Portsmouth Abbey alumnus and Board of Regents member Dr. Timothy Flanigan '75, who spent two months in Liberia during 2014 to treat Ebola patients and assist the local medical community there, was recognized Sunday, May 15, by Providence College with an honorary doctorate degree at the college's ninety-eighth commencement exercises. In 2014, Tim traveled to Monrovia, Liberia, on a humanitarian and medical mission to assist with efforts to battle the Ebola crisis. A professor of medicine at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University and an infectious disease specialist at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Tim spent eight weeks providing care, training and other support to medical workers and others treating those who had contracted the virus. He also helped the local medical community prepare for the re-opening of St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, which had closed during the epidemic when its health care workers fell ill with the virus.
The Diocese of Monrovia and the Salesian Missions assisted Tim, who is also a deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, with his travel and helped to ship thousands of dollars in food supplies and protective equipment, including gowns, gloves, hats, goggles, and masks. Tim had been ordained to the permanent diaconate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence in 2013. During his formation, he took his required theology courses at Providence College. He is a deacon at St. Christopher and St. Theresa churches in Tiverton. Tim and his wife, Luba, have five children: Teresa '06, Daniel '09, Michael '11, Patrick '19, and Nick.
Tim was one of five honorary degree recipients on Sunday at Providence College. The others were Heather Abbott, whose injuries in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing led her to establish a foundation to help amputees obtain prostheses; Robert W. Fiondella, Esq., '64, a civic leader, philanthropist, and retired chair of The Phoenix Companies, Inc.; Rose Ella Weaver, an actor, singer, playwright, and teacher; and George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival.
(Photo courtesy of Providence College)