Pardo and her husband, Manuel P. Pardo, M.D., decided to establish a lectureship to give today’s students, residents and young faculty the opportunity to be equally inspired.

“As a resident, I had to present to visiting professors who were among the most well-respected in the field of neurology,” she said. “It incentivizes you to be at your best. It was an influence; I was really affected by those visitors.”

A gift from the couple established the Lillian Gonzalez-Pardo, M.D., Pediatric Neurology Lectureship at KU Med. The first lectureship, in mid-March, will feature speaker E. Steve Roach, M.D., professor of pediatrics and neurology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. His lecture is titled “Stroke Due to Sickle Cell Disease: Lessons From Two Decades of Clinical Trials,” a topic that Pardo had a hand in selecting.

“I thought about areas of medicine that would be helpful, or topics that were among my favorites,” she said. “It was also worth considering the practicality of having a lecture that would be good for practitioners, pediatricians and neurologists, because general neurologists work with children and are trained to do so.”

The lecture was presented on March 17 during the Department of Neurology Grand Rounds series with faculty, staff, students and residents from different specialties. The lecture will be at Sudler Auditorium, so it can be recorded and posted online to provide access for those who can’t attend.

Richard Barohn, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurology and a University Distinguished Professor, said the lectureship would enhance students’ educational experience at KU Med.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Pardo and her husband, Manny, have decided to support an endowed lectureship in pediatric neurology,” Barohn said. “With this support, we will be able to bring leading pediatric neurologists from throughout the United States annually to the university to interact with our students, residents and faculty. Support such as this from our alumni, staff and faculty is what makes KU Medical Center a special place.”

The professional opportunities Pardo received at KU Med inspired her and her husband to establish the annual lectureship.

“I just felt good about sharing,” Pardo said. “The Medical Center trained me, it nurtured me, and it gave me a professional home.”

“Our family has always placed great importance on the value of education,” Manuel Pardo said. “Visiting speakers is one way to bring new ideas and a broader view to the field of pediatric neurology. Our contribution is just one small way to support one of the guiding principles that enhances medical education.”