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Faculty Commons, Feb. 16 - 22, 2017
Please submit items for Faculty Commons to Erin Blair.

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College News

Academic Council: At the Feb. 11 meeting, Information Technology Executive Director Mike Layton discussed upgrades to cyber security at the College that will address known system vulnerabilities and improve HIPAA/FERPA compliance. The new technical controls and processes will roll out this fiscal year.

  • Supply Chain Management Director Miguel Machado presented an IT/procurement initiative that will standardize security encryption and centralize the College’s laptop, desktop and mobile device purchasing through preferred vendors SHI Government Solutions for Dell products and Apple for all Apple products.
  • Medical School Dean Jennifer Christner reviewed LCME accreditation department reports on mid-term feedback, direct observation, timeliness of grades and duty hours. She asked for faculty volunteers for the ACGME CLER site visit at Ben Taub Hospital Feb. 28 - March 2.
  • Provost Alicia Monroe reported on the success of the new faculty recruitment and hiring process, which requires posting positions 10 days before interviews begin and has increased the number and diversity of applicants.
  • The Provost announced that online training in compliance with Title IX and Clery Act campus security requirements began this month for new employees and will launch this summer for incoming students and trainees plus faculty in education and administration roles.

Your chair or center director attends Academic Council and can provide more information on these items.

Faculty Senate: At the Feb. 9 meeting, the Provost and Program Director Dan Riconda presented for the Senate’s review a proposed Master of Science Program in Genetic Counseling, to be administered in the School of Allied Health Sciences.

  • Chief Information Officer Lee Leiber discussed his vision for Information Technology, which includes increased support for education and research.
  • General Counsel Bob Corrigan said that faculty members potentially affected by changes in immigration policy should contact his office before traveling abroad.
  • Senators voted in favor of a resolution to change the vacation vesting date from the employee start date to the faculty hire date for faculty hired on or after July 1, 2017.
  • The Faculty Affairs and Benefits Committee is reviewing maternity/paternity/adoption leave benefits at peer institutions and will survey College departments, centers and schools on their administration of current benefits.

For additional details about these topics, please contact your Senator.

Commencement: The ceremony for our graduating M.D. and Ph.D. students will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 30 at Jones Hall. Please note this is 30 minutes earlier than in previous years. The speaker is Dr. Darrell Kirch, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges. You are encouraged to attend and support our students. Please complete the form to RSVP as well as to reserve regalia, if needed, and submit it by April 3.

Advancing the Educational Mission: The Office of the Provost recently initiated a comprehensive educational strategic planning process to build on Baylor’s Strategic Roadmap 2014-2020. Help strengthen Baylor’s position as a leader in education among health science universities over the next decade and beyond. Watch this 90-second video. Then share your innovative ideas through this four-question anonymous survey. It should only take about five minutes. The survey closes Tuesday, Feb. 21. As a token of appreciation for your input, you will have the option to enter a raffle at the end of the survey. Winners will receive BCM branded gifts.

Vote on Constitutional Amendments: Faculty members are asked to approve amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution that address reallocating Senate seats in the advent of additional Electoral Units, increase the tenure of Basic and Clinical Science Representatives to two years, and create the office of Past-Chair, among other provisions. A highlighted revision of the Constitution may be found on the Senate's website. Click here to vote now. The ballot is open through Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Nondiscrimination Notice: As part of the Living Our Values initiative, the College has posted a notice of nondiscrimination and a list of reporting options and support services for any members of the BCM community experiencing discrimination or harassment.

Faculty Kudos

imageDr. James Bray, associate professor of family and community medicine and an expert in relationships, talks about commitment as five Baylor couples speak about their own relationships and what makes them work. Check out the video to see Dr. Kent Osborne and Dr. Carolina Gutierrez; Dr. Stacey Berg and Dr. Mary Brandt; Dr. Martin Matzuk and Dr. Lynn Zechiedrich; Dr. Jenny Christner and Dr. Robert Christner; and Renee Fletcher and Robert Fletcher.

 

imageDr. Dorit Donoviel, assistant professor in the Center for Space Medicine, was awarded the National Space Biomedical Research Institute Pioneer Award. This award recognizes individuals whose efforts and accomplishments have provided new paths for the NSBRI and its partner, NASA. Donoviel, director of the Biomedical Innovation Laboratory at the Center for Space Medicine and NSBRI, has accelerated programs to enhance healthcare in space and on earth, such as the NSBRI Industry Forum and the SMARTCAP program.

