Richard Nowakowski may be gone from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, but clearly he’s not forgotten. In September, in fact, he was one of four winners of the university’s first Credo in Action awards, the highest awards it gives.

They are intended to recognize staff, faculty, and students who exemplify the words and values expressed in the University Credo: “We Teach. We Discover. We Heal. We Care.”

“Your colleagues have identified you as someone who through actions, words, and deeds helps the Credo come to life,” wrote William F. Owen Jr., M.D., president of UMDNJ.

Before Nowakowski moved to Tallahassee early this year to become chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, he was New Jersey Professor of Spinal Cord Research in the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. One of his key accomplishments was creating and leading the Postdoctoral Career Development Program.