Remembering a "Genetic Counseling" Legend:

In Honor of Dr. Tom Scullion

Dr. Tom Scullion worked in social work practice before entering a career in academia. As an administrator and social worker at a medical school, he served as the staff social worker with an interdisciplinary team which had formed a genetics diagnostic and counseling program in the early 1970s. He was a member of the faculty of the Department of Social Work at UNCG for 19 years, served as Department Chair and co-planned the Joint MS Degree in Social Work with NC A & T University. He retired from UNCG in 1998.

The UNCG MS Genetic Counseling Program accepted its first class of students in 2000, after Tom’s retirement. Once he learned of our program, he reached out to us to share stories and we marveled together about our similarities. Early in his career when the genetic counseling profession was in its infancy, Dr. Scullion essentially functioned as a prenatal genetic counselor. The overlap in fields and his personal experience continued to resonate with him decades later. Tom was also instrumental in the establishment of licensure for social workers in North Carolina and was generous with his advice for trailblazing in the state.

Dr. Scullion’s generosity first led him to become a donor of the program, followed by the establishment of the Gail Pastorini Scullion Endowment Fund in 2015 in memory of his late wife. Motivated by his passions and interests, the fund is used to support the professional development of the Genetic Counseling program faculty and students and to stimulate public discussion of matters of law, policy or professional practice affecting the field of genetic counseling. While we did not have the opportunity to know Gail personally, we were regaled with lovely tales of her. Lauren (Doyle) and Gail share an alma mater (SUNY Geneseo), a fun fact that cemented the bond. Dr. Scullion’s generosity in both practical and intangible ways is felt on a daily basis.

Money from the Gail Pastorini Scullion Endowment Fund has been used to recruit ethicist Dr. Eric Juengst to speak at a past UNCG Genetic Counseling Program Supervision Workshop, which was attended by Tom himself in addition to our program’s genetic counseling supervisors. This fund also helped support the first North Carolina Medical Genetics Association meeting hosted at UNCG in spring 2019, which was a policy workshop focused on genetic counseling licensure and attended by a variety of genetics providers across the state of North Carolina. Program faculty have also appreciated financial support of professional development activities thanks to the Endowment Fund.

Dr. Scullion passed away on July 8, 2020. We celebrate and remember him as more than just a supporter of the UNCG Genetic Counseling Program; he was a true friend, caring spirit and inspiration. He was an honorary genetic counselor in every sense. He believed so strongly in the program and would take every opportunity to coach us to advocate for ourselves on multiple levels. His regular check-ins and sentiments of positivity and encouragement will be missed. Tom and Gail will continue to live on with us in the Genetic Counseling Program through the Gail Pastorini Scullion Endowment Fund. Dr. Scullion will always be a part of the genetic counseling community and remains in the heart of our program.