UW-Madison’s Jerry Dempsey, who is recognized as a leading authority on pulmonary physiology, received an honorary degree from Western University in his hometown of London, Ontario, Canada, on June 18.
Dempsey is the John Robert Sutton Professor Emeritus of Population Health Sciences, and the director of the John Rankin Laboratory of Pulmonary Medicine. He also holds an affiliate appointment with the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology. Dempsey taught the pulmonary component of the graduate-level course, Kinesiology 773: Cardiorespiratory Adaptions to Environment and Exercise, for a number of years and continues to deliver guest lectures for the department.
Dempsey also continues to have an active role in the Department of Kinesiology’s outreach efforts. He helps the department identify presenters for its named lecture series, and last summer was involved with its Science of Running workshop.
Dempsey received his undergraduate degree in 1961 from Western University, and later earned his Ph.D. in applied physiology from UW-Madison’s Department of Kinesiology in 1966.
Dempsey went on to enjoy an extensive research and teaching career at UW-Madison, with his major research emphasis on control of respiratory and cardiorespiratory interactions, often studying these interactions in hypoxic conditions.
To listen to Dempsey’s address during Western University’s spring convocation, check out this youtube video.