UTMB Announcements for 6/12/2025

UTMB Optical Shop June Specials are HERE!

See More, Save More! 👀✨ It’s the perfect time to stock up and style up!

Purchase an annual supply of contacts and enjoy:
✅ 10% OFF your annual supply of contact lenses
✅ FREE shipping
✅ 40% OFF a complete pair of frames + lenses (with rx lenses)

Terms & conditions apply. Frame purchase required. Insurance/promotions cannot be applied to this discount.

✨✨✨✨✨✨

Enjoy stylish savings on select designer frames —🕶️✨

Get 50% OFF your second pair when you add anti-reflective coating!

Treat yourself to the extra pair you've been eyeing — fashion meets function at a fabulous price.

✨✨✨✨✨✨

Save the Date!

😎 Gear Up, Shades On! 😎
National Sunglasses Day is June 27!

Celebrate in style with 40% OFF Rx and non-Rx sunglasses!
🎉 Sale runs June 23–27 — don’t miss it!

Exclusions apply: Offer not valid with certain insurances, Maui Jim, Oakley, or Costa Sun

📍Stop by and ask our opticians about these exclusive offers at one of our two optical shop locations:

🔹 Galveston – 700 University Blvd
🔹 Texas City – 10121 Emmett F Lowry Expy

📞 Need an updated exam / prescription? Let’s keep your vision sharp!

Call 409-747-5800 to book your eye care appointment at one of our 4 locations today! 👁️👓

UTMB Faculty Members: Share your FY25 accomplishments by completing this form due Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 7:00 PM.

Qualifying accomplishments will be included in the 2nd Annual Faculty Recognition Reception printed program. The accomplishments must have taken place / awarded between August 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.

Types of accomplishments requested via the linked form:

• Non-UTMB Awards (excluding grants) and Professional Honors (not tied to any leadership roles)
• External Leadership Roles and Leadership Positions
• Publications in high-impact journals or other scientific, academic, trade, or professional mediums

The Office of Faculty Affairs will gather the information of your extramural funding, academic promotions, and new endowments on your behalf. 

Reminder to SAVE THE DATE for the 2nd Annual Faculty Recognition Reception on Thursday, September 4, 2025 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Levin Hall Dining Room (2nd Floor), honoring your accomplishments and the recipients of the Faculty Excellence Awards and Lifetime Achievement Awards. 

An official calendar invite for the reception will be sent to all faculty on 8/4/2025.

On Thursday, June 12, 2025 at the Moody Medical Library, the UTMB Police Department will be conducting "free basic" Bicycle Maintenance. The maintenance provided includes air in the tire and oil on the chain. The UTMB PD will also register bicycles. Registering bicycles helps to deter bicycle theft and it also aids law enforcement in the recovery of lost/stolen bicycles. Those registering their bicycles will receive a free U-lock and lights for their bicycles (while supplies last). The service will be held at 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and is provided to all UTMB Students, Faculty, and Staff. All are required to have valid identification and their UTMB ID badge. If you have any questions, please contact Corporal Dorsey at 409-772-2691.  

Registration Open Now: CTD-SPECTRE 2nd Annual Symposium
Tropical & Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists

Are you a student, trainee, or early-career investigator passionate about infectious diseases? A faculty member eager to connect with future clinician-scientists?

Join us September 16–19, 2025 at the historic Grand Galvez in Galveston, TX for an immersive symposium to connect with experts, gain new insights, and collaborate with peers dedicated to infectious disease research and treatment.

Hosted by the Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) and Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, & Education (SPECTRE) Program.

🌍Network with global experts
🎓Travel & childcare grants available
🏆Awards for top presentations

Abstracts submission now open

Register today!

The AIDS Educationand Training Center (AETC) cordially invites you to attend,
University of Texas Medical Branch-AETC Lunch and Learn

“HIV Basics”
Thursday, June 26, 2025
12:00pm- 1:00pm (CST)

This event will be free hybrid webinar for anyone who wants to participate. Please note that 1.0 Continuing Education (CE) credits will be offered for this event to all healthcare professionals. Zoom link is provided upon registration.

Registration link: https://scaetc.unm.edu/scaetc/event/?ER_ID=9986

Speaker: Patrik Hornak, MD  

Assistant Clinical Director, Assistant Professor

Infectious Diseases – Internal Medicine

Associate Program Director, ID Fellowship Training Program

University of Texas Medical Branch

Location:

University of Texas Medical Branch

Health Education Center

HEC 3.200

301 11th st., Galveston, TX 77550

*Parking will be validated for Parking in Garage 4.*

Registration link:
https://scaetc.unm.edu/scaetc/event/?ER_ID=9986

We hope to see you there!

