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President Tim Cost presented the University’s fourth Presidential Global Citizen Award to Mayo Clinic President and CEO Gianrico Farrugia, M.D in an award ceremony March 3 at the Jacksonville University campus.
The award goes to an extraordinary, visionary leader whose impact is felt well beyond the bounds of their recognized responsibilities.
“It is my distinct honor to officially recognize our honored guest for his remarkable ingenuity, fearless innovation and leadership, all delivered with extraordinary determination and good humor,” Cost said at the ceremony.
“I’ve known Dr. Gianrico Farrugia for years,” Cost said. “There simply isn’t anyone more thoughtful and strategic on what’s going on in the world today.”
Dr. Farrugia leads Mayo Clinic, the No. 1 ranked hospital by U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek. With a 73,000-person workforce, Mayo Clinic cares for more than 1.3 million people each year with serious or complex illnesses from all 50 states and 130 countries.
Prior to his national appointment as CEO, Dr. Farrugia served as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. Under his leadership, Florida established itself as a destination medical center for the Southeast. He also led the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, which brings genomics into routine clinical care, and co-founded the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation. He is a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees and Governors and is a professor of medicine and physiology.
“I’m truly honored to be selected as the 2022 Jacksonville University Global Citizen honoree,” Dr. Farrugia said. “I am very aware of the names of the previous awardees and it is a true honor to be added to that list. I am equally aware of the ever-growing impact that Jacksonville University is having locally, nationally and globally, and the deep connection between Jacksonville University and Mayo Clinic – which makes this award extra special.”
During his visit to campus, Dr. Farrugia spoke with students, faculty and guests about the transformation of healthcare and emerging technologies such as virtual care and artificial intelligence. He toured the University’s Health Sciences Complex, which houses kinesiology labs, a virtual reality and anatomage lab, and the orthodontics clinic.
Previous honorees include PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi, filmmaker Ken Burns and Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, the daughter of Nelson Mandela.