2020 Pommerening Memorial Lecture

The Division's annual lecture is an opportunity to commemorate notable events from the previous year and celebrate the Division's commitment to education. The Division celebrated this year's lecture virtually- with over 75 faculty, staff, trainees and alumni attending over video. 

The 2020 Pommerening Lecture featured guest lecturer, Dr. John Koo from UCSF and his Fellow, Dr. Nicholas Brownstone,  presenting “Practical Psychodermatology with a Focus on Morgellon’s Syndrome and Body Dysmorphic Disorder.”

Following the keynote address by Dr. Koo, the Division commemorated the retirement Dr. John Olerud. Dr. Olerud's career at UW Dermatology has spanned over 40 years, in which he has established a legacy of empathy, dedication and excellence for his colleagues, trainees and patients. The celebration included a "Hats Off" organized by the Chief Residents and a toast given by Drs. Michael Piepkorn and Paul Nghiem. 

Of particular celebration is the announcement of the generous gift provided by Dr. Michael Piepkorn that elevates the John Olerud Professorship in Dermatology Training to the John Olerud Endowed Chair in Dermatology Training. 

Olerud Endowed Chair in Dermatology Training

In 2007, John and Lynda Olerud established the John Olerud, M.D. Professorship in Dermatology Training with a gift of $500,000. This endowed professorship was invested and provides a reliable stream of funding for the director of the UW Dermatology Residency Program. This allows the holder of the Olerud Professorship, who is currently Dr. Roy Colven, to have protected time to focus on the training of our residents. Dr. Colven has also used funds from the professorship to provide travel and a variety of training enhancements for residents.

Under the leadership of Dr. Olerud, the division has become one of the nation’s leaders in training dermatologists. UW has one of the most competitive programs in the country and now we train about 11 residents who then go on to have impactful academic and private practice careers.

Dr. Mike Piepkorn's pledge elevates the Olerud Professorship into an endowed chair, bringing the endowment over $1.5M. Mike—thank you on behalf of UW Derm for this generous support. This gift will benefit generations of dermatology residents.