Regents’ member Dr. Albert Sam to be SU commencement speaker

Louisiana Board of Regents member Dr. Albert D. Sam II will be the commencement speaker at Southern University’s summer 2012 graduation ceremony set for 10:30 a.m., July27, in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Sam was recently named Associate Professor and Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Tulane University Heart and Vascular Institute.

The New Orleans native is a graduate of Morehouse College and Duke University School of Medicine. Sam received a Master of Science degree in Surgery from the University of Illinois - Chicago graduate college while completing his residency. 

He became one of the first physicians nationally to be board certified in general surgery, vascular surgery and endovascular medicine after completing his fellowship in vascular and endovascular surgery at the Feinberg Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Sam has also received an executive Master of Medical Management degree from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine- Department of Health Systems Management.

Sam, a Baton Rouge resident, joined the Vascular Specialty Center in 2003 where he is a partner. He was Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Baton Rouge General Hospital from 2007 to 2012.

Sam has served as a principal investigator for several national and international vascular clinical trials including Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial, the largest and only National Institute of Health sponsored stroke prevention trial. The results have been published in the “New England Journal of Medicine.”

He is a graduate of the Baton Rouge Chamber leadership program and serves on the board of directors for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Advance Baton Rouge and WRKF radio.  Sam is a member of the River City Jazz coalition of the Arts Council and the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge.