Faculty Elected to UT Academy of Health Science Education

Seven faculty members from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have been elected to The University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education, composed of outstanding educators at health institutions of the UT System.

Those selected were:

UT Dental Branch at Houston - John Valenza, D.D.S., executive associate dean.

UT Medical School at Houston - Mark Farnie, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and director, Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program; Fabrizia Faustinella, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of internal medicine, Division of General Medicine; and Margaret Uthman, M.D., assistant dean for educational programs, and professor and vice chair for education, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

UT School of Nursing at Houston - Janet Meininger, Ph.D., the Lee and Joseph Jamail Distinguished Professor and head of the Division of Theory, Research and System Support, Department of Nursing Systems; Sharon Ostwald, Ph.D., holder of the Isla Carroll Turner Chair in Gerontological Nursing and professor in the Center on Aging; and Geri Wood, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing systems.

"Congratulations to the seven new members of the UT System Academy of Health Science Education, who join 10 other faculty from the UT Health Science Center at Houston who are members of the academy," said L. Maximilian Buja, M.D., immediate past president of the academy. Buja is executive vice president for academic affairs at the UT Health Science Center and holder of the Distinguished Chair in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

"The academy is fulfilling an important role in recognizing outstanding educators and promoting the importance of the educational mission at our health institutions," Buja said. "The academy also is serving as an important catalyst for collaboration among our UT health institutions."

UT System Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., worked with the presidents and selected faculty from the six health science institutions of the UT System to establish the academy in 2005. Only a small number of nominees are selected each year, based on their outstanding contributions in the areas of direct teaching, curriculum development, mentorship, educational scholar-ship and leadership.

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