March2006
Newsletter Navigation:
Student Regent for UT System... Periodical
Survey Results ... Winter
Bowl ... Student
Government Office ... Spring Fling ... Medical School Dean Recovering
from Cardiac Surgery...Student Researchers at the Dental
Branch ... Faith and Science- A Marriage of Passions
Student Regent for The University
of Texas System
By Stephen Kry
On
February 3rd Governor Perry announced the appointment of a student
member to the Board
of Regents for The University of Texas System. He chose Brian
Haley from the University of Texas at Austin. Importantly,
this student regent does not have voting privileges. Otherwise,
he has all the same powers and duties as the other regents. This
appointment makes the UT System one of a small number of universities
nation-wide that has a student on its Board. This appointment should
allow for more direct student involvement and perspective in issues
facing the Board.
The UT
System Board of Regents is a delegation appointed by the governor
to oversee the operations of the 15 academic and health science
campuses that comprise the UT System. The Board has the duty and
responsibility to provide for the maintenance, support, and direction
of these institutions at the highest level. The Board addresses
many different operational aspects impacting students including
tuition and fees, student conduct and discipline, disability accommodation,
and student governance. Considering these issues, it is a wonderful
development that we now have a direct voice on the Board.
Governor Perry selected Brian Haley from a pool
of candidates from each of the 15 component institutions of the
UT System. Each component institution submitted five candidates
for consideration. The outstanding candidates from the UT Health
Science Center at Houston were: Ms. Candice Anne Marcum (Medical School), Ms. Eileen Merkle (Medical
School), Ms. Theodora Dorina Papageorgiou (School
of Public Health), Mr. Chirag B. Patel (Medical
School), and Ms. Bahareh Tavana (Graduate School
of Biomedical Sciences). Congratulations to these five candidates,
and hopefully next year Governor Perry will select an individual
from our institution
Periodical
Survey Results
by John C. McAuliffe
As many know, the SIC public affairs
committee ran a survey for a potential student periodical. While
there are many student readers of current institutional publications,
the SIC questioned whether UTHSC should have a student-specific
paper. Equal to the task, the SIC public affairs committee designed
the online survey to answer the SIC’s concerns. The survey
was open for 2 weeks and collected 911 responses. This is 26% of
the UTHSC student body enrollment. The survey had 3 objectives.
First, the survey sought to determine the number of readers of current
institutional periodicals. Second, the survey questioned whether
a student-specific periodical was desired. Lastly, it tried to determine
what topics should be covered to make it useful to the students.
The survey collected loads of good data that interests not only
the designers of a potential student paper but also members of the
editorial board of the current institutional publications. The long
and short of the results can be summed up as follows:
Students want a student paper!
As the figure shows, 75% of responders felt a student-specific paper
would benefit the UTHSC campus. Student comments collected from
the survey stated that a student paper would give this campus a
sense of community that is lacking. “It does not seem as though
a strong UT community exists, rather strong individual schools,”
writes one student. While this student may be correct, the SIC makes
strides to foster campus life and inter-school interaction. A student
paper would be a strong effort to confront this student’s
concern. Another student responder candidly comments, “institutional
newsletters announce events or report on what the big-wigs are doing…articles
are used as a way for the institution to give itself a pat on the
back. I want to veg a little, relax, get information, and be entertained.”
This comment certainly made the Internal Communications Advisory
Committee chuckle. This committee and the SIC realize there is a
gap to be filled and a student-specific paper may just be the filler.
There is much excitement in the SIC about this project. However,
there is great concern. This project will be difficult, requiring
lots of work.
The SIC asks for patience while they work hard for you on this matter.
Also, the SIC asks that any and all students interested in writing
for the paper to please contact an SIC member for more information.
The public affairs committee would like to extent special thanks
to Adol Esquivel, M.D., MS, from the SHIS for his computer wizardry.
Winter
Bowl A Big Hit
by John C. McAuliffe
Your SIC hosted its latest swingin’ good
time February 11th at Palace Lanes, 4191 Bellaire Blvd. Two
hundred students, friends, and family attended. Each of
the six institution’s schools was well represented. Balls
rolled and pins flew as those enjoyed bowling, sodas, and pizza
for the afternoon.
“This was so much fun. Thanks for setting this up,”
a happy SPH student exclaimed while leaving. This certainly seemed
the general opinion of those attending in spite of a shortage of
pizza. The organizers were unable to anticipate the popularity of
this event. So, some students began praying for more pizza.
