[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15760-15761]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO EVARISTO OLANREWAJU AKERELE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 28, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate and pay tribute to Dr. 
Evaristo Olanrewaju Akerele for his contributions to the community.
   Dr. Evaristo Olanrewaju Akerele was born in Nigeria. He comes from a 
long line of physicians and attorneys. His great aunt was the first 
woman physician in West Africa. He is a devoted father of three 
beautiful daughters whom he loves dearly.
  Dr. Akerele received his Bachelor of Science with Honors in 
Biochemistry from the University of London, England. He went on to

[[Page 15761]]

earn his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Medicine and 
Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania. He trained as a research fellow in 
Addiction Psychiatry and later served as the Co-director of the 
Substance Abuse Research Fellowship program at Columbia. While there he 
pursued a Master's in Public Health Policy and Management from Columbia 
University. Dr. Akerele, is an accomplished researcher, educator, 
administrator and clinician. He has published several papers, received 
State and Federal Grants from agencies like the National Institute on 
Drug Abuse. He also served as the Associate Director of Psychiatry and 
Director of the Residency Training at Harlem Hospital, and Columbia 
University. Dr. Akerele also served as the Vice President and Medical 
Director for Phoenix House where he was responsible for the Medical 
Management for over 3000 patients.
  Equally important, Dr. Akerele has served as the Board Examiner for 
the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology since 2005. Dr. Akerele 
is very active in multiple professional associations at National and 
State levels. Finally, he served as the chair of the New York State 
Substance Abuse committee, also as State representative to the American 
Psychiatric Association National Assembly. He is a distinguished fellow 
of the American Psychiatric Association and past President of the New 
York County American Psychiatric Association. With all of his 
achievements, Dr. Akerele is filled with thankfulness, because he 
understands that he is the beneficiary of the hard work and sacrifices 
of those that came before him.
  Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
contributions and accomplishments of Dr. Evaristo Olanrewaju Akerele.

                          ____________________