Law School:
University of Texas at Austin, J.D., 1986
College:
University of Texas at Austin, B.A., summa cum laude, 1983
Member:
State Bar of Texas; State Bar of California
Born:
Chico, California
Roger Worthington believes in giving back. Worthington has donated over
$1 million directly to medical research on the early detection, prevention,
treatment and cure of asbestos-related mesothelioma. Most of the latter
amount has been donated to the cancer research foundation he helped found,
the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Inc. (
MARF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to eradicate mesothelioma as
a life ending disease. More important than dollars, he has donated thousands
of hours to the foundation, which has funded over $5 million in research
grants through a competitive peer-review process.
In 2005, MARF awarded Roger the Congressman Bruce Vento “Hope Builder
" Award in recognition of his efforts to persuade industry, the drug
companies, trial lawyers, and the federal government to fund therapy-focused
mesothelioma research. Roger dedicated the award to his dad, “Punch
“Worthington who has asbestosis and lung cancer.
In addition, Worthington has raised over $1 million for the Pacific Heart
Lung & Blood Institute (PHLBI), another 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation. PHLBI's mission
is to improve the prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through independent research, collaboration,
and education. The foundation is located in Los Angeles, California. Through
PHLBI, Worthington has funded the creation of the Punch Worthington Research
Laboratory, which is located at the UCLA Medical School in Los Angeles.
Worthington believes in educating our children about the importance of
protecting the environment that sustains all life. In 2002, he and his
wife/partner Ann endowed a professorship for Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology at the University of Texas in Austin. The course will introduce
students to the key concepts of genetics, evolution, and ecology so they
will have a better comprehension of the interplay between the population,
pollution and natural and manufactured ecosystems.
Worthington is active in his community and takes a strong interest in the
wellbeing and health of his neighbors in Dana Point, California. He actively
promotes cycling as a healthy recreation in California and Oregon His
office is a sponsor of the
Team OUCH Professional Cycling Team. He readily gives back to the University of
Texas. To honor his college mentor, Biology Professor Larry Gilbert, Worthington
also provides financial support for Dr. Gilbert’s field research
on non-chemical methods for controlling the imported fire ant at the U.T.
Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin, Texas. In 2002, he and his wife
Ann created the Worthington Essay Prize. Click here to learn more about
Worthington’s Community Service.
Other Information
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Author: "Probing the Constitutionality of the Texas Solid Waste Inspection
Scheme" 17 State Bar of Texas Environmental Law Journal 61, 1987
- Author: "Liability of Officers, Directors and Partners for Violations
of Environmental Statutes," Advising Officers, Directors and Partners
of Troubled Businesses, State Bar of Texas, February, 1987
- "SV40, Asbestos and Mesothelioma: Hot Potato, Red Herring or Silver
Bullet?" Asbestos, Harris Martin Publishing, Premier Issue, 2000
- "Time Ripe for Government Funded Effort at Mesothelioma Cure,"
Asbestos, Harris Martin Publishing, January 2003.
- Founder, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Inc., (501 (c) (3) non-profit),
2000. Congressman Bruce Vento "Hope Builder" Award, MARF, 2006
- Founder, Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute.