is recognized for his dedication and love for neurosurgery, and he and his wife have five children.

Asset Caption

Robert E. Harbaugh, MD, FAANS

Keywords

Dr. Robert Harbaugh

AANS Distinguished Service Award

Penn State University College of Medicine

Dartmouth

Department of Neurosurgery