Bizzarro awarded honorary LECOM doctorate
College recognized Bizzarro for community improvement, leadership
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro May 30, 2023 | 2:37 PM
ERIE, May 30 – Celebrating his contributions to the greater Erie community, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) awarded Rep. Ryan Bizzarro with an honorary Doctor of Science degree Saturday during the college’s Spring 2023 commencement.
“Action is the preeminent catalyst for change. That passion for action is shared by [Bizzarro] for his commitment to seek the betterment of his community,” said Dr. John Ferretti, LECOM president and CEO, during Saturday’s ceremony. “We at LECOM … take special notice of those who have devoted themselves to a cause of integrity, to a life of dedication, and a commitment to something greater than themselves.”
Doctor Ferretti continued, “As a statesman and leader, Ryan Bizzarro has endeavored to reach into the darkness to pull others into the light, and his successes will cast a glow onto others for generations to come.”
LECOM has grown to become the nation’s largest medical college, and on Saturday conferred 1,098 new degrees to students who studied at campuses in Pennsylvania, New York or Florida.
“It is an absolute honor to be recognized by LECOM because of that common goal for making our community better,” said Bizzarro. “Any successes we all enjoy happen because of those who come together when it matters with a shared commitment to success.”
Bizzarro was recognized by the college for being a stalwart community partner and for his continued successful advocacy for LECOM and the Erie region in Harrisburg. It was also noted that Bizzarro, a childhood cancer survivor, continues to be an advocate for the medical sciences in state government, and was recognized in 2020 as Legislator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Society of Oncology and Hematology.
EDITORS: Commencement photos can be found here, attributable to LECOM.