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Faculty Commons, May 3 - 9, 2018
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College News

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Faculty Promotions Reception: The College celebrated the achievements of 107 faculty members promoted to the ranks of associate professor and professor in 2017-18 with a reception Tuesday afternoon. Sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development, the inaugural event followed New Faculty Orientation, where recent appointees learned about resources available across Baylor’s mission areas and heard career tips and strategies from a faculty panel. Associate Provost Nancy Moreno (pictured), described the faculty as "the engine that drives the institution." See the promotions list of 27 professors and 80 associate professors online.

 

Faculty Kudos

imageDr. David Buck, professor of family & community medicine, will receive an honorary degree from Colorado College, his alma mater, at its commencement ceremony May 21. He will be recognized for his work with Healthcare for the Homeless, Doctors for Change, the Houston-Galveston Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program and the Patient Care Intervention Center.

 

imageDr. Ricardo Nuila, assistant professor of medicine and in the Center or Medical Ethics and Health Policy, has received a MacDowell Fellowship to continue his journalistic work on health disparities in Texas this summer. The program is one of the most competitive artistic residencies in the country. Based in New Hampshire, it provides room and board for up to two months for visual artists, filmmakers, and journalists.

 

imageDr. Asim Shah, professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, chief of psychiatry at Ben Taub Hospital and a faculty senator, will be honored with a Children’s Mental Health Champion Award by Mental Health America of Greater Houston at its Children’s Mental Health Art Showcase, 4:30 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, at the Health Museum.

 

imageDr. Benjamin Shneider, professor of pediatrics - gastroenterology, is an editor of the recently released Walker’s Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease, 6th Edition, published by PMPH USA. This standard reference text includes new chapters devoted to nutrition.

 

imageDr. Amber Yates, co-director of the Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers Sickle Cell Program, was recently elected to a three-year term on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Hematology Oncology. As a committee member, she will assist the section in fulfilling its mission of physician education.

 

imageDr. Laila Woc-Colburn, associate professor of medicine – infectious diseases, is featured in this week’s Meet Your Senator article on the faculty intranet portal. She is the Senate chair-elect and represents the faculty of the National School of Tropical Medicine.


College Events

Alumni Award Winners: Join the Alumni Association in celebrating the College's alumni and faculty, including Dr. Carol Baker ’68, Dr. Joseph Coselli ’82, Dr. Jennifer E. Dietrich (Res.) ’04, Elizabeth Elliott P.A.-C ’06, Dr. Ellen M. Friedman, Dr. Sean McGuire ’03 and Dr. James L. Phillips, for excellence in achievement and service. The Alumni Awards and Recognition Dinner kicks off Reunion Weekend at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston. Special pricing is available for faculty; contact the Alumni Office to RSVP.


DocTalk: Dr. Siripoom McKay, assistant professor of pediatrics – diabetes & endocrinology, talks about young adult diabetes at noon Tuesday, May 8, in Kleberg Auditorium, main Baylor. Sign in before 12:15 p.m. to receive 100 BCM BeWell points.


Lunch & Learn Series: The Faculty Senate presents the inaugural Lunch & Learn session, “Finance 101,” with Dr. Paul Klotman, president, CEO and executive dean, and Julie Nickell, chief financial officer, discussing academic medicine funding and the College budgeting process at noon Tuesday, May 8, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor. All faculty are welcome to attend this quarterly brown bag series.


DeBakey Research Awards: The College honors five top researchers at the 2018 Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Awards Ceremony and Symposium, 2 - 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, in Room M112, main Baylor. The DeBakey Award winners are Dr. Karl-Dimiter Bissig, associate professor of molecular & cellular biology in the Center for Cell & Gene Therapy, Dr. Atul Chopra, assistant professor of molecular & human genetics and molecular & cellular biology and a Caroline Wiess Law Scholar, Dr. Erez Lieberman Aiden, assistant professor in molecular & human genetics and a McNair Scholar, Dr. Meng Wang, associate professor of molecular & human genetics in the Huffington Center on Aging, Robert C. Fyfe Endowed Chair in Aging and a faculty senator, and Dr. Shawn Zhang, associate professor in the Lester & Sue Smith Breast Center and a McNair Scholar. All are also members of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. They were selected for their significant published scientific contributions to clinical or basic biomedical research over the past three years and will present their work at the event. Be sure to pick up an “Ask Me About My Research” button at the awards ceremony, then start a conversation about your research.


Wellness Fair: BCM BeWell and the Office of Student Services host a wellness fair featuring hamster ball races, yoga, meditation pods, tai chi, fitness activities, cooking demonstrations and mindfulness practices from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, in the courtyard and Rayzor Lounge, main Baylor. BCM BeWell swag items and 200 BCM BeWell Vitality points are available for participants.


Medical Ethics Series: "The Burning Question: The ethics of medical marijuana” is Dr. Stacey Berg’s topic at noon, Thursday, May 10, at Grappino di Nino, 2817 W. Dallas Street. She is a professor of pediatrics – hematology & oncology. Register online to attend the conversation and lunch.


Profiles in Professionalism: Guitar master Seamus Kelleher presents “Shine the Light,” a music and storytelling performance about resiliency, at noon and at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 10, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor. The Center for Professionalism and the Peter and Erin Huttlinger Series on Humanism in Medicine sponsor the event. CME credit and 50 BeWell Vitality Points are available to attendees.


