2007 RELL SUNN AWARDEE
Linda Olson epitomizes the "spirit of aloha" through her selfless and compassionate care for patients and her continuous efforts to teach and advise radiology students. Dr. Olson has led a distinguished career in the field of radiology and medical imaging. She began at the University of California, San Diego in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Radiology in July 1982. Since that time, she has served as the Assistant Director of Diagnostic Radiology at UCSD, the Acting Director of Diagnostic Radiology and the Director of UCSD's Breast Imaging Center. Currently she is a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, a Professor of Clinical Radiology at UCSD, and she is also an active member of numerous committees and national radiological and breast imaging societies. In addition to her clinical work she is currently involved in several funded research projects. She has published over 35 articles regarding breast imaging, and she is routinely invited to speak at events held both locally and nationally. For her work, she has been recognized with the Marie Curie Award from the American Association of Women Radiologists and the Women of Distinction Award from Soroptimist International. In addition to seeing to the needs of UCSD's patients, Dr. Olson has frequently assisted friends and their families by reviewing charts and records, providing an invaluable second opinion and assuring patients that their treatment plans were following the most current guidelines and practices. The relief that her assurance has provided to these patients and their family members has been her sole compensation for this selfless act. Dr. Olson is actively involved in UCSD's Radiology Residency program, training the next generation of breast imaging specialists. Additionally, she coordinates a course that provides training to mammography technicians. All of these residents and trainees benefit from Linda's vast clinical expertise and from the exposure to her caring, respectful approach to patients. For this commitment, she has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 1985 Silver Spoon Award for Teaching Excellence conferred upon her by the Radiology residents, the Kaiser Teaching Award from the School of Medicine, and UCSD's Academic Senate Teaching Award. During her last year of medical school at Loma Linda University, she was gravely injured while traveling abroad with her fiancée and his family. A train vs. stalled rental car accident in southern Germany left Linda a triple amputee. This radical alteration in her physical capabilities (only one remaining arm) confirmed Linda's decision to pursue radiology; a profession that she thought would better allow her to raise a family than some other fields in medicine. Linda has succeeded in her personal and professional pursuits because of her incredibly strong determination and her gentle, generous spirit. In her personal life, Linda is married to Dr. Dave Hodgens. The two enjoy spending time outdoors both at the beach and in the mountains. One of their favorite accomplishments is having summitted Half Dome in Yosemite, with Dave carrying Linda in a specially designed backpack! They are the proud parents of two recent graduates of UC Davis. Both of their children attended The Bishop's School in La Jolla, where they were active in water polo. Linda established an annual player award for team spirit. The Board of Authority of the 2007 Luau & Longboard Invitational and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center are pleased to recognize the life, work and aloha spirit of Dr. Linda Olson by awarding her the 2007 Rell Sunn "Queen of Makaha" Award. Mahalo Linda! Thank you to our 2008 or 2009 Luau & Longboard Invitational’s title sponsor, Pfizer La Jolla. |