The SIC delivered and so did Papa
John’s but to no avail. Appetites could not be appeased and
some went hungry. I guess the early bird gets the pepperoni. None
the less, the party was a great success. Students competed, talked
a little trash, and relaxed.
A nursing student was overheard stating, “We should have more
get togethers like this.” Well in fact; if you missed out
on this event, look for the SIC St. Patrick’s Day
Party and the SIC Spring Fling. These up-coming parties
will once again prove that students of the UTHSC know how to have
a great time.
Student
Government Office
By John C. McAuliffe
The administration has been gracious and given student governance an office of its own in the School of Nursing and Student Community Building. The office is located on the ground floor. The SIC and each school’s student government organization (SGO) have discussed plans and visions for this office. The SIC’s vision for this room is to be a central hub of student communication. Fliers and handouts applicable to many facets of institutional student life will be found here. As the SIC and SGOs move in, they ask that students come by and get familiar with the new office. Student governance hopes that this new, central location will be more convenient and foster more student life here at the UTHSC.
All work and no play makes
for a very tired bunch of future health professionals.
By Lauren Casile
The
Student InterCouncil (SIC) will host two more student social events
this semester: St. Patty’s Day and Spring Fling. St.
Patrick’s Day, on March 17th (Friday, 4pm-7pm), promises
to be an exciting time of commemoration of the famous Irish holiday.
What better way to end the work week than stopping by the School
of Nursing breezeway with a FREE, cold,
Irish frothy beverage in hand? In full Irish fashion, you may hear
the echoed chants of “Erin Go Bragh.” Food, games, and
music will set the backdrop for this festive event when everyone
is Irish for a day.
Last year’s Spring Fling with a poker night theme was a banging success! Because you asked for more, Spring Fling will be bigger and better this year. Planning is under works for this last bash of the semester. As we bid adieu to the graduating class of 2006, we welcome all students to partake of this enjoyable and much deserved celebration. We take our hats off and hands down to this year’s hard work!
Medical School Dean Recovering
from Cardiac Surgery
By Julia Shields
Dr.
Stanley Shultz, dean of the medical school, received successful
emergency heart bypass surgery at Memorial Hermann Hospital on November
29, 2005. Dean Shultz continues recovering in a private room at
Hermann: able to sit up, talk, and still manage to keep informed
about the school community. Dr. Schultz and his family ask that
we respect their privacy as he recovers. However, several “Get
Well” banners decorated with signatures and heartfelt messages
of the medical school community have been sent to brighten the walls
of his room. Currently, well-wishers may contribute to more posters
which are located in the Leather Lounge of the Medical School Lobby.
Notes and cards may be sent through the Dean’s Office as well.
Dr. Shultz completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University
and was awarded his M.D. from New York University, beginning a prolific
career in medicine. After completing his residency in internal medicine
and a fellowship in cardiology, he turned his attention to research
and pedagogy. A faculty member at UT Houston Medical School since
1979, he held the chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell
Biology from 1979 until 1995.
Dr. Shultz has been honored with such prestigious awards as the
Fondren Family Chair in Cellular Signaling, the UTHSC-Houston President’s
Scholar Award (1999), and the American Physiological Society’s
Daggs Award (2000). He even managed to find the time to serve as
the president of the American Physiological Society between 1992
and 1993. Additionally he has provided editorial services to a plethora
of physiology journals and contributed to over 200 publications
and textbooks.
The next time you enjoy a refreshing Gatorade®, remember that
you have Dr. Stanley Shultz to thank for that tasty goodness. His
early work established the hypothesis of sodium-coupled sugar and
amino acid absorption. This provided the basis for oral rehydration
therapy (ORT). ORT has become a worldwide standard of treatment
of diarrheal diseases, In Dean Shultz’s absence, Dr. Michael
McKinney, senior executive vice president and chief operating officer,
has assumed responsibility for the duties of the medical school
dean. Concern, cares, and hopes for Dr. Shultz to continue to heal
are shared by all of the UT Health Science Center-Houston community.
Cards for Dean Shultz may be sent through:
Office of the Dean
UT Medical School
6431 Fannin, JJL 410
Houston, TX 77030
Student Researchers at the Dental
Branch
by Brett Chiquet
First
and second year student researchers from the UT Dental Branch presented
their summer research projects at the UT Research Day on November
18, 2005. Matthew Steffer, Ngoc (Nancy) Tran, and Alicia Tsai, all second year students, took home first,
second and third place (respectively), along with cash prizes. Other
students participating in the event include first year students Helen Martinez, Leslie Scruggs, and Michael
Syamken and second year students Brett Chiquet,
Shad Hanis, Huong (Kathy) Phan, Liza Shevchenko, and Justin
Wright. All students participating are members of the Student
Research Group (SRG) at the Dental Branch, a group that helps students
find mentors to do summer projects with, as well as offer opportunities
for students to present their data. In March, SRG members will travel
to Orlando, Florida, and present their research at the American
Association of Dental Research Meeting. Best of Luck students!
