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Michael Bond ’75 Joins Academic Hall of Fame

Michael Bond ’75 Joins Academic Hall of Fame

03/08/2016

Michael J. Bond, M.D., a 1975 SUNY Cortland graduate and pediatric dermatologist who has greatly influenced the practice of his medical specialty, will become the 15th inductee into the SUNY Cortland Academic Hall of Fame.

Bond, who is a board-certified physician in pediatrics and dermatology and was the only pediatric dermatology consultant to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for 20 years, will be honored on Monday, March 21, during the President’s List reception. The event honors the College’s students who achieve grades of A-minus or better in each of their courses for a given semester, in this case Fall 2015.

Michael Bond
Michael J. Bond '75, M.D.

SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum will open the reception, which will recognize 474 students this year. The President’s List reception, which includes the honorees’ parents and other guests, begins at 4 p.m. in the Corey Union Function Room.

Created in 2006, the Academic Hall of Fame recognizes SUNY Cortland alumni who graduated 10 or more years ago with magna cum laude or higher honors, and who have made significant contributions to society through their chosen professions. The Hall of Fame wall is located in the Dorothea “Dottie” Kreig Allen Fowler ’52, M ’74 Old Main Grand Entrance Hall.

Last year, the College honored the late SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychology Peter A. DiNardo ’68. During a remarkable teaching career at SUNY Oneonta, DiNardo strongly influenced the modern, international clinical practice of psychology in the areas of fear, panic and anxiety.

This year, Bond will be inducted into the Hall of Fame based on his career of treating, researching, consulting and training other medical professionals who serve children with genetic skin abnormalities and other skin conditions unique to children.

"Michael Bond is a great example of a SUNY Cortland alum who has truly made a difference throughout his career,” stated R. Bruce Mattingly, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “We are very proud to see him included in the Academic Hall of Fame."

Since 2003, Bond has served as the medical director of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, a practice with 100 offices based in Orlando, Fla. It is considered to be the largest dermatology specialty practice in the country. There, he established the largest mid-level dermatology internship in the U.S.

Bond has trained extensively in laser surgery to treat young children with vascular birthmarks. He developed a procedure to surgically remove congenital giant birth moles in infants and young children.

In 2003, Bond established the largest recognized dermatology training program for physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the country. He also served for 21 years as the director of education for the mid-south chapter of the national organization addressing Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Trained by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, he has conducted extensive clinical research, collecting biological samples on a massive scale for the sake of genetic study and investigating topical treatments for different childhood skin conditions.

Bond became a member of the Society of Pediatric Dermatology in 1981, shortly after this subspecialty of dermatology was formed, and has presented numerous papers at the society’s national and international meetings. His topics have included the diagnosis and treatment of rare dermatological disorders, the malignant potential of giant congenital moles and their surgical removal; a revolution in the surgical management of giant congenital moles, painless injections and living with and caring for children with catastrophic skin diseases. Bond also presents at other national dermatology gatherings.

His scholarly findings have been published in Dermatology, Pediatrics and Psychology.

Bond established a student-managed medical talk show through Germantown High School in Wisconsin that ran for 16 years on public television. On the show, he and a designated student interviewed medical guests. He has mentored students and lectured at high schools on the importance of maintaining ethics.

Bond became a passionate scuba diver after taking the first scuba diving course ever offered at SUNY Cortland. Since then, he has taken dive trips around the world and conducted field research in marine geology in the Caribbean with Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University. He also took part in developing the first and most detailed map of the ocean floors.

An accomplished underwater wildlife photographer, Bond’s writing has been published in Marine Geology and National Geographic.

When he graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Cortland in 1975 with his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences degree, Bond was only the second alumnus to be directly accepted into an American medical school, in his case the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Bond, who grew up in Spring Valley, N.Y., completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of South Florida and his dermatology residency at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Before his current appointment in 2003, Bond was in private practice for 19 years in Memphis, Tenn. During this time, he was the dermatologist for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Bond is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Dermatology. His memberships also include the American Academy of Dermatology.

Last year Bond, together with his former classmate Wayne Marley, M.D., class of 1975, made a major gift to SUNY Cortland that established the David F. Berger Summer Research Fellowship, an award for the College’s top undergraduate student pursuing independent research in biology, chemistry or psychology. The scholarship honors Berger, professor emeritus of psychology, for giving them both the opportunity to conduct undergraduate research alongside him for three-and-a-half years. The award aims to provide the kind of career catalyst that led the pair to success in the field of dermatology: Bond in pediatric dermatology and Marley as a skin cancer surgeon. Marley is a 2006 Academic Hall of Fame inductee.

“Dr. Bond is a very warm and caring person,” wrote David Berger, SUNY Cortland professor emeritus of psychology, in his letter nominating the alumnus for the Hall of Fame induction. “He is pleasant to talk with and a good listener. Therefore, he easily develops excellent rapport with patients, colleagues and friends. He is very deserving of this recognition from our College.”