GSBS Dean’s Report – Faculty Senate 2/11/13

1. The Dean attended the UT System Dean’s Council 2^nd meeting of the year in Austin on Sat Jan 26, 2013. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Patti Hurn, Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation. Dr. Ken Shine, Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs also attended. Attached is an agenda of the meeting which also lists members of the Council from the other UT Health related institutions. Dr. Steve Mintz gave an interesting presentation on MOOCs and efforts underway to embrace them at the Austin campus. It was UTMB’s turn to present an overview of our GSBS and its activities.

2. UTMB Homecoming is scheduled for Fri and Sat, March 22 & 23. The annual GSBS Dean’s Lecture will be at 4pm in Levin Hall at 4pm Friday and a reception will follow the lecture in the GSBS Office Suite on the 4^th floor of Levin Hall. This year’s speaker will be Dr. David Walker, Chair, Department of Pathology, Director, UTMB Center for Biodefense & Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Director WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases.

3. Here is a link [https://alumni.utmb.edu/gsbs/currentnewsletter] to the latest GSBS Quarterly Alumni Newsletter, which is designed, written, and compiled by Ms. Jo Bremer, Director of the Office of Posdoctoral and Postgraduate Affairs. She was hired originally in Jan 2009 to develop the GSBS postdoc office and the postdoc certificate program. However, when school development officers were centralized before Ike, GSBS lacked office staff to communicate with our alumni. Jo voluntarily took the job on and has done a great job, not only with this newsletter, but rejuvenating our alumni Executive Board, which meets 2-3 times a year (including at Homecoming), and arranging for Board members to participate actively in professional development programs for our students & postdocs. Jo also works with UTMB Development on solicitations to alumni for dues and gifts to our endowments & scholarships.