 

imageDr. Hashem El-Serag, chair and professor of medicine, was selected by the American Gastroenterological Association Nominating Committee to serve as the next vice president of the association. His term as vice president starts in July, followed by one year as president elect. In July 2019, El-Serag will assume the role of 114th president of the AGA, the largest and most influential professional society in digestive diseases worldwide.

 

imageDr. Premal Lulla, assistant professor of medicine, Dr. Emily Mace, assistant professor of pediatrics, and Dr. Erin Peckham-Gregory, a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric oncology, were recipients of the American Society of Hematology's 2017 Scholar Awards. One of ASH's most prestigious award programs, the scholar awards support fellows and junior faculty dedicated to careers in hematology research as they transition from training programs to careers as independent investigators. Lulla received the clinical junior faculty award, Mace, the basic junior faculty award, and Peckham-Gregory, the clinical research fellow award.

 

College Events

Alumni Awards Dinner: Join the Alumni Association in celebrating the College’s alumni and faculty for excellence in achievement and service, including 2017 awardees Dr. Carol Baker ’68, Dr. Susan M. Blaney, Dr. Mary L. Brandt ’83, Dr. Janet S. Butel ’66, Dr. Barry H. Goodfriend (Res) ’65, Dr. Brendan Lee (Res) ’95, Dr. Charles H. McCollum (Res) ’66, and Dr. James R. Walker ’92. The Alumni Awards and Recognition Dinner begins at 6 p.m. April 27 at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston. Register now. It’s not too early to nominate for 2018. Find out how here.

Rodeo Tickets: General Admission/Bar-B-Que Contest tickets and half-price carnival packs to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo can be purchased in the Office of Communications located in Room 176B, Main Baylor, through noon March 3. Rodeo Shows/Concert tickets are not available. View pricing information. Cash or check payable to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. For more information contact Rudy Lopez or call the Office of Communications at (713) 798-4710.

Faculty Opportunities

Dean Positions Deadline Extended: The School of Medicine seeks applicants for three new assistant dean positions (0.4 FTE) in the offices of Student Affairs and Curriculum. Innovative faculty members with experience in medical education and working with students are encouraged to read the job descriptions and apply by Thursday, Feb. 23.

Master Teachers Fellowship: The Office of Professional Development is accepting applications for the Master Teachers Fellowship Program through April 1. The primary aim of the two-year program is to enhance the educational mission of the College by improving the knowledge, skills and scholarship of faculty members. More information about the program and its application form can be obtained online.

Faculty Resources

Pathways to Promotion Workshops: Is your academic career progression on track? Start the new year by participating in a Pathways to Promotion workshop that provides an overview of the Baylor promotions process and standards and a workbook tool to enable you to assess your individual progress. If possible, bring a copy of your CV (paper or electronic) for reference. The next workshop is 12:15-1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 (Room M319.01-M309.03, Main Campus). RSVP to Remy Elizondo in the Office of Faculty Development at (713) 798-7285 to attend.

Baylor CHI St. Luke’s Custom Network: During the annual open enrollment period, Human Resources introduced a new health insurance network that offers lower copays for employees who visit a physician or provider within the Baylor CHI St. Luke’s custom network. The custom network includes more than 70 facilities and 5,000 providers and physicians. A list of the participating facilities, providers and physicians is now available.

Volunteer Time Off: Did you know that Baylor employees are eligible to take one regularly scheduled workday per fiscal year (July 1-June 30) for participating in community service activities? Find out more about volunteer opportunities.

Attention Clinicians: See Clinical Events

Call for Nominations

Award for Academic Clinical Professionalism: Nominations are being accepted for the Ben and Margaret Love Foundation Bobby Alford Award for Academic Clinical Professionalism. Candidates will be considered for their qualities of professionalism in patient care, clinical research and/or education as well as humanism. The nominee must be a full-time or part-time faculty or voluntary faculty physician with a BCM appointment, be in good standing, and have contributed to the institution for five or more years. Nominations may be made by department chairs and center directors. The nomination deadline has been extended to midnight Wednesday, Feb. 22. Find more information online about award criteria and nomination guidelines.

Vote on Hospital Rankings: The U.S. News & World Report Hospital Rankings voting is now available on the Doximity app. Login to your Doximity profile and vote for Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and our affiliates in your area of specialization. If you are not a Doximity member, look for a ballot in the mail. Voting ends Feb. 28.

