ADA, Okla. – East Central University (ECU) announces the appointment of longtime Ada physician and pediatric pioneer, Dr. Tawfik Ramadan, as campaign co-chair for the ECU Forward capital campaign.
ECU Forward is a comprehensive $36.3 million capital campaign dedicated to advancing ECU’s future. This initiative will enhance the ECU campus, strengthen academic programs and ensure that ECU students will continue to be provided with life-changing educational opportunities at an affordable cost.
"Education transformed my life and career, and I’m honored to give back by supporting ECU’s mission to transform the lives of others," said Ramadan. "This campaign is about investing in our students, our future, and our community."
Born in Jerusalem, Palestine, in 1936, Ramadan graduated from high school in Bethlehem in 1954. He earned his medical degree from Cairo University Faculty of Medicine in 1961.
His early career included work as a medical officer with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, followed by private practices in Jericho and Amman. He later pursued a Master of Public Health in Lebanon, earning the degree from the American University of Beirut in 1973. By 1976, he was in Oklahoma completing his internship, residency, and fellowship in neonatology at the University of Oklahoma, finishing in 1980.
That same year, Ramadan founded Southern Oklahoma Pediatrics in Ada and led the creation of the state’s first Level Two Neonatal Intensive Care Unit outside the Oklahoma City area, housed in Valley View Regional Hospital.
He went on to serve the Ada community with pediatric care for more than 40 years and remains an active member of several esteemed medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the Oklahoma State Medical Association, and the National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA).
Ramadan continues to serve children and families as a member of the Kids Clinic team at Central Oklahoma Family Medical Center. Alongside his wife, Siham Ramadan, he remains a pillar in both the medical field and the Ada community. He also served as the physician for the ECU Student Health Center for over three decades, further strengthening his ties to the university and its students.
His leadership and lifelong commitment to children's health will play a vital role in shaping the success of the ECU Forward campaign and the university's next chapter.
Cutline: Dr. Tawfik Ramadan and Siham Ramadan
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