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Accomplishments of Note
October 2004
Dr. Karl Anderson was featured in an educational video for the American Porphyria Foundation. Anderson, a leading expert on porphyria disorders, is chairman of the advisory board for the foundation, which promotes public awareness and research funding for these rare disorders. A film crew for the American Porphyria Foundation was on campus recently to interview Anderson and several people with porphyria disorders.
A gastroenterologist, Anderson has written chapters on porphyria in major medical textbooks. He is a professor of preventative medicine and community health, as well as pharmacology and toxicology. He also is associate program director for the UTMB General Clinical Research Center.
Brett A. Kirkpatrick, associate vice president for academic resources and director of libraries, has been selected to participate in the 2004-2005 National Library of Medicine/Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Leadership Fellows Program. Kirkpatrick will serve as one of five mentors selected nationally to work with fellows who have been identified as emerging leaders for director positions in academic health center libraries. The one-year program combines in-person training, web-based training, site visits, practicum projects and extensive interpersonal communication.
UTMB Medical Surgical Nurse Manager Annie Titus was selected as a finalist for the NurseWeek Excellence Award in Patient Advocacy. She will attend the NurseWeek ceremony in Oct. 9 in Houston where the winners will be announced.
The newest lifetime member of the Association of Women Surgeons is Dr. Courtney Townsend Jr., chairman of the Department of Surgery. Townsend accepted the organization's top honor at its annual conference in New Orleans Oct. 10, where he was honored for his “outstanding contributions to the advancement of women in surgery.”
Serving UTMB as the John Woods Harris Distinguished Chairman of the UTMB Department of Surgery, Townsend has presided over the department since 1995.
A specialty long dominated by men worldwide, surgery is witnessing a significant change. UTMB now ranks 24th nationally in the number of women surgeons, according to the Association of Academic Medical Centers (AAMC). Women surgeons now represent more than 20 percent of UTMB surgeons; 30 percent of UTMB surgery residents are female.