Students, faculty and staff gathered for a memorial ceremony recently in tribute to the donors who selflessly chose to donate their bodies after death to science, and in turn helped educate Widener health sciences students learning in the university’s state-of-the-art clinical anatomy lab. 

“It is a selfless contribution that enables so many to encounter their first patient, develop a deep appreciation for the human body and a lifelong respect for donors and their families,” said Kaitlin Irby, who moderated the program held in Alumni Auditorium.

The event featured tribute remarks from eight students spanning the physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology disciplines, as well as musical reflections and a spiritual dance. 

“You were the most influential teacher of human anatomy we will ever have. The framework we have of the human body was derived from the experience learning every crevice of yours,” physical therapy student Alonzo Strickland said during his tribute remarks. “We will always draw upon our experience taking apart the dead because it was by carefully disassembling a human body that we acquired the foundation to one day build another one back together.”

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people donate their bodies to science annually in the United States for medical research and education. At Widener, students learn the age, occupation and cause of death of the confidential donors they are assigned for their research. The university received 10 donors for the first clinical anatomy lab semester experience. 

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