A trailblazer in the medical field, Dr. Jane Arbuckle Petro is the 2025 Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award recipient. Now a plastic surgeon and educator with over 20 years of practice, two books, 73 peer-reviewed publications, and a plethora of international medical missions under her belt, Petro got her start in Pennsylvania, gaining her master's degree in the second graduating class of the new medical school at the time, Penn State University at Hershey in 1973. From her humble beginnings, she knew the meaning of hard work, using scholarships and loans to pay for school and working as an antiques dealer for
extra cash.
It's her humility and empathy that drives her work as her career spans across the public and community service sectors, serving otherwise underserved communities. A distinguished plastic surgeon, she used her skills to volunteer at Blythedale Children's Hospital, providing care to cleft lip and palate patients on Medicaid. She also was a champion for HIV-positive patients during the AIDS crisis, advocating for their care.
She has held various leadership positions and numerous firsts: the first woman plastic surgery resident at Hershey in 1978, the first microsurgical hand reattachment in Pennsylvania in 1978, the first woman professor of surgery at New York Medical Center in 1996, and was on the first all-women crew in the Marion to Bermuda Race on the vessel Cassiopeia. Harboring a passion for sailing, Petro captained or crewed sailboats from 1970 to 2025 on national and international trips. Outside of her retirement from surgery, she's taken on the position of historian and educator, highlighting the work of often unidentified women doctors in the 19th century. Her achievements and continued drive to serve others are what earned her the Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award, which is awarded to individuals with ties to the region who have achieved greatness in their field and made a lasting impact on society.
You may also like the following events from Jefferson Educational Society:
- This month, 22nd October, 07:00 pm, A Journey of Perseverance: An Evening with Jim Kelly in Erie
- This month, 29th October, 07:00 pm, This Just In: Latest Discoveries in the Universe in Erie
- Next month, 5th November, 07:00 pm, Faith, Religion, and American Politics: A Conversation with Vice President Mike Pence & Paul McNulty in Erie
Also check out other
Performances in Erie,
Entertainment events in Erie,
Sports events in Erie.
