{"id":227387,"date":"2025-03-26T04:30:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T08:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=227387"},"modified":"2025-03-26T10:16:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T14:16:03","slug":"dr-cato-t-laurencin-appointed-knight-commander-of-the-order-of-st-lucia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/03\/dr-cato-t-laurencin-appointed-knight-commander-of-the-order-of-st-lucia\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Pioneer in regenerative engineering Professor Cato T. Laurencin, is now Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_227389\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-227389\" style=\"width: 427px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-227389  img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"Cato Laurencin being knighted\" width=\"427\" height=\"239\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture1-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture1-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture1-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture1-630x353.png 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture1.png 1173w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 427px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 427\/239;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-227389\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Cato T. Laurencin at the ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Laurencin is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of regenerative engineering that he founded, along with groundbreaking work in orthopaedic surgery, polymer science chemistry and engineering, and musculoskeletal repair and regeneration.<\/p>\n<p>Laurencin is the first surgeon in the world elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Inventors. He earned his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, his M.D. from the Harvard Medical School, <em>Magna Cum Laude<\/em>, and his Ph.D. in Biochemical engineering\/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSt. Lucia is an extraordinary country, with extraordinary people,\u201d said Laurencin. \u201cThe country has more Nobel Prize winners per capita than anywhere in the world. In being Knighted through the auspices of King Charles III, I am proud to be included among fellow Knights such as the late Sir Derek Wolcott, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_227391\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-227391\" style=\"width: 517px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-227391  img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture3-1024x554.png\" alt=\"University Professor Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn being knighted in St. Lucia.\" width=\"517\" height=\"280\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture3-1024x554.png 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture3-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture3-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture3-630x341.png 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture3.png 1201w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 517px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 517\/280;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-227391\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin receiving the medal of the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Laurencin is the Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university Institute at UConn created in his honor. He is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine. In engineering, he is professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering and professor of Biomedical Engineering at UConn.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_227400\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-227400\" style=\"width: 597px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-227400  img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-1024x917.jpg\" alt=\"Sir Laurencin's Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia medals.\" width=\"597\" height=\"534\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-1024x917.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-300x269.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-768x688.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-1536x1376.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-469x420.jpg 469w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822-742x665.jpg 742w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Order-of-St.-Lucia-4-20250324_220822.jpg 1846w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 597px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 597\/534;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-227400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sir Laurencin&#8217;s Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia medals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>His research has successfully translated to and influenced technologies affecting millions of patients. His contributions to science include over 500 scientific articles, numerous patents, and he has written or edited 17 books. He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America\u2019s highest honor for technological achievement, in ceremonies at the White House. In 2023 he was named Inventor of the Year by the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-227394  img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture6-1024x559.png\" alt=\"University Professor Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn being knighted in St. Lucia.\" width=\"504\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture6-1024x559.png 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture6-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture6-768x420.png 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture6-630x344.png 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture6.png 1210w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 504px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 504\/275;\" \/>Laurencin received Knighthood on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Government of St. Lucia. \u201cI\u2019m proud that we have established an MOU between the University of Connecticut and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia and have a number of collaborations established. I\u2019m especially proud that my donated autobiography \u2018Success is What You Leave Behind\u2019 sits in schools and libraries throughout the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laurencin received the NIH Director\u2019s Pioneer Grant Award, and the NSF Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award for his work in Regenerative Engineering. He has received the highest awards of the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Materials Research Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineering, and the American Chemical Society, which awarded him the Priestley Medal. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers established the Cato T. Laurencin Regenerative Engineering Founder\u2019s Award, honoring his pioneering efforts in the field.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-227396  img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture8-1024x549.png\" alt=\"University Professor Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn being knighted in St. Lucia.\" width=\"503\" height=\"270\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture8-1024x549.png 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture8-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture8-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture8-630x338.png 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Picture8.png 1214w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 503px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 503\/270;\" \/>\u201cMy father, the late Cyril Laurencin, was born in St. Lucia and was a distinguished carpenter. He asked me to promise to make a difference in the world, and to pay special attention to making a difference in the lives of St. Lucians. Receiving Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia shows a promise kept.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laurencin was born in America but also became a citizen of St. Lucia. Thus, his Knighthood is not an honorary one.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Connecticut congratulates Sir Cato Thomas Laurencin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Laurencin of UConn is now a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia, an Order Established by Queen Elizabeth II<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":227393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2429,1866,1715,2287,1868,2235,2233],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1873],"class_list":["post-227387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awards-scholarships","category-engr","category-community-impact","category-orthopedics","category-meds","category-today-homepage","category-university-news"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-08 17:57:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227387"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227402,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227387\/revisions\/227402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/227393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227387"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=227387"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=227387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}