Wade Clapp '77
Dr. D. Wade Clapp graduated from Hanover College cum laude in 1977, majoring in biology. He is a member of Phi Delta Theta, which he served as president in his senior year. He also was a member of Gamma Sigma Pi academic honorary and the Interfraternity Council.
Wade later attended Indiana University School of Medicine. After earning his medical degree in 1982, he did post-doctoral work at Case Western Reserve University. Today, he is back at the IU School of Medicine, where he holds a number of high-profile positions.
Earlier this year, Wade was named the Freida and Albrecht Kipp Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine. He also is professor of microbiology and immunology and the medical director of the Wishard Hospital Special Care Nursery in Indianapolis. He is a faculty biomedical researcher at the Riley Hospital for Children and the Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research. Finally, he directs the program at IU that enables graduate students to combine their studies and earn both medical and doctoral degrees.
Wade has published numerous research papers and earned several awards for his medical research. His research specialty is developmental hematology. His research has focused on understanding the molecular development of two genetic diseases that result in malignancies and tumors in hematopoietic stem cells, the cells that enable the body to produce blood cells. His research team currently is studying the role of a tumor suppressor gene.
Wade has continued to support Hanover over the years, frequently visiting the College campus to speak to students interested in attending medical school. He was a panelist in the Center for Free Inquiry symposium, "Expert, Advocate, or Critic? The Scientist as Citizen in the 21st Century," held in 2001.
Wade and his wife, Dr. Nancy Swigonski, live in Indianapolis. Their children are Luke, Steve and Spencer.