News and information (appointments, searches, events, awards, etc.) pertaining to the School of Medicine are featured in SOM e-NEWS in abstract form and are linked to the web for more detailed information. SOM e-NEWS is currently published bimonthly. If you have information you would like published in this newsletter, please contact Denise Gonzalez, in our office via email (djgonzal@utmb.edu) or by fax (29598). Please let us know your ideas and suggestions for this communication format. You may send your comments via email to Linda Phillips (lphillip@utmb.edu).

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1. UPCOMING EVENTS

· RETIREMENT/BENEFITS SERIES

Please plan to attend a presentation by Ms. Joann Resh of CitiStreet regarding the Texa$aver 457(b) Program on Wednesday, July 24, 2002, 5:00-7:00 PM, Levin Hall Dining Room. The University of Texas System has authorized the implementation of the Texa$aver 457(b) program to provide an additional supplemental retirement savings program in which you may elect to participate. Texa$aver is a voluntary deferred compensation program offered by the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) and administered by CitiStreet.

The Office of the Dean of Medicine has sponsored several of these events for School of Medicine faculty which are designed to provide information regarding retirement, tax laws, gift planning, etc. Educational presentations are made by representatives from authorized ORP companies.

· HONORS AND AWARDS PROGRAM AND WHITE COAT CEREMONY

The Honors and Awards Program recognizes outstanding students and faculty; the White Coat Ceremony is the School of Medicine's formal welcoming and introduction of our incoming medical students to the profession of medicine. This event will take place on Monday, August 19, 2002 at 4:00 PM in the Levin Hall Main Auditorium.

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2. MARK YUDOF APPOINTED CHANCELLOR

Mark G. Yudof, President of the University of Minnesota since 1997, was officially named Chancellor of the University of Texas System on Friday, June 21^st. He will succeed Chancellor R. D. Burck at the end of the summer. For more information, please visit: http://www.utsystem.edu/news/2002/YudofAppointedChancellor06-21-02.html

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3. APPOINTMENT OF TETSUO ASHIZAWA, M.D.

Tetsuo Ashizawa, M.D has been appointed as Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology, and inaugural holder of the John Sealy Chair in Neurology, effective 1 July, 2002.

Dr. Ashizawa received his medical degree from Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo. He continued his training at the U.S. Naval Regional Medical Center and Kitasato University Hospital in Japan, and at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. His postgraduate training has also included a residency in Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, serving as Chief Resident and then as a Clinical and Research Fellow for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Thereafter, he joined the faculty in the Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, and over the past two decades, has held many leadership positions. His service includes Director of the Huntington's Disease Clinic and the Ataxia Clinic, and Director of the Student and Residency Programs. He has also served as Assistant Chief, Neurology Service at the VA Medical Center in Houston. Dr. Ashizawa is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (for Neurology).

Dr. Ashizawa's distinguished career in academic medicine is marked by his excellence in research and dedication to patient care and medical education. He is well known for his scientific contributions in unraveling the genetics of certain neurological and neuromuscular disorders, an area in which he has published extensively. He has received an array of honors and awards for his leadership in the study and treatment of neurological diseases, and serves in leadership roles in both national and international professional associations.

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4. MILITARY COMMISSIONING CEREMONY HELD AT 2002 SOM GRADUATION

Thirteen graduating seniors were commissioned officers at a special ceremony held immediately following the 2002 School of Medicine Commencement Ceremony on May 25^th. This year marked the first formal military commissioning ceremony. Families, friends as well as individuals from each branch of the military gathered to honor the graduating medical officers. Cpt. Joshua Sill, President of the Military Medical Student Association (MMSA), gave the welcome and Lt. Matthew Pflipsen, Vice President of the MMSA, introduced the officers. Graduates were sworn in by UTMB faculty member, Dr. John Heggers, LTC, MS, USA, Retired, or by a military family member or friend. Family members participated in the ceremony by "pinning new bars" on the graduates.

