Kevin Campbell, Ph.D. ‘73 has been named a recipient of the 2025 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, an accolade awarded annually by Columbia University for outstanding work in medical science. Dr. Campbell will share this honor with fellow researchers Louis Kunkel, Ph.D., and Eric Olson, Ph.D., in recognition for their groundbreaking discoveries regarding the biological causes of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Their incredible research and breakthroughs provide a foundation for revolutionary treatments for DMD and other muscular disorders. 

Dr. Campbell received his Bachelor of Science from Manhattan University in 1973. He currently serves as the director of the Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, as well as a professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. 

As a faculty member and researcher at the University of Iowa for over forty years, Dr. Campbell has pioneered reseLarch on muscular dystrophies. His discoveries have paved the way for successful gene therapies and helped advance clinical treatments for patients affected by these degenerative diseases. 

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Campbell earns Horwitz Prize for muscular dystrophy discoveries 2025 Horwitz Prize Awarded for Muscular Dystrophy Research

At 91, Dr. Art De Simone, M.D. (or “Dr. D” as he is known by friends) is retiring from his position as Medical Director of Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI), a clinic which provides free healthcare to the working uninsured in Bergen County, NJ. He will be passing the torch and the title of Medical Director to fellow Manhattan University alumna Karen Latimer, M.D. ‘95.

Dr. Latimer, who has volunteered at BVMI for a decade, reflects on her time working with Dr. De Simone and the true commitment he has to his career as a medical professional, describing him as: “...one of the wisest, most patient, most compassionate physicians I've had the honor to meet.”

After graduating from Manhattan University with a Bachelor of Science in 1956, Dr. De Simone went on to earn his M.D. from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1960. He completed his residency at Georgetown University Hospital, followed by a fellowship at Columbia. In 1964, he joined the Army and was deployed the following year to South Vietnam, serving as a physician with the Third Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) in Bien Hoa during the height of the Vietnam War.

From 1966 to 1991, he worked in private practice. He continued to give back to the community by taking on teaching roles at both NYU and Columbia as an Instructor of Medicine. He served as an Attending Physician at several hospitals. He also held many leadership roles including Medical Director at Valley Health Services, as well as at Bergen Regional Medical Center.

Since 2008, he’s been with BVMI, serving in many capacities, including healthcare provider, mentor, and passionate advocate for access to healthcare. Beyond the impressive resume, what really stands out is his compassion, patience, and the genuine kindness he shows to everyone he meets. He’s someone who found his true calling in medicine, and his decades-long commitment to care continues to inspire the many doctors and nurses who've had the privilege to work alongside him. We wish Dr. De Simone the best of luck in retirement, thank him for his admirable service to the community, and are proud to call him a Jasper.

As the nation marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a Brooklyn family honors the memory of Jimmy Quinn - a 23 year old Manhattan University graduate who died while working as a young finance professional in the North Tower. Known for his passion and living life to the fullest, Jimmy had recently passed his Series 7 exam before the attacks. His brother, Joe Quinn, a West Point graduate and Iraq veteran, remembers that day vividly and continues to honor Jimmy’s legacy through his work supporting veterans, his involvement with the Museum Visionary Network Leadership Council at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and through attending Mets games with his family.

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Manhattan University is proud to announce that recent graduate Maya Evans Harger ’25 has been accepted into the Peace Corps. Harger departed for Costa Rica on July 12, 2025, where she will begin training as a Youth in Development volunteer.

A Severna Park, Maryland native, Harger earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies at Manhattan. She says her decision to serve stemmed from a passion for language, cultural immersion, and community engagement.

“I was motivated to join the Peace Corps to deepen my understanding of language and fully immerse myself in a different culture,” Harger said. “Most importantly, I hoped to make a meaningful difference by contributing my skills and working collaboratively with others toward sustainable change.”

In her role, Harger will work with parents, teachers, and local leaders in Costa Rica to support young people in becoming healthy, productive, and active citizens.

Harger is a graduate of Severna Park High School and the daughter of Aaron and Terri Ann Harger. She joins the 121 Maryland residents currently serving in the Peace Corps, adding to the more than 6,700 from the state who have served since the organization’s founding in 1961.