Faculty Opportunities

Curriculum Workgroup Members: The School of Medicine is recruiting seven faculty members to support the Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum by serving on the Curriculum Renewal Workgroup. The school is looking for innovative faculty members (assistant professor or higher rank) who have experience in developing curricula or an interest in medical education. This is an administrative appointment and efforts will be supported by the Office of Curriculum. More information is available online. Applications are due by May 31.


Faculty Resources

TEACH-S Symposium: The Texas Educators Academies Collaborative for Health Professions - Southeast Education Symposium features plenary speaker Dr. Patricia O'Sullivan of the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine presenting on "Cognitive Load: Learning in the Workplace" plus a cognitive load workshop, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. May 11, at the BioScience Research Collaborative at Rice University. Register online.


Education Grand Rounds: “Gender and Race Gatekeepers” is the topic of Rice University psychology and management professor Dr. Mikki Hebl’s presentation on gender and race issues in the workplace, sponsored by the School for Health Professions and the Office of Faculty Development. The talk begins at noon May 16 in Room 201A, main Baylor.


Faculty Awards Day: Cheer for your peers at this omnibus awards ceremony encompassing the Clark Faculty Service Award, Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Awards, Barbara and Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. Presidential Award for Excellence in Education, John P. McGovern Outstanding Teacher Award, Faculty Awards for Excellence in Patient Care, and Ben and Margaret Love Foundation Bobby Alford Award for Academic Clinical Professionalism. The event is set for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor, with a reception to follow.


For a Good Cause

NAMI Walk: Join the movement to raise awareness of mental illness and raise funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ efforts to help individuals and families in the greater Houston area. The College-sponsored 5k walk starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in Sam Houston Park, 1000 Bagby. Register or donate online.


BCAN Walk: Dogs and strollers are welcome at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network’s Walk to End Bladder Cancer, sponsored by the College and the Lester & Sue Smith Foundation. Check-in for the two-mile walk starts at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, May 6, at Terry Hershey Park, 15334 Memorial Drive. Register online.


Attention Clinicians: See Clinical Calendar

Clinical Seminars

Pri-Med Southwest, a leading primary care conference, is May 16 - 18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Baylor is the academic partner of the conference, which offers up to 20.75 CME credits and features the most current clinical updates in primary care and subspecialties as well as live orthopedic demonstrations, interactive sessions and keynote addresses. Course directors are Dr. Stephen Greenberg, distinguished service professor of medicine, and Dr. Michael Fordis, senior associate dean of continuing medical education. Registration is open online.


Geomedicine: Dr. Abi Oluyomi, assistant professor of medicine – environmental health service, in partnership with colleagues in the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at UTHealth School of Public Health, presents a short course in collecting, analyzing, interpreting and presenting geospatial health data, 9:30 – 2:30 p.m. June 1 in Room M321, main Baylor. The course includes an opportunity to apply knowledge through a hands-on component using the ArcGIS mapping platform. Register online.


The Tropical Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology CME Conference, set for Sept. 10 – 15 at the College, is designed to train physicians for surgical practice in tropical, remote and resource-limited settings around the globe. Sessions will use tissue and model-based simulations to prepare participants for a wide range of emergent and essential surgical procedures. Participants will receive 43 CME credits and either a Certificate of Completion or a Diploma in Tropical Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology. Register online by June 1 to attend.


Attention Researchers: See Research Calendar

Research Seminars

DLDCCC Distinguished Lecture: Dr. Karen E. Knudsen of Thomas Jefferson University speaks on “Targeting AR-DNA repair crosstalk in prostate cancer” at noon Tuesday, May 8 in Room N315, main Baylor.


Biochemistry Seminar: “Exploring Careers in Medical Writing” is the topic of Dr. Julie Crider’s presentation at 4 p.m. May 10 in N315, main Baylor. She is a freelance medical writer/editor with more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.


Helis Lecture: The Helis Medical Research Foundations Cancer Research Lecture Series presents Dr. William G. Kaelin Jr. of Harvard Medical School on “New Treatments for Anemia, Ischemia and Cancer Emerging from Studies of the von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein,” 3 - 4 p.m. May 15 in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor.


Research Resources

The Nancy Chang, Ph.D. Award for Research Excellence, which funds investigators with exceptional basic, clinical or translational research projects at the College, is accepting applications through 5 p.m. May 29. Endowed by Dr. Chang, a Baylor scientist, philanthropist and entrepreneur, one or two grants of up to $45,000 will be awarded in fiscal year 2019. For more information and to apply, please see the website.


The Mrs. Clifford Elder White Graham Endowed Research Fund provides pilot project awards for Baylor assistant or associate professors studying muscular dystrophy or related disorders. Up to two $22,500 grants are available to be expended by June 30, 2019. Submissions through the online portal close at 5 p.m. May 29.


From the Labs: Read how College scientists involved in The Cancer Genome Atlas ten-year study have produced game changers for translational research in this blog post. You can receive weekly articles on Baylor's research and innovation highlights as they are posted by going to From the Labs and entering your email address in the "Subscribe" 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 Institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Equity’s list of funding opportunities for research on healthcare disparities and social determinants of health. The Office of Research offers a list of privately funded awards currently accepting applications for May.

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