Cleland Taylor Program Final

RODNEY J. TAYLOR, MD, MSPH
Rodney J. Taylor, MD, MSPH is Professor and Chair
of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head &
Neck Surgery (OHNS) at the University of Maryland
School of Medicine. He joined the faculty in 2001 as a
surgeon-scientist. His clinical practice is dedicated
primarily to the comprehensive care of head and neck
cancer (HNC) patients, performing complex surgical
procedures for diverse conditions of the head and neck.
He has been routinely recognized both nationally and
regionally as a top physician, and under his leadership,
the OHNS department has frequently been recognized
among the nation’s top Otolaryngology programs.
Prior to arriving at the University of Maryland, Dr.
Taylor graduated from Harvard College in 1991 with
honors where he was also Senior Class President, Varsity Football player, served in student
government, served on the Harvard Foundation for Diversity and Multicultural affairs, and
received the Francis H. Burr Scholarship given to the Harvard College senior who best
possesses character, leadership, and athletic ability. He attended Harvard Medical School and
received his medical degree in 1995. He then completed his residency at the University of
Michigan in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery. While at the University of Michigan, he
also received a master’s degree from the School of Public Health in Clinical Research Design
and Statistical Analysis.
In addition to his demanding clinical practice, Dr. Taylor runs an active research program that
has included understanding head and neck cancer disparities in underrepresented and
disadvantaged cancer patients. His basic science and translational interests, in partnership with
Dr. Michal Zalzman, include studying a pioneer gene system (ZSCAN4) that confers and
maintains cancer cell immortality in HNC. Additionally, their research explores ZSCAN4’s
effect on adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from tonsillar tissue with the goal
of developing clinical applications for regenerative medicine.
Throughout his career, Dr. Taylor has had a strong commitment to service locally, nationally,
and internationally. He has partnered with former World Bank President, Dr. Jim Kim, and the
late, global medicine pioneer Paul Farmer, to form a team of ENT surgeons who have traveled
to Haiti at regular intervals to provide advanced surgical care for patients and training for
physicians in their central plateau. He later co-founded a non-profit organization, MENTA,
with Dr. Jeffrey Wolf and his peers that has provided care for underserved populations in
Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. He has also served on the advisory board of the CURE
Scholars Mentoring Program that seeks to empower middle school and high school students in
West Baltimore for competitive and rewarding research, health care, and STEM-related career
opportunities.
In addition to his clinical and research pursuits, Dr. Taylor is a key leader in the UMSOM
promoting Diversity and Inclusion and providing Unconscious Bias training for its faculty and
staff, while also serving on the UMSOM Diversity Committee. On a national level, he is chair
of the AAOHNS Head and Neck Surgery & Oncology committee and serves on the AAOHNS
Diversity Committee. Keenly aware of the many individuals who have contributed to his
success, Dr. Taylor is passionate and active on a local and national level in providing his
mentorship to increase underrepresented individuals in healthcare and research fields.
Dr. Taylor is grateful for and inspired by his family, which includes his wife Dr. Casey
Taylor; his sons Myles and Max; his late mother Evelyn and his father Richard, Sr.; his
brother Richard, Jr.; and the many other family, friends, and colleagues that daily support and
enrich him.

WELCOME
Mary Pooton
Associate Dean for Development
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Kevin J. Cullen, MD
The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Distinguished
Professor of Oncology
Director, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum
Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Maryland School of Medicine
REMARKS
E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore
John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and
Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine
DONOR RECOGNITION
E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA
REMARKS
Isobel Cleland and Samantha Cleland Manekin
Donor Family
Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
University of Maryland Medical System
The Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Professor of Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
SPEAKERS
Bert O’Malley, MD
President and CEO
University of Maryland Medical Center
Professor of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Jeffrey S. Wolf, MD
Professor of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Scott E. Strome, MD
The Robert Kaplan Executive Dean and Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
College of Medicine
MEDAL PRESENTATION
E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA
REMARKS
Rodney J. Taylor, MD, MSPH
The Bruce and Isobel Cleland Chair of Otorhinolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
CLOSING REMARKS
Kevin J. Cullen, MD