Graduating Medical Officers and Residency Assignments

Lt. Christopher Bloomer, USN

Internal Medicine

NNMC, Bethesda, MD

Cpt. Kim Blumberg, USA

Anesthesiology

BAMC, San Antonio, TX

Cpt. Erika Gonzalez, USAF

Pediatrics

Keesler, AFB, MS

Cpt. Kimberly Kehoe, USA

Transitional Year

Tripler AMC, HI

Cpt. Anthony Martinez, USA

Family Medicine

Fort Bragg, NC

Cpt. Shaili Matta, USA

Pediatrics, Deferred

Austin Medical Education Programs, TX

Lt. Matthew Muller, USN

General Surgery

Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA

Cpt. Shawnn Derrek Nichols, USAF

General Surgery

Wright Patterson AFB, OH

Lt. William Nguyen, USN

Surgery, Deferred

TX Tech. Univ., El Paso, TX

Cpt. Lilane Reifenberg, USA

Emergency Medicine, Deferred

Univ. of Fla., Jacksonville, FL

Cpt. John Renshaw, USAF

Internal Medicine

Wilford Hall, San Antonio, TX

Cpt. Joshua Sill, USAF

Internal Medicine

Travis AFB, CA

Cpt. Ivette Suber, USAF

OB/GYN, Deferred

TX Tech. Univ., El Paso, TX

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5. JOHN P. MCGOVERN, M.D., AWARD IN OSLERIAN MEDICINE - DON W. POWELL, M.D.

Don W. Powell, M.D., Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Associate Dean for Research, has been chosen as this year's recipient of the John P. McGovern, M.D. Award in Oslerian Medicine. The award was established in honor of Dr. McGovern, a Houston physician and philanthropist and lifelong scholar of Sir William Osler who was a proponent of the integration of scientific and humanistic principles in the practice and teaching of medicine. This award recognizes Dr. Powell's longtime devotion to humane medical practice and teaching, and reflects the high-esteem in which he is held by the students, residents and faculty. The award will be presented to Dr. Powell at the Osler Oratorio on July 12, 2002 at Open Gates, 6:00 PM.

For further details, please visit: http://www.som.utmb.edu/Awards/2002_McGovern_Award.htm.

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6. FACULTY MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE USMLE

The following faculty are currently serving as members of committees in the development of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE):

Michael A. Ainsworth, M.D., Associate Dean for Regional Medical Education

USMLE Step 1 Committee

USMLE Step 1 Interdisciplinary Review Committee

Patricia S. Beach, M.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics

USMLE Step 3 Ambulatory Care

C. Lawrence Kien, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Pediatrics

USMLE Step 1 Biochemistry

Ruth E. Levine, M.D., Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

USMLE Step 1 Behavioral Sciences

Test committee members develop and review test items from which the USMLE is composed. The activities required for development of test materials are challenging, and require talented individuals who are highly respected by their peers. The National Board chooses test committee members very carefully and selection to a USMLE Committee brings honor to the individuals and to his/her institution.

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7. DR. ALICE J. SPEER ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SELAM

Alice J. Speer, M.D., Director, Division of General Internal Medicine, and Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, was elected President of the Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (SELAM) for 2002-2003. This international organization is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of women to executive positions in academic medicine and allied health professions through programs that enhance professional and career development, as well as provide networking and mentoring opportunities. The organization also supports the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women, a one-year fellowship for women faculty to develop their leadership skills, which is supported by the dean of their school. UTMB has successfully sponsored 5 past ELAM fellows, and 2 women faculty recently have been accepted to the upcoming class. Dr. Speer, an active proponent of women’s issues, is a member of UTMB’s Core Committee for the Advancement of Women Faculty and Administrators, a past president of the SOM Faculty Women’s Caucus and current chair of the Faculty Development Advisory Council.

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8. DR. RONALD A. CARSON INVITED TO SERVE ON PANELS

Ronald A. Carson, Ph.D., Harris L. Kempner Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities, has been invited to serve on several expert panels. He will serve on a review panel for the Challenge Grants Section of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the U.S. Government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. In addition, Dr. Carson will serve on an advisory panel for Bioethics and Humanities Research at the National Human Genome Research Institute, which supports genomic science worldwide.

