From the Labs
Houston, Texas
Volume 8, Issue 3
April 2009

Briefs

Kalavar named chief of staff of DeBakey VAMC

Jagadeesh S. Kalavar, M.D., is the new chief of staff of the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, an affiliated hospital of Baylor College of Medicine. In his new post, Kalavar, who has been with the Department of Veterans Affairs since 1991 and is an associate professor of medicine at BCM, will serve as the DeBakey VAMC senior medical officer responsible for all clinical care and programs at the main facility in Houston and outpatient clinics. Kalavar has been serving as the acting chief of staff since January.

Commencement speaker announced

Veteran Astronaut Major General Charles F. Bolden Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (Retired) will be the college's 2009 commencement speaker.

A member of the board of trustees of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute based at Baylor College of Medicine, he is a decorated naval aviator and was the pilot of two space shuttle missions and the commander of two others. He has held several leadership positions in the U.S. Marines and is now an aerospace consultant and motivational speaker on the importance of science and leadership.

He received a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master of science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006. His daughter, Kelly, graduated from BCM in 2003 and is serving a fellowship in plastic surgery. His son is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Oldham selected president-elect of American College of Psychiatrists

John Oldham, M.D., senior vice president and chief of staff at The Menninger Clinic and professor and executive vice chair for clinical affairs and development for the Baylor College of Medicine Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has been elected president-elect of the American College of Psychiatrists.