T
he first endowed professorships were established more than
500 years ago with the creation of the Lady Margaret chairs
in divinity at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The
original endowed chairs were sponsored by Lady Margaret,
countess of Richmond, and grandmother of Henry VIII in 1502.
Subsequently, private individuals began making financial contributions
to establish other endowed professorships and chairs such as the
Lucasian Chair of Mathematics, which Sir Isaac Newton held beginning
in 1669. Professor Stephen Hawking, the internationally renowned
physicist and recipient of the 2010 US Medal of Freedom, was another
prominent holder of this endowed chair.
The honor associated with appointment to an endowed position has
remained unchanged for the last 500 years and is recognized as one of
the highest tributes that an academic institution can bestow upon its
most distinguished faculty. These endowed professorships and chairs
continue to reward exceptional scholars uninterrupted to the present
time.
The Office of Development is charged with securing private gifts to
ensure the School’s tradition of excellence is sustained through robust
research, clinical, and educational programs and initiatives. The
University of Maryland School of Medicine is fortunate to have nearly
85 endowed chairs & professorships in various stages of completion
and held by esteemed faculty members.

BRUCE AND ISOBEL
CLELAND
The Bruce and Isobel Cleland Chair of the
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and
Neck Surgery Endowment for the University of
Maryland School of Medicine was established by
the generous support of Bruce and Isobel Cleland
and The Orokawa Foundation. Bruce and Isobel
funded the chair position to honor Dr. Rodney
Taylor in recognition of his outstanding clinical
care of the late Bruce Cleland, who was his
patient from 2007-2021.
Bruce and Isobel, from New Zealand and
England respectively, moved from New York to
Baltimore with their four children, Samantha,
James, Georgia, and Mark, in 1993. While Bruce’s appointment as CEO of Towson-based
hedge fund Campbell and Company first brought the family to Baltimore, they have
become an integral part of Baltimore’s philanthropic landscape over the past 30 years.
In 2005, Bruce and Isobel funded their family foundation, The Orokawa Foundation, with a
mission to support human and community services in Maryland and beyond, specifically
funding initiatives in education, poverty, addiction, the preservation of the environment,
and medical needs-particularly those targeting cancer and diseases impacting children. The
Orokawa Foundation has been a stalwart supporter of the University of Maryland Medical
System since 2006, when Bruce was first diagnosed with Head and Neck cancer.
The Cleland’s philanthropic commitments started well before The Orokawa Foundation’s
establishment in 2005. In 1986, Georgia Cleland was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic
leukemia at the age of two. Determined to raise much-needed funds for leukemia research,
Bruce and Isobel started the first ever “run for a cause” effort, known as Team in Training
in 1988. To date, Georgia has been in remission for 36 years, and Team In Training has
raised over $1.5 billion dollars for leukemia and lymphoma research.
With the establishment of The Orokawa Foundation, the Cleland Family has made an
indelible impact on thousands of lives through their strategic partnerships, both locally and
globally. Locally, The Orokawa Foundation has made transformative commitments to The
Y of Central Maryland, Living Classrooms, and Paul’s Place, among others. More broadly,
The Orokawa Foundation has supported The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Habitat for
Humanity, as well as several global disaster relief efforts.
Isobel Cleland currently presides over The Orokawa Foundation, alongside the family’s
private family office. Samantha (Cleland) Manekin, Executive Director of The Orokawa
Foundation, resides in Ruxton with her husband Jon and their three children. James Cleland,
President and CEO of Cloudbreak Energy Partners, lives in Boulder, CO with his wife Cory
and their two children. Georgia Cleland lives and works in Mt. Airy, MD. Mark Cleland,
student at Harvard Law School, lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife Kylie.
The Cleland Family members are all profoundly grateful for the care of their beloved
husband and father, Bruce, under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Mohan Suntha,
alongside Dr. Rodney Taylor, Dr. Kevin Cullen, and their clinical support staff.