For More Information About AETC Visit:

UTMB AETC Website: https://www.utmb.edu/spph/research/aids-education-training-center/aetc-home

UTMB AETC Facebook Page: UTMB AIDS Education Training Center | Facebook

The Role of Biosafety Professionals in Biotechnology Governance: Assessing Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens With Enhanced Pandemic Potential

Speaker:

Dr. David Gillum

Associate Vice President of Compliance and Research Administration

University of Nevada, Reno

June 12, 2025

Noon to 1:00p.m. presentation

Lunch on a first come first serve basis

Location: HEC 3.201

Abstract: Biosafety professionals operate at the intersection of scientific innovation, governance, and risk management to oversee high-risk biological research. Their work involves mitigating the risk of biological incidents (biosafety) and preventing the misuse of biological agents (biosecurity). Oversight of dual use research of concern (DURC) and pathogens with enhanced pandemic potential (PEPP) shines a light on the complex interplay between these domains. This research examines how biosafety professionals interpret and implement current DURC and PEPP oversight policies in the United States. Using a mixed methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of workshop discussions with quantitative survey data, this research explores epistemic differences in risk perception, regulatory adherence, and decision-making. Drawing on science, technology, and society (STS) frameworks of organizational safety, regulatory compliance, and adaptive risk management, it explores how biosafety professionals balance regulatory compliance, institutional autonomy, and risk mitigation. Findings reveal significant differences in risk tolerance and compliance strategies, with professionals navigating tensions between rigid governance and localized decision-making. This study positions biosafety expertise as a form of regulatory science that both shapes and is shaped by governance structures and contributes to STS debates on the coproduction of knowledge and policy. Rather than recommending one-size-fits-all policies, the findings recommend a tiered, flexible oversight model that integrates biosafety expertise into biosecurity governance. This approach would improve risk management and allow for scientific innovation and national security. Additionally, the study advances STS scholarship by examining how biosafety experts navigate regulatory ambiguity and contribute to anticipatory governance in emerging biotechnological risks.

If you’d like to talk to someone further, please do not hesitate to reach out to the pastoral care department.

Please join us for our next Schwartz Rounds on the topic of It’s Not Me, It’s You! (Dealing with challenging situations in healthcare) Being put in difficult situations, not of our doing, occurs commonly in healthcare. We may find ourselves in precarious situations that require qualities like quick thinking, empathy, and equanimity to resolve conflict or tend to the vulnerable. Occasionally we run into surprising or extraordinary moments when the act of caregiving goes beyond standards of care. Join us in discussion as a panel of our colleagues share stories of difficult challenges and how these experiences impact our relationships, our own wellbeing, and our work at UTMB.

Schwartz Rounds: It's not me, it's you - Dealing with Challenging Situations in Healthcare

Date: 6/20/2025

Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Location: Research Bldg. 6, room 2.312

Please join us for this informative seminar!

DMAC CERCIT Seminar Series: Federated Evaluation of Data to Enhance Pain Research among Adults in Later Life (FEDERAL)

Abstract:Older adults have the highest prevalence of chronic pain and yet geriatric pain management remains suboptimal. Data pooling is necessary to inform evidence-based guidelines that improve geriatric pain management. The traditional data pooling approach employs data use agreements (DUA) to transfer data from multiple institutions to a single site. However, DUA are time intensive; and prohibited by health system ownership, private health information, and indemnification clauses. And innovative alternative is federated evaluation: identifiable data remains housed at institutions, statistical code is shared (via a common data model [CDM]), and source data transformed and aggregated. To this end, the FEDERAL study is leveraging existing CDMs, local source data, and Duke Pepper Center resources to develop a CDM with code specifically for geriatric pain research. The CDM and code will be piloted at Yale and Mount Sinai Pepper Centers to evaluate the feasibility and utility of conducting pain and opioid medication research in a pooled population of older adults. Goals for FEDERAL include the initiation of evidence-based guidelines for geriatric pain management, expedited data pooling for 11 legacy studies in the Pain Management Collaboratory, and preliminary data generation for an R01 proposal to expand the FEDERAL CDM network.

Presenters:

Dr. Corey Simon, PhD

Associate Professor

Center for Aging & Human Development

Duke University

&

Dr. Rebecca North, PhD

Biostatistician III

Center for Aging & Human Development

Duke University

Virtual Seminar: Contact asbabu@utmb.edu for any additional information or queries.