Master Clinician Award The Selection Committee is accepting nominations for the 2017 Faculty Awards for Excellence in Patient Care at the Master Clinician (15 or more years) level. Faculty members involved in the direct care of patients and in clinical areas such as clinical or translational research, patient safety and quality, clinical diagnostics and healthcare leadership are eligible. For more information, please see the website. The deadline for Master Clinician nominations is March 1.

Clinical Symposia

Tourette Symposium: Review the latest research advances and diagnostic and treatment options for Tourette syndrome and associated conditions at this annual symposium Friday, Feb. 24, at the United Way of Greater Houston. The program includes a track for educators and families that will cover medical, behavioral, and classroom strategies for recognizing and managing symptoms. CME credits are available. Register online by Sunday, Feb. 19.

GI and Liver Course: Get an update on current and emerging medical therapies for the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal and liver diseases including IBD, Crohn’s and hepatitis at the 17th annual course March 4-5, at Onstead Auditorium in the MD Anderson Mitchell Basic Science Research Building. CME credits are available. Register online by Sunday, Feb. 26

Call for Submissions

SURF 2017: Abstracts are being accepted for the upcoming San Antonio Military Health System and Universities Research Forum (SURF 2017), “Evidence-Based Practice & Research in Healthcare: Encouraging Collaborative Partnerships,” to be held June 16 at The University of Texas at San Antonio. The deadline to submit abstracts for research, policy and practice papers, poster presentations and symposia is Friday, Feb. 17. Registration for the forum is open. For additional information, please visit the website.

Quality and Safety Conference: March 3 is the deadline for submitting an abstract for the 4th Annual Baylor College of Medicine Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference, 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in Onstead Auditorium. Abstracts should focus on quality and safety, including quality improvement projects, patient safety initiatives, educational innovations, and similar topics, and can be submitted by students, faculty and healthcare providers. Learn more >online.

Attention Researchers: See Research Calendar

Call for Nominations

DeBakey Excellence in Research Awards: The Selection Committee is accepting nominations for the 2017 Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Excellence in Research Awards, sponsored by the DeBakey Medical Foundation. Full-time faculty members who have made a significant published scientific contribution to clinical or basic biomedical research during the past three years are eligible for nomination. Additional information can be found online. The submission deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Chao Physician-Scientist Award: Promising junior faculty members who are in the process of securing K08 or K23 grants but need interim funding are encouraged to apply for a Chao Physician-Scientist Award, made possible by a generous gift from the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation. Basic, clinical and translational research projects will be considered for one-year awards (up to $100,000) through ICTR. Applicants must hold a primary appointment in a Baylor department and be in the process of seeking or awaiting funding of a K08 or a K23. Applications are due by 6 p.m. March 31. Read more information and apply online.

Research Forum

Bugs, Drugs and Beyond: Targeting the Microbiome to Transform Healthcare, a forum to explore the ways in which innovators from Houston and beyond are harnessing the human microbiome and advancing novel therapeutics, diagnostics and other health products, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, at TMCx on the McGovern (Nabisco) campus. The program includes interactive sessions, talks by leaders and a QuickFire Challenge where innovators can pitch promising ideas or research. Register online by Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Research Resources

Cytometry and Cell Sorting Core: This Advanced Technology Core Lab provides instrumentation, services and consultation for a wide variety of flow cytometry and cell sorting needs. The lab has six flow cytometric analyzers including a five-laser BD LSR Fortessa for analysis of up to 18 different fluorochromes, two four-laser BD LSR IIs with 16 and 14 channels, two eight-color BD FACSCanto II and a 14 color Invitrogen Attune NxT Acoustic Focusing Cytometer. High throughput systems are available for automated analysis of small volume samples from multi-well plates. An Amnis ImageStreamX image scanning cytometer can detect up to ten separate fluorescent images per cell, allowing detailed high throughput morphological analysis. The core also provides services for separation and isolation of cells with three high-speed cell sorters that can sort up to four different populations or single cells into a multi-well plate. A Silicon Biosystems DEPArray microfluidic cell sorter is available as well as a Miltenyi AutoMACS Pro magnetic cell separator for depletion/isolation assays. For more information about any of the cores, visit the ATC website.

From the Labs: The arterial systems of the heart are featured in this month’s image From the Labs. You can receive weekly articles on research at Baylor as they are posted in our newsletter by going to https://fromthelabs.bcm.edu/ and entering your email address in the box on the right. Or get a digest at the end of the month with links to the articles posted that month by emailing science writer Ana Rodríguez with “Subscribe me to From the Labs” in the subject line.

Funding Opportunities: See the Office of Research’s list of privately funded awards currently accepting applications for February.

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