1. The Epidemiology of Mentorship: Age-Adjusted Analyses of Dr. Ron LaPorte PowerPoint Congratulations from Andrea Kriska, Faina Linkov, Eugene Shubnikov, and Jan Dorman and from all Ron’s students and colleagues “To teach is to touch lives forever”

2. Sunday, May 29, 1949 60 "By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn." - Latin Proverb

4. Congratulations For me what characterizes Ron are his values of creativity, courage and compassion manifested in an attitude of “yes, we can.” He is an equilibrist exploring the razor thin envelop of what is possible versus the impossible, dissolving through his imagination the constraints imposed by traditional dogmas and wisdom. Francois Sauer

5. What is the secret of Ron’s Magic???

6. 1. Ron is a very giving person…

7. Ron in Santo Domingo 1989 2. Always willing to try new food!

8. 3. Being from Buffalo, Ron is never bothered by extreme weather conditions

9. 4. Ron is not scared of Russians

11. 5. Ron is not scared to explore new controversial areas, for example alcohol epidemiology

12. NIH Meeting Lupus Jamaica 1992 Ron – Introduction to e-mail on the Internet (who remembers Bitnet……..?) Alan Patrick – What is the Internet? Unlikely origin of a lasting collaboration……………… (from Dr. Bunker)

13. 6. Great sense of humor!

14. Ron and a mentor and as a scientist Epidemiological data

15. Spectrum of Mentoring (Age Adjusted) Mentor ship From Andrea

16. Ron’s Impact: Estimated Cumulative Publications by Year “To infinity and beyond…”

17. From the albums of Ron’s students

18. 1995 “Karaoke” Epidemiology Training Course, Hawaii Congratulation from Mitchell, Emma Barinas

19. Congrat… Wav! From Benson!

20. Congratulations from “dying” biomedical Journals

21. Congratulations!

22. 500 lectures!

23. Congratulations! 600 lectures!

25. Congratulations! From Montreal, 2002!

26. Congratulations! Soni, Eugene, Akira and Japanese Team - Montreal, 2002

27. Pittsburgh, August 2002

28. FoodFest, Kaunas, Lithuania, 2005

29. Pittsburgh, February 2008

31. Faina’s house, Pittsburgh, February 2008

32. Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2008

37. BioHaza-Milan 2008, Italy

39. Ron’s office in the Diabetes Research Center - 1990

40. EuroDiab meeting in Madeira (?) 1989 (Ron and Claudia circled in red)

41. Santo Domingo 1989 – Jaakko, Eva, and Christian

42. “Bat cave” – Dominican Republic 1989 – Eva, Jaakko, Claudia, Jan – photo taken by Ron

43. Ron’s Postcards

44. I feel honored very much to have had Ron as my academic mentor and his continuing support. It is a great feeling to know that you can always count on someone like Ron. The greatest lesson I have learned from Ron is the importance of taking initiative and going for your dream and never giving up. Thank you Ron for always being there for us." Former Heinz Fellow, Saida Karimova

45. I am amazed by your dedication to your students and research, your enthusiasm for new things and thinking "outside the box". You provide inspiration and I am very fortunate to know you. Happy Birthday! Mita Lovalekar

46. For his efforts in Global Health and Prevention, Ron deserves a Nobel Prize. Happy birthday! Luiza Gharibyan, former fellow from Armenia

47. Jasna Stikova, Macedonia Great job as a mentor on a Fulbright fellowship! NEW EDUCATION PATHWAYS FOR GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY: US-MACEDONIAN COLLABORATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

48. Final Quiz Question 1: How many times have you heard this statement? “IDDM is the epidemiologist’s dream disease.” Choose the correct answer: a) Never b) Once c) Twice d) >500 times CORRECT ANSWER IS … d) >500 times

49. Question 2: What is the appropriate level of support for foreign epidemiologists to help them keep up high standards of case definition and complete reporting in an international collaboration? Choose the correct answer: a) $10 per case b) Travel funds so PI can attend international meeting c) $100 per case d) Nothing at all CORRECT ANSWER IS … d) Nothing at all “If you don’t pay them you only get the crazies who really want to know – so they will give you really good data!”

50. Question 3: What is the right place for a talk based on the 1972 hardcore porno film ‘Behind the Green Door’? Choose the correct answer: a) Stag party at 3 am b) A walk in the park with your dogs c) A formal GSPH seminar for ~150 faculty & students, of whom >100 were kids in 1972 CORRECT ANSWER IS … c) A formal GSPH seminar for ~150 faculty & students Don’t ask!

51. Question 4: Why are these people smiling? a) They are in Pittsburgh in 1984 b) They are embarrassed to be seen with so many nerds Ron, you gave a whole lot of us our starts in epidemiology … and stayed in touch as a friend and mentor over the years Here’s to many, many more years of great mentoring and good times! c) Ron LaPorte!

52. Happy Birthday Ron! From Sherry

53. I will attend the beer party on Friday. Ron LaPorte 1980

54. Ron LaPorte, 1981 Jane Cauley Don’t get discouraged; I submitted 48 grants before one was funded

56. See you next year! Same Day!