Brain Awareness Week Forum March 1

Brain Awareness activities will include a program at the McGovern Health Museum March 20.

The Neuroscience Research Center (NRC) will host its 13th Annual Brain Awareness Week Public Forum 10:30 a.m.-noon, Saturday, March 1, MSB 3.001.

This year’s forum, Stem Cells – Their Potential for Neurologic Disease, features a panel discussion moderated by Dr. James Grotta, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology.  The panel includes Drs. James Baumgartner, Sean Savitz, Paul Simmons, and Henry Strobel.

Audience questions are welcome and admission to the event is free (but registration is requested) and open to the public.

The NRC also will host Brain Night at the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Sciences at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 20.

Please visit http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/nrc/ for more details and to register.

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Faculty Senate focuses on fund raising and excellence in education

With presentations by Susan Coulter, vice president of institutional advancement, and Jackie Callies, executive director of the Medical School’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations, fund raising was the main focus of the February meeting of the Faculty Senate.

Coulter said that the Medical School’s numbers of donors and donated dollars lag behind peer institutions.

“Only 1 percent of Medical School alumni made gifts to us in fiscal year 2007, versus an 8-11 percent giving rate at neighboring institutions. Our rate is the lowest of any of the institutions in the UT System, and it is a great opportunity,” she said.

Coulter said the goal of development is to increase the alumni giving rate to 9 percent and to bring in $40 million in new commitments to the UT Health Science Center. Planned giving, gifts of wills and estates, also will be targeted as only nine were received over the last 7 years, compared to our sister institutes receiving 23-343.

The Medical School’s Office of Alumni Relations and Development is growing from a staff of six to 14 to meet its goals of raising money for the Medical School.

“Our goal is to raise $20 million by the end of the year. More than $8 million has been raised to date – already greater than the $6 million raised last year,” Callies said.

To raise philanthropic dollars, the Medical School office has sent out appeal letters for the annual fund to alumni and faculty. More than 120 gifts came in after the fall 2007 mailing, up from 45 gifts, which were the result of the spring 2007 mail-out. The group is strategically working with individuals and foundations to achieve its fund-raising goal.
The dean also is going to be traveling around the state in an effort to reach out and connect with alumni, with visits planned in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, Callies said.

Callies encouraged faculty to call her office with any ideas for fund-raising initiatives and to help cultivate grateful patients.  Dr. Jeffrey Actor, Faculty Senate chair, echoed her words and encouraged faculty to become involved in development efforts.

Dean Giuseppe Colasurdo said that development is an important investment for the school as funding from the state continues to decrease and competition for federally funded grants increase. “We need to have a safety net of money to fund what we need and to allow for growth,” he said.

Dean Colasurdo reported that incentive compensation would be released for productive faculty in March. For those performing below expectation, decreases to salaries will occur in September.

“A credible compensation plan must be changeable in each direction,” he said, adding that there is not a formula to determine incentives that is suitable for all departments – it must be customized to reflect the microenvironment of the departments.

Focusing on faculty retention is the single most important goal for the Medical School, Dean Colasurdo reported. “Faculty satisfaction, which is key to retention, boils down to the environment,” he said. “We need better communication in departments and to support the career development of our young faculty. We also need to listen.”

Dr. Gary Rosenfeld, assistant dean of educational programs, gave an update on the proposed Academy of Educators. The concept was first presented three years ago, although its implementation was delayed due to leadership changes.

“The Academy is a place to meet and discuss education and to enhance and highlight the mission of education,” he explained.

Membership would be competitive, with charter members chosen by Dr. Patricia Butler, associate dean for educational programs, and Dean Colasurdo. Members would subsequently be elected by the Academy.

“Member benefits would include enhanced recognition, and it will be an honor to be named to the Academy. However, extra work to promote education would be required of all members,” Rosenfeld said.

The Faculty Senate approved the motion to endorse the concept of the Academy of Educators.

In other Senate business, a new secretary was elected, Dr. Amanda Jarolimek, to replace outgoing secretary Dr. Janine Catalano. Dr. Catalano was thanked for her service.

The next Faculty Senate meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. March 20 as an open forum to discuss pressing issues for Senate attention.

-D. Brown

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MENDELL FELLOWSHIP AWARDed to fellows

Dr. Christina Chen, second-year child fellow and chief resident in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship; Dr. Diana Ghelber, second-year psychiatry resident in the General Psychiatry Residency Program; and Dr. Jennifer Yen, second-year psychiatry resident in the General Psychiatry Residency Program, were named the recipients of the 2007-2008 David Mendell Fellowship in Family Therapy. 

The Mendell Fellowship in Family Therapy was established at the Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences by a Houston family in honor of Dr. David Mendell, a well-known and respected family therapist in our community.  For many years, Mendell participated in the child fellowship training activities and was a special contributor to the educational goals that we continue to hold in high esteem.  The purpose of the fellowship is to provide psychiatric trainees an enriched training experience in family therapy. 

The recipients of the Mendell Fellowship will attend the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy 34th Annual Conference March 27-29, at the Galveston Convention Center, San Luis Resort.

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