John Shields ’85

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John Shields, a psychobiology major, brings the healing energies of love and laughter into the lives of long-term hospitalized children. In four years of research and volunteer contributions on behalf of the psychology department and the UCLA Medical Center, his compassion has forged lifetime friendships with families across the nation.

Shields most notable commitment to the University is his service to the pediatric department’s child development program. His companionship and care have provided great physical and emotional comfort to chronically and terminally ill young people. He produced, wrote and edited “About That Tall,” a documentary film that examines family unit support structure for children with cystic fibrosis.

For three consecutive years, Shields has been honored with the UCLA Medical Center Volunteer Scholarship Award. His outstanding research efforts at the cystic fibrosis clinic earned both the UCLA Undergraduate Presidential Research Fellowship Award and the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Student Traineeship Award. Shields will continue to study clinical child psychology, and he plans to enter the Ph.D. program at the University of Health Sciences, Chicago Medical School.