Title:Wooden Spoon Award celebrates ‘heartfelt medical care’

A celebration of thoughtful communication between medical professionals and their patients, the Edward M. Kovach Cura Personalis Endowed Lecture and its signature Wooden Spoon Award were created in 2019 in memory of Edward M. Kovach (C’57, L’60), who died in 2017 after a three-and-a-half-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

“My dad loved Georgetown. He lived in Healy and used to go into Gaston Hall to practice his saxophone. Georgetown changed his life,” shares his daughter, Alexandra Kovach du Pont.

“When my dad was first diagnosed, he only wanted treatment from Georgetown,” she continues. “His doctors and caregivers always made sure he knew he mattered. That’s what this lecture series is all about—heartfelt medical care.”

Suffering from an aggressive condition with an often swift finish, Kovach decided to place his trust in the medical care of Dr. John L. Marshall, a gastrointestinal cancer specialist who directs the Ruesch Center for the Cure of GI Cancers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. The care he received there extended his life for another three and a half years.

“It’s almost unheard of to live so long with stage IV pancreatic cancer,” says his daughter. “My dad felt well enough to play golf and that was a big deal. Thanks to Georgetown, he was given more time with his family. He said those were some of the best years of his life.” In addition to golf, Kovach also continued his woodworking hobby, whittling handmade wooden spoons that he would give to his doctors as a thank you and make with his grandchildren as a rite of passage. For this reason, one of the highlights of the annual lecture is the presentation of a Wooden Spoon Award, given as a symbol of care and nurturing.

“This Wooden Spoon Award represents my husband’s legacy at Georgetown, the university that meant so much to him,” shares his wife, Kathleen Kovach. “Inspired by his love of woodworking, each Wooden Spoon Award is an original piece. We hope that this award motivates current and aspiring medical professionals and influences the way they care.”

Marshall, Kovach’s physician, received the first Wooden Spoon at the inaugural lecture. After skipping the series in 2020 due to the pandemic, the lecture series honored Aiwu Ruth He in 2021, and Joseph Roswarski in 2023. Roswarski oversaw the non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment of U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md). The next lecture will be held in Fall 2024.