Roland Weinsier moved his family to Birmingham in 1975, where he joined UAB as an Assistant Professor
of Medicine, in the Division of Nutrition. When the Department of Nutrition Sciences was founded in 1977, he directed the Division
of Clinical Nutrition. I joined the Department in 1981 as a clinical nutrition fellow, so I had the privilege of working with
Roland for 21 years. I would like to say a few things from the “UAB perspective.”
Accomplishments
The UAB community and the international nutrition science community will remember Roland Weinsier as a “quadruple threat” for
a steady stream of accomplishments in the three areas of academic medical endeavor (patient care, teaching, and research) plus the
area of administration. These were detailed in a marvelous festschrift symposium held ten days ago, in which speakers from around
the U.S. and Switzerland recounted their collaborations with Roland and the impact of his work on nutrition science. They might be
divided into the following “chapters” spanning four decades.
- In the 1970’s Roland built the Division of Clinical Nutrition, the Nutrition Clinic (which those of us who followed him
have expanded into 4 clinics serving distinct patient populations), the Nutrition Support Service (providing inpatient
nutrition consultations), and the first-year UAB medical nutrition course, which has for nearly 25 years been the most
extensive such course in any medical school in the U.S. In this chapter Roland began to distinguish himself in patient
care and teaching.
- In the 1980’s Roland solidified these programs and published research findings from them. He began training physician
nutrition specialists (of which I had the privilege of being the first) and building a career in published obesity
research. He distinguished himself in the areas of training and research.
- In the 1990’s, after becoming Chairman in 1988, Roland built a larger, stronger, and better-funded Department of Nutrition
Sciences, including establishment of a research group focusing on obesity, energy metabolism, and body composition (he
further distinguished himself in administration and research). His research productivity expanded significantly during his
chairmanship, a remarkable accomplishment that few chairs are able to achieve. And this research productivity was not just
as a co-author on others’ publications – Roland directed the development of his research efforts during his years as
Chairman.
- In the 21st century, until his illness gradually sidelined him over the last several months, Roland’s research was more
vigorous, better funded, more productive, and more enjoyable to him than at any prior point in his entire career. It is
difficult to say whether his research career had even peaked. Without doubt, he planned to continue it for years to come,
and I am one of many people, along with others present today, who looked forward to working alongside him for years to come
as well.
Personal qualities
Roland’s accomplishments were truly remarkable. But the UAB community and the international nutrition science community will
equally remember Roland for his marvelous personal qualities. He was:
- A quiet, humble leader – he always started by establishing programs locally, but then he “went national” with all his
endeavors in patient care, teaching, research, and administration, through publications, national and international
collaborations, and major involvement in national societies. Yet he never grabbed the limelight for himself, because he
was:
- A mentor and role model – he always encouraged others along the way, congratulating them on their strengths and successes,
helping them shore up their weaknesses, and carefully plotting courses that would lead to advancement in their training and
careers.
- Finally, all of Roland’s activities were supremely characterized by integrity.
Integrity in patient care – he treated patients with compassion and discernment.
Integrity in teaching – he taught students with a clear eye to what they should learn, not just what he would most like to
teach them.
Integrity in research – he always followed where his research data led, never twisting them (much less burying them) because
they did not lead where he expected them to.
Integrity in administration – when establishing programs and priorities, when hiring and evaluating faculty and staff, when
submitting reports and managing budgets, to my knowledge he never gave unfair advantage or inserted a needless hurdle, he
never withheld a rightful reward or encouragement, and he never fudged a figure or a fact. He never advanced – in fact, he
was repulsed by the notion of advancing – his own interests or career on the backs of others. Quite to the contrary, he
invited others to advance their careers on his back.
Integrity in his personal habits – everything Roland believed, he immediately faithfully applied to his daily lifestyle.
Although he never said this to me, I think it would honor his memory to presume that he would say that although appropriate
lifestyle choices do not eliminate the risks of chronic diseases – they certainly did not do so in his case (for reasons
that can be understood) – there is increasingly substantial evidence that they make a significant impact. And he would
highly recommend them.
In remembering him as a humble yet superb leader among nutrition scientists, educators, clinicians and administrators, a mentor and
role model to all who worked with him, and a friend who always displayed complete integrity, the UAB community and the international
nutrition science community have lost a great man in Roland Weinsier. We will miss him very much.