Cadaver Lab Named to Honor Alum Stacey M. Fink ’72, ’77M, MD, PhD

The cadaver lab in Caputo Hall was recently named in honor of the late Stacey M. Fink '72, '77M, MD, PhD, and his wife, Karen, who are longtime supporters of Millersville University in a dedication ceremony on July 30 that celebrated Dr. Fink's life and legacy. Karen, family members, friends and Millersville faculty and staff were in attendance for the dedication of the Stacey Fink, MD, PhD and Karen Ketner-Fink Cadaver Lab.

To enhance the University's cadaver lab, the Finks' gift includes the donation of synthetic cadavers called SynDavers, a life-like teaching model that provides an opportunity for hands-on exploration of the human anatomy, bringing anatomy education to life. The SynDavers are slated to arrive on campus later this year.

The Finks have an established history of supporting Millersville students through gifts, which most recently include gifts to the College of Science and Technology, and a Baseball Excellence Fund Endowment to support the renovation of the baseball clubhouse. You can read about how their gifts, scholarships and more are impacting students and the campus here: millersville.edu/give/berecognized/fiat-lux/fink.php

As a student at Millersville State College, Stacey earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1972 and then a master's degree in biology in 1977. He was also a student-athlete who played baseball as a Marauder for three seasons, was a member of the Mu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, and served as the president of the Interfraternity Council.

In 1978, Stacey entered the University of Louisville's PhD Anatomy Program with a focus on breast cancer research and earned a doctorate degree in 1982. Stacey subsequently attended medical school at the University of Louisville and completed his MD degree in 1985.

He pursued further training in Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia, which he completed in 1990. Stacey's distinguished career in the medical field included his work as an Attending Neonatologist caring for premature and sick newborns, practicing in the Southeast for most of his career and finally at Lancaster General Hospital's Women & Babies Hospital, retiring in 2013.

"I remember shortly after I met the Finks when Karen and Stacey asked me directly: What would be the most impactful way to help?" recalls Dr. Marc Harris, dean of the College of Science and Technology. "They asked if a building pledge would be the priority and even asked about naming opportunities for the lab at that meeting - let's just say they were both eager and ready to help right at that moment!"

"A cadaver laboratory occupies a distinctive and important place in the education of health and science professionals," says Dr. Daniel Wubah, president of Millersville University. "Here, students encounter the complexity of the human body in a way no textbook, model or digital image can fully reproduce. They learn to recognize both the common structures we share and the variations that make every person unique. Although we mourn Stacey's passing, we recognize that a meaningful life does not end at the boundary of a single lifetime. It continues through the people who were loved, the good that was done, the values that were shared and the opportunities it created for others."