George H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Award

George H.W. Bush Lifetime Leadership Awardee

Geoffrey Tabin

  • Class
    1978
  • Induction
    2017
  • Sport(s)
    Men's Tennis


Dr. Geoffrey Tabin played Men's Tennis at Yale. He earned four varsity letters and captained the men's tennis team for the Bulldogs in 1977 and 1978. 

After graduation from Yale, Dr. Tabin earned an MA in Philosophy at Oxford University on a Marshall Scholarship. He then went on to earn his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1985. 

Dr. Tabin is the co-founder and chairman of the Himalayan Cataract Project, which works to eradicate preventable and curabel blindness in the Himalayan region and the rest of the developing world. Tabin and the Himalayan Cataract Project have proven that hospital equality standards can be applied to impoverished areas devoid of electricity and clean water. 

In 2013, author David Oliver Ryan published the book, "Second Suns: Two Doctors and Their Amazing Quest to Restore Sight and Save Lives," about the inspiring story of partners, Dr. Tabin and Dr. Ruit's mission to rid the world of preventable blindness.

Tabin is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Global Medicine at Stanford University. Previously, he had served as a professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Director of International Ophthalmology at the John A. Moran Eye Center and University of Utah.

In addition to his teaching and medical work, Dr. Tabin is the fourth person in the world to reach the tallest peak on each of the seven continents. Tabin, along with other members of the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club, invented bungee jumping. In 2010, he was named the National Geographic "Adventurer of the Year" both for his philanthropic and mountain climbing achievements. 

In 1994, Dr. Tabin authored a book, "Blind Corners: Adventures on Seven Continents", a collection of stories that retrace his experiences climbing the highest peak on each continent.
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