Faith and Science- A Marriage of Passions
By Shannan Kilpatrick
Is
it possible as scientists, to keep our personal life separate from our
work life? Some would say that becoming a scientist is a lifestyle more
than simply a job. Others would argue the importance of keeping a balanced
life and incorporate hobbies and passions that are separate from the lab.
But what if we could unite the two worlds? Can there be a marriage of
our personal lives and our lab life?
Henry Strobel is a full professor in the Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology and has been at UTHSCH since 1972. During his professorship,
he has graduated 27 students from his lab. “The Strobel lab is an
excellent student environment, in part due to Henry's continual support
of his students,” explains Dan Ryder, a first year student. “He
always takes opportunities to teach, not only topics of science, but also
historical and linguistical topics,” Ryder adds. In addition to
mentoring graduate students and post doctoral fellows, Dr. Strobel serves
as Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and aids in the program development
of the American Association of Medical Colleges. He also spends his time
guiding medical students by way of the Student Affairs Office and accompanies
medical students on a 4th year elective to China to serve at several hospitals
in Beijing.
Dr. Strobel’s role as a scientist is obvious. What may not be as
widely known is his role as an Episcopalian priest. The question then
becomes, how does he find balance between his passion for the Faith and
his passion for Science? He explained that Science is not unlike Faith
in that it asks questions. Science asks the question “How”,
while Faith asks the question, “Why.” He does not see the
need to keep the two separate. Just as we organize the contents of our
homes, we tend to compartmentalize the issues of life like a pair of socks
and shoes. Life’s walls and compartments are a created entity and
humans are the builders. We use this talent of compartmentalizing in order
to maintain control in our lives and possibly the lives of others. Dr.
Strobel’s view is that this creates barriers that prevent us from
being a complete individual.
As a young man, Dr. Strobel wanted to “drink from the original well”
and for three years, attended a Jewish synagogue. There he found that
“participation was not only a gift, but thinking was permitted and
required.” As he entered the synagogue, he was greeted by the inscription,
“Know before Whom you stand”, a continuous reminder to ask
questions to the point of understanding.
When his time at the synagogue had come to completion, Dr. Strobel was
drawn to the Episcopalian faith because of its “beautiful liturgy,
deep spirituality, demand for the care of humanity, and the welcoming
of questions and challenges.” His fascination and curiosity ellicited
a desire to join the Episcopalian Priesthood. At the beginning of his
quest, he was discouraged by the council of others in the priesthood.
However, he never abandoned the desire and continued on in his education,
pursuing a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina Chapel
Hill. While he was there, two first year medical students committed suicide.
“I felt that something was grievously wrong,” remarked Dr.
Strobel. It was this experience and others that strengthened his desire
for the priesthood all the more.
During his post doctoral fellowship at Ann Arbor in Michigan, Dr. Strobel
made a second attempt to pursue the priesthood and spoke with the bishop
of the church he had been attending, St. Aidan’s. Assuming that
Dr. Strobel was going to give up his life as a scientist to join the priesthood,
the bishop discouraged him from entering. Dr. Strobel’s reply was
simply, “I don’t want to stop being a biochemist to become
a priest. I want to do both.” At the age of 26 and only at the beginning
of his scientific career, he was accepted as a postulant to study for
the priesthood. He went on to attend Seminary in Detroit and was a Deacon
for 8 years before becoming ordained as a priest. Dr. Strobel currently
serves at Palmer Memorial Church, near the Medical Center, and is also
the chairman of the Diocesan Bioethics Commission.
As scientists, we are all aware that the pendulum swings to both extremes
of an issue. Dr. Strobel eloquently states, “Both ends become absurd
and we must rely on each other’s extreme opinion to bring us to
the middle where wisdom lies,” Science is the pursuit of knowledge
and wisdom. It is a balance. As scientists, we have the ability and responsibility
to understand the world around us, to ask questions in pursuit of the
answers, and to make this world a better place. Without other scientists,
we could not do this. Dr. Strobel reminds us that “Wisdom isn’t
mine or yours. It’s ours.”
When asked how his faith influences his life as a scientist, he simply
answered, “It does not tell me what I can’t do research on.
But it does tell me how I do research with other people and in the midst
of what I do, it tells me how to behave.”