PALS to welcome women's health expert, orthopedic sports surgeon on Sept. 24
Heidelberg University will welcome a nationally recognized authority on women’s health and healthy aging to campus next month as the keynote speaker for this fall’s Patricia Adams Lecture Series.
Dr. Vonda Wright, a pioneering orthopedic sports surgeon and human performance expert, will deliver the PALS keynote address on Thursday, Sept. 24, in Seiberling Gymnasium.
In addition to her keynote address during the PALS dinner, The Long Game: A Sports Doc's Playbook — 1991-Today, Wright will spend time with students in a fireside chat and various classroom settings during her time at Heidelberg.
With more than 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Wright has cared for more than 100,000 patients throughout her career, combining medical expertise and innovative approaches to help people “go strong, live long and age with power.
A fierce advocate for women’s longevity and peak performance, Dr. Wright’s award-winning research on musculoskeletal aging has helped reshape conversations about health and vitality. She is a sought-after media expert and has shared her insights on the Today Show, CBS, NBC, Diary of a CEO, the Jay Shetty and Mel Robbins podcasts, and in publications including The New York Times and The Observer.
Dr. Wright has served as founding Chief of Sports Medicine at Northside Health System and inaugural Medical Director of the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. She also has provided medical care for athletes and performers with the University of Pittsburgh, Georgia State University, the Pittsburgh and Atlanta Ballets, World Rugby and the PGA.
An author and content creator with a digital community of nearly 2 million people, Dr. Wright is the author of the 2025 book Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Aging with Power. She earned a master’s degree in Oncology Nursing from Rush University and her medical degree from the University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed orthopedic residency at the University of Pittsburgh and a sports medicine fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Students will have a chance to get to know Dr. Wright during a fireside chat at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. As part of her visit to campus, she also will visit an athletic training class.
Students can sign up for the FREE dinner online. Faculty, staff and the community also are invited and can reserve their seat here. Cost is $40 and you can indicate chicken or vegan meal option. RSVP by Wednesday, Sept. 16.
ABOUT THE PATRICIA ADAMS LECTURE SERIES
In 2010, Heidelberg launched The Patricia Adams Lecture Series, created and funded by The John and Patricia Adams Foundation. It aims to present exceptional female leaders from a broad spectrum of professional backgrounds as a way to expose all Heidelberg students to women who have made a significant impact in their careers and communities. The series is named to honor the late Pat Adams’ loyalty to and passion for Heidelberg, her philanthropic spirit, and her desire to leave a legacy to the university that meant so much to both her and John, a ’58 Heidelberg alumnus and trustee who passed away earlier in 2024.
August 19, 2026
