Former University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Professor of Radiology, Gerald (Jerry) Pond, MD, passed away on Sunday, August 27, at the age of 76. Dr. Pond was widely recognized during his 31 years as a tenured professor with a national and international reputation in implementing interventional radiology (IR) procedures to improve patient outcomes. His major contributions were in digital subtraction angiography and its use in endovascular interventions. His clinical colleagues have remarked, “He was an outstanding physician and one of the smartest you will ever meet. His standards were high, relentless, and demanding, with patient care as the goal.”
Dr. Pond’s life work was punctuated by an appreciation and skill in arts and sciences, the foundation of academic medicine. His love of art began as a boy soprano, with a lead role with the University of Illinois (U of I) Opera in Champaign-Urbana, and his love of science was evident early as a high school student enrolled at U of I. Also during high school, he lived in Bogotá, Colombia, where he became fluent in Spanish and was fascinated by Hispanic culture.
Dr. Pond graduated from U of I at the age of 20 and entered medical school at University of Illinois Chicago, receiving his MD in 1969. His earlier experience in Bogotá led to his enthusiastic acceptance of a match into the University of Arizona radiology residency program, which was followed by a fellowship in the college’s IR program from 1972-1976 under the mentorship of M. Paul Capp, MD, and later at Stanford University, under the mentorship of Ronald Castellino, MD.
He was invited to become a tenure track assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in 1976 and rose to become a tenured full professor in 1989. He authored over 100 publications and was extremely proud to use his Spanish language skills in teaching IR procedures to physicians in Mexico and conducting multiple Spanish-only lectures on radiology in Mexico City. His cross-border conferences included several that were organized between the government of Sonora, Mexico, and the University of Arizona. His service at the College of Medicine included being chairman of the Medicine Promotions and Tenure Committee for five years and IR section head for 15 years.
A shift in clinical practice away from IR procedures at the University of Arizona in 2000 led to his work with private practice groups in Phoenix, Glendale and Chandler. During this 10-year period, he authored additional peer-reviewed publications with colleagues in Australia to improve the standard of practice for IR procedures and was the head of diagnostic radiology at Maryvale Hospital for four years.
When not practicing academic medicine, Dr. Pond always favored outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing, skiing and scuba diving, all of which he avidly pursued with his wife and, later, his children.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Anne E. Cress, PhD, College of Medicine – Tucson vice dean of operations and strategy; their daughter, Erika Pond (Bock), currently a medical student at Saint George’s University; their son, Kelvin Pond, PhD, research assistant professor of cellular and molecular medicine; and grandchildren Circe and Nyxa Bock.
His family shared that those who feel compelled to honor his memory may consider a donation in his name to either Arizona Game and Fish or the Nature Conservancy.