Fourth Annual James Miller Memorial Blood Drive and Health Fair Held
Ellen Connor, MD, PhD and Fern Tsien, PhD
To address a critical blood shortage and carry on James Miller's tradition of community
service, the 4th Annual James Benjamin Miller Blood Drive and Health Fair was held
in his memory and in honor of his August 1st birthday. Miller is the late son of Professor
Fern Tsien, PhD, Assistant Dean for Medical Student Research and Interim Department
Head of Genetics, and Associate Director of the Cancer Research Training and Education
Center (CRTEC) for LSU LCMC and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. (Image, above right: High school student Gabrielle Tsien (Dominican High School) pets
Maverick with Visiting Pets Program volunteer Eleanor Ostoff.)
The event was held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the LSUHSC Lions Eye Center, honoring
what would have been Miller’s 24th birthday. It was organized by Students Interested
in Pathology Specialties (SIPS), their faculty sponsor Dr. Ellen Connor, and the L2
Student Government Association. Volunteers included faculty, staff, LSUHSC students,
and summer interns. The LSUHSC Foundation supported the event with free snowballs
and lunch for the volunteers. (image, above left: The Leadership Team - Gabriel Peterman (L3), Tanner Hoole (L2),
Patrick Daly (L2), Dr. Fern Tsien, Dr. Ellen Connor, Dr. Ayesha Umrigar, Charles McKenzie
(L2))
“The Blood Center supplies hospitals and numerous outpatient transfusion facilities
in Southeast Louisiana, so all donations directly impact our region,” Dr. Ellen Connor,
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology, said. “In fact, University Medical Center
in New Orleans depends on these blood products daily to treat many of their patients
with emergencies and chronic diseases as well as those undergoing routine surgical
procedures.” (image, above right: The smoking and vaping prevention station with high school student
volunteers Oliver O'Dwyer (De La Salle High School), Paul Dvorak (De La Salle High
School), and Anne Marie George (Metairie Park Country Day High School))
The event included health fair activities and the opportunity to save up to three
lives by donating blood. A total of 136 people signed up and 119 units of blood were
collected, potentially impacting the lives of as many as 357 individuals. Health education
offerings included the Community Outreach, Rebuilding, and Education (CORE) medical
students with blood pressure and glucose screenings, the All of Us Program with information
about genetics and precision medicine, the School of Public Health with tobacco/vaping
and cancer prevention information, the School of Allied Health Professions with information
about their resources, and medical students with water safety information. New Orleans
area organizations included Son of a Saint, which offered opportunities for mentoring
New Orleans youth, and the Visiting Pets Program therapy dogs who along with their
handlers brought smiles and comfort to the attendees. The Visiting Pets Program members
included
Dr. Joy Sturtevant (LSUHSC-SOM Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology) with pet
Talley; Katherine Acuff (President and CEO of the LSUHSC Foundation) and pet Jack;
Dr. Jen Creedon (LSUHSC-SOM Psychiatry) and pet Pirogue; Beth Akin with pet Hamilton;
and Leslie Ambruster with pet Teddy Bridgewater. Blood donors received free t-shirts
and attendees received free snowballs. (Image above left: Gabrielle Tsien pets Dr. Joy Sturtevant's dog Talley.)
James Benjamin Miller III was a philosophy and history major at Tulane University, and Vice President of Community Engagement. James went missing and was presumed drowned on Thanksgiving 2021 while on a family vacation. His loss led to the approval and implementation of the Ley de Seguridad Acuática (Aquatic Safety Law) in El Salvador, which has saved thousands of lives.
This is the Fourth Annual Blood Drive and Health Fair held in memory of Miller’s birthday. However, since January of 2022, a total of 12 blood drives have been held in his memory throughout the city, collecting a total of 592 units, potentially affecting the lives of 1,776 individuals and significantly contributing to the New Orleans community's emergency blood supply.