Left to right: Retired Prof. Vijay Deshpande; Dr. Doug Gardenhire, current chair; retired chair and professor Dr. Joe Rau.
Through the generosity of retired respiratory therapy faculty Professor Vijay Deshpande and Dr. Joe Rau, the Lewis College started the Deshpande-Rau Scholarship. The endowed scholarship will provide funding to students in the respiratory therapy department, with the first award given in 2022. Their gift to the fund totals $27,500.
Deshpande and Rau created this scholarship to recognize outstanding respiratory therapy students who exhibit potential leadership traits and are strong academically.
Deshpande was a professor for Lewis College in the RT department for 29 years. He was also adjunct faculty for the RT department at Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Deshpande has received numerous awards and was instrumental in developing an International Fellowships Program for the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC).
Rau served as the department chair of respiratory therapy for 12 years. He authored more than four dozen peer-reviewed articles on lung health and respiratory care, many continuing education papers, numerous national and international presentations and research grants. Rau is the original author of Respiratory Care Pharmacology; the latest editions, authored by current RT chair Dr. Doug Gardenhire, bear his name.