December 1997

Loyola awards Integritas Vitae Award to Dr. Ronald Busuttil, '67

Ronald W. Busuttil, M.D., is this year's recipient of the Integritas Vitae Award. The Loyola University President's Council bestows the Integritas Vitae, the university's highest honor, on an individual who possesses a high moral character in a lifetime of unselfish service without expectation of material reward or public recognition. Recipients of this award have demonstrated a courage of convictions and adherence to the principles of honesty, integrity, justice, and preservation of human dignity throughout their lifetimes.

Busuttil is director of the Dumont-UCLA Transplant Center where he holds the Dumont Chair in Transplantation Surgery and serves as professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation. A pioneer in the field of transplantation and liver surgery, his dedication to research has been balanced by an overwhelming sense of compassion for the patients he treats. In 1996, Busuttil was honored by the United Liver Association as "Man of the Year." He was commended for his "lifelong passion for helping those suffering from liver disease."

A 1967 graduate of Loyola where he studied the divergent disciplines of biology and philosophy, Busuttil has been vocal about the influence of his Jesuit education on his life and career. In a 1993 issue of Loyola's alumni magazine, he made reference to his daily use of the lessons of ethics, philosophy, and the art of teaching which he learned at Loyola. In a practice where ethics is given high priority, Busuttil utilizes the values instilled by the Jesuits on a daily basis.

"Busuttil is a teacher, a healer, and a philanthropist," said President's Council President Arthur S. Mann, III. "His reputation is impeccable and his accomplishments reflect favorably on Loyola. There are few professions which require such a delicate balance of ethics, service to humanity, and integrity as modern day medicine, and few individuals personify these values as impressively as Ronald W. Busuttil."

Busuttil received his M.D. and a docorate in philosophy of pharmacology from Tulane University. He did his residency at the University of California in Los Angeles.