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9. DRS. SHERIF ABDEL-RAHMAN AND JOSEPH M. VINETZ RECEIVE DORIS DUKE AWARDS

Sherif Abdel-Rahman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health, and Joseph M. Vinetz, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, will be awarded the 2002 Doris Duke Innovation in Clinical Research Awards (ICRA). From a pool of 146 applicants, Drs. Abdel-Rahman and Vinetz are two of the eleven researchers in the nation who were selected to receive this funding. The ICRA program will provide $200,000 over the next two years to researchers using innovative approaches to study clinical problems in cardiovascular diseases and blood disorders. Their research projects are as follows:

Dr. Abdel-Rahman - "Impact of CYP2C9 genotype on long-term warfarin dose requirement"

Dr. Vinetz - "Malaria transmission and the human immune response"

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10. JUNIOR FACULTY ASSOCIATION

In an effort to create more opportunities for faculty development, UTMB Senators are requesting a brief response from the School of Medicine faculty regarding a proposal to establish a Junior Faculty Association . Please respond to the question below by email to Dr. Lisa Nash, lrnash@utmb.edu, or to Dr. Kevin McKinney, khmckinn@utmb.edu.

Question: If a Junior Faculty Association were established campus-wide in the next year for the purpose of facilitating networking among junior faculty and the discussion of issues/opportunities or answering of questions important to that group, would you want to join and attend/participate in periodic meetings of that group?

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11. CALL FOR UTMB CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE WHITE PAPERS

All UTMB faculty and staff were invited to a special Town Meeting on Thursday, May 23, 2002, in the Levin Hall Main Auditorium to hear about the university's proposed upcoming comprehensive campaign and the process to determine the timetable, the focus and the campaign's potential impact on the institution.

If you were not able to attend the Town Meeting or view the broadcast on the campus monitors, you can still see an on-line summary, a streaming web broadcast or borrow a videotape from the Public Affairs Office.

If you are interested in submitting a white paper describing your program idea for review by the Faculty/Staff Campaign Planning Committee for possible inclusion in the UTMB comprehensive campaign, please log on to www.utmb.edu/campaign for more information. There you will find a sample of the presentation/white paper format (including a newly added section requesting that each white paper begin with no more than a half page abstract/summary of the program), a sample white paper, the presentation evaluation form, answers to frequently asked questions, the meeting schedule for the Faculty/Staff Campaign Planning Committee, and information on how to forward your paper. In addition, a list of white papers received thus far, including their status, can be found on the website. Please review this list prior to developing your white paper. If there are other program projects on the list that are similar to yours or that you think could be integrated with your program, do not hesitate to contact the author to discuss such potential collaborations. Multidisciplinary programs are highly encouraged. Please send your completed white papers to Jackie Callies via email [jcallies@utmb.edu] or campus route 0144. The deadline for submission of your white paper during this initial round is June 28, 2002.

If you have additional questions or need more information after visiting the website, please contact Dr. David Gorenstein [david@nmr.utmb.edu], chair of the Faculty/Staff Campaign Planning Committee.

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12. APPOINTMENTS TO ENDOWED POSITIONS

The following faculty were appointed to endowed professorships

--GUILLERMO A. GOMEZ, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of

Surgery, appointed to the GRANVILLE T. HALL CHAIR IN GENERAL

SURGERY effective June 1, 2002.

--GLENN C. HUNTER, M.D., Professor, Department of Surgery, appointed

to the ALONZO ALVERLY ROSS, M.D. CENTENNIAL CHAIR IN

GENERAL

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13. NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

The Dean of Medicine welcomes the following new School of Medicine faculty who have been appointed during the month of May, 2002:

Lauryn Brewer, M.S.N., Pediatric Specialist, Pediatrics

Stevan Gilmore, M.D., Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine & Community Health

Katherine Kelley, M.S.N., Maternal/Child Specialist, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Morton Leonard, Jr., M.D., Associate Professor, Radiology

James Russell, M.D., Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Karen Springer, M.S.N., Maternal/Child Specialist, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Garry Stubbs, M.D., Instructor, Anesthesiology

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14. GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

For other funding opportunities, please visit the following web site:

http://www.som.utmb.edu/announcements/

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We want your news!

Submit your information for SOM e-NEWS:

· Via email to djgonzal@utmb.edu

· On the phone to ext. 23967

· Via fax at 29598

SOM e-NEWS is an initiative of the Office of the Dean of Medicine, to improve communication with faculty and staff in the school. The editor of the newsletter is Dr. Linda Phillips. An archive of the newsletter is available on the SOM web site:

http://www.som.utmb.edu/e-NEWS/eNEWS-TOC.htm. Thank you for your interest and time.

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