Dan Onorato
County Executive
COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY
Office of the County Executive
101 Courthouse ∙ 436 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone (412) 350-6500 ∙ Fax (412) 350-6512
www.alleghenycounty.us
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 14, 2010
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Contact: Megan Dardanell
412-350-3711 office
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Onorato Dedicates Medical Examiner Facility in Honor of Dr. Cyril Wecht
Building renamed to honor the career and accomplishments of renowned pathologist
PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato today formally dedicated the Medical Examiner Facility on Penn Avenue as the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science. The renaming of the building honors the achievements of Cyril Wecht, M.D., J.D., who served as County Coroner from 1970-1980 and 1996-2005 and as Medical Examiner in 2006.
“Dr. Wecht is an inspiration to his field, and we are pleased to recognize his significant contributions to the disciplines of legal medicine and forensic science,” said Onorato. “Our facility is one of the best in the country, and now it will be named for one of the foremost and renowned forensic pathologists.”
Dr. Wecht is a Clinical Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health. He also holds positions as Adjunct Professor at the Duquesne University schools of Law, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and he is a Distinguished Professor of Anatomy at Carlow University. Dr. Wecht is also the author of more than 550 professional publications and editor or co-author of 45 books.
“I am deeply honored by this special dedication,” said Wecht. “Such professional recognition by the Allegheny County Executive and all the members of Allegheny County Council is something that my family and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute to the development of official forensic scientific investigation and the establishment of a state-of-the-art facility in Allegheny County.”
A past president of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American College of Legal Medicine, Dr. Wecht has been a leader through his profession, attaining many highly regarded scholastic awards and positions .
“You have made many tremendous contributions to forensic medicine and have worked tirelessly to provide objective, scientific work to the justice system,” said internationally renowned criminalist Dr. Henry Lee in a congratulatory letter to Dr. Wecht. “The citizens of Allegheny County and people around the world have benefited from your professionalism, your knowledge and your dedication.”
The 80,000-square-foot Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science, which includes the County’s crime lab and morgue, provides forensic, analytical and medical testing services to law enforcement agencies throughout Allegheny County.
Allegheny County Council President Rich Fitzgerald, Duquesne University Institute of Forensic Science & Law Director Dr. Fred Fochtman, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Pathology Chairman & Professor George Michalopoulos, former Allegheny County Executive Jim Roddey, and Tree of Life Synagogue Rabbi Emeritus Alvin Berkun also participated in today’s dedication ceremony.
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For additional information on the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, its services and facilities, visit www.alleghenycounty.us/me.
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