Robert R. Frank, M.D., executive vice dean, will be honored at Tuesday's commencement ceremonies with a Distinguished Service Award for his three decades of continuous service to the WSU School of Medicine.

The ceremonies, at which 249 students will become medical doctors, will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday, June 6, in the Detroit's Fox Theatre. The keynote speaker will be Richard S. Stack, M.D., a leading expert on cardiovascular disease and president of Synecor, a business incubator designed to bring new medical devices to the market.

Dr. Frank has dedicated his entire career to the school, and his experiences over the years has run the gamut: as a student, resident, faculty physician and even as interim dean.

During his tenure as interim dean, Dr. Frank's steady guidance was essential to maintaining and enhancing the institution's role as a leader in medical education, research and patient care. With the implementation of his "Make a Difference" campaign, Dr. Frank brought stability, positive energy and a heightened sense of morale to students, faculty and administration.

Dr. Frank's message has not strayed from the beliefs he carried early in his medical career: to stay true to the well-being of patients; to deal with the pressure of economic survival, but never at the expense of good care; and to be socially responsible.