Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Awards
The Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus (ASDA) Award is the highest alumni honor bestowed by the university's School of Medicine Alumni Association. The award, recognizing outstanding service to the medical profession and to humanity, honors the memory of Dr. Ashbel Smith.
Born in 1805 in Hartford, Connecticut, Smith moved to Texas in 1837 after graduating from Yale Medical School. A prominent figure in Texas medicine, politics and education, Smith was considered the driving force behind establishing the University of Texas at Austin in 1881, and a medical department that would later be known as the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1891.
Congratulations to the 2020 Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumni Awardees.
Click here to learn more about each awardee.

ASDA Award Nomination Criteria:
• Distinguished in the medical profession
• Demonstrates integrity, stature and abilities that will inspire students and other alumni
• Has made important contributions to his/her community
• Has made contributions to medical education as a scholar and a teacher
• Demonstrates pride in UTMB and whose loyalty and interest are evident