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Silver Medal Recipient 2008

I have much pleasure introducing Associate Professor Steven Kossard as the recipient of the Silver Medal, the College’s most prestigious award. In a recent email Steven had reminded me that our personal and professional friendship goes back at least 30 years to a time when we were working together as residents in Dermatology, firstly at St Vincent’s Hospital here in Sydney under the tutelage of Dr Ken Paver, and subsequently at the Mayo Clinic. The College has chosen well in selecting Steven for this most well-deserved award. The College fosters excellence in all areas of dermatology, including academia, administration, clinical dermatology and dermatopathology and research. Few individuals have excelled so broadly as Steven. All along he has succeeded in maintaining a sense of humility and humour. Any conversation with Steven is quickly punctuated with his infectious and engaging laughter. Steven has a strong academic base with degrees in medical science, medicine and a Doctorate from Sydney University and certification by the American Board of Dermatology in both clinical dermatology and dermatopathology. The founding fathers of the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Sydney recognised Steven’s potential and provided a base for him to begin his work when he returned from overseas in 1980. Few could have anticipated the heights of excellence that both the Foundation and Steven would rise to over the subsequent years. Steven’s organisational and educational skills have been demonstrated and recognised in many areas. He was appointed Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales in 1991. He served as Chairman of the Combined Department of Dermatology at St Vincent’s and the Skin and Cancer Foundation here in Sydney. Numerous medical students and dermatology residents benefited from Steven’s ability and enthusiasm for passing on his extensive knowledge. The clinicopathological cases presented at the St Vincent’s annual clinical meeting and at the College’s annual scientific meeting over many years have clearly demonstrated the depth of knowledge and the precise logical approach that Steven takes to solving clinical and dermatopathological problems. His excellent clinical and histopathological images have also underscored his great eye for detail, imaging and colour. Steven has been recognised nationally and internationally and has served as President and on executive committees of numerous dermatology and dermatopathology organisations and has regularly spoken as an invited lecturer in local and overseas forums. Steven’s ability in the area of research has been demonstrated by his own research publications and by his activity supervising residents in their Master’s and Doctorate research in dermatology. Steven has seamlessly combined careers in clinical dermatology and dermatopathology. His tertiary referral clinics and review of complex histopathology slides has been a benefit not only for the patients but also for the often puzzled and frustrated dermatologist attempting to unravel the patient’s obscure conditions. Steven has made numerous contributions to the dermatology and dermatopathology literature and he has helped delineate entities such as necrobiotic xanthogranuloma, frontal fibrosing alopecia, urticarial dermatitis and lymphocytic vasculitis. Steven is devoted to, but not consumed by, dermatology. A true renaissance man, he is a loving and devoted husband to Sylvia, father to Bettina and Harry and grandfather several times over. He would be the first to admit that his achievements have all been very much supported by his family. He is a man, not only of science, but also of the arts and horticulture. He has quite an artistic eye and a green thumb. Steven has already received awards from the College including the F and E Bauer grant, the F C Florence Ewan Murray Will award and he has given the Geoffrey Hunter oration.