Zoom Invitation Below (More Information URL):

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: July 22, 2025, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1604768501?pwd=frf3YFpm12PHBN90uzSJDsa5K33q7u.1

Grace Anna’s Boutique offers $6. jewelry and much more – including

necklace sets, rings, bracelets, earrings, fashion accessories, scarves,

dresses and tops, electronics, and more.

They’re also having a Lavish Linens Sale to include sheet sets and bamboo pillows.

TUESDAY, JUNE 10^TH

11:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11^TH

8:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12^TH

8:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

FRIDAY, JUNE 13^TH

8:30 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.

LEAGUE CITY CAMPUS (CLINIC SIDE) – 1^ST FLOOR

AND

LEAGUE CITY HOSPITAL ENTRYWAY

Cash, debit cards, and credit cards are all accepted.

Proceeds benefit patient and volunteer programs.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

The Gourmet Cupboard sells dry ingredients that, when mixed with wet ingredients,

make full meals, entrees, sides, soups, breads, dips, beverages, crock pot meals, etc. 

They also sell salsas, pickles, and spreads from Crosby, TX.

Easily plan your weekly meals!!!

THURSDAY, JUNE 12^TH  

AND

FRIDAY, JUNE 13^TH   

8:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

1^ST FLOOR – MAIN LOBBY

Cash, Debit Cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover,

and American Express are all accepted.

Proceeds benefit patient and volunteer programs.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

Nominations are being accepted for the 2025 Nicholas and Katherine Leone Award for Administrative Excellence.  This award recognizes managers/supervisors who display the highest degree of professionalism and come with a $7,500 monetary prize - $2,500 for the winning manager/supervisor and $5,000 for the development and training of their department/unit.  The deadline for nominations is June 20, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.  See UTMB Employee Advisory Council website to learn more about the award or to submit a nomination. 

On June 17, 2025, ATT email-to-text and text-to-email service is going away. This means you won’t be able to use email to send or receive texts. Also, others who have AT&T Wireless^SM won’t be able to use email to send you a text or use text to send you an email. This will also affect people receiving text messages on their ATT mobile device from pagers- receiving pages as a text on their ATT cell phone. If you are receiving pages on your cellular phone not through the Spok Mobile Application; You will no longer receive these messages.

Please contact the ITS Mobile Device Office @ 409-747-9034 for more information and to switch your device to Spok Mobile.

A new malware campaign known as "ClickFix" has been actively targeting healthcare and university systems (including UT institutions) across the U.S. This threat is particularly dangerous because it uses fake "fix" prompts, malicious “captcha” security checks and copy/paste instructions to trick users into executing harmful code.

Key Risks:

• This threat can infect Windows, macOS, and mobile devices.
• Victims are often told to “verify they are human” or to “run a security fix” by pasting commands into Terminal or PowerShell.
• Once infected, systems may be used to steal data, spread ransomware, or compromise confidential records.

Impact:

• To You: Identity theft, account compromise, or device damage.
• To UTMB: Data breaches, patient care disruption, HIPAA violations, and significant financial/legal consequences.

What You Should Do:

1. Do not copy and paste code or commands from unknown websites or suspicious messages.
2. Avoid clicking on unexpected links or CAPTCHA-like pages claiming to "verify" your identity unless they're part of an official UTMB system.
3. Report anything suspicious immediately to the Office of Information Security (cirt@utmb.edu).

Thank you for being security aware,

Tuesday-June 17, 2025
12 – 1 pm

Speaker:   Stacey R. Rose, MD, FACP, FIDSA
Associate Director, Center for Professionalism at Baylor College of Medicine

Topic:  Cultivating a positive professional culture: Strategies to enhance connection, communication, and conflict management
SOCRA CE available

Register to receive calendar event with virtual meeting link:  https://research.utmb.edu/register

Join ZoomGov Meeting
https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1601567973?pwd=sSFU35gK6EEfZFIYLiExvUrj2viUv0.1

Meeting ID: 160 156 7973
Passcode: 027844

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One tap mobile
+16692545252,,1601567973#,,,,*027844# US (San Jose)
+16692161590,,1601567973#,,,,*027844# US (San Jose)

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Dial by your location
• +1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose)
• +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)
• +1 415 449 4000 US (US Spanish Line)
• +1 551 285 1373 US (New Jersey)
• +1 646 828 7666 US (New York)
• +1 646 964 1167 US (US Spanish Line)

Meeting ID: 160 156 7973
Passcode: 027844

The Caregiver Connection is a support group for family members and friends of people with Alzheimer's or other dementia.  The group is a safe, welcoming place to ask questions, learn about caring for someone with dementia and get tips for caregiver self-care. 

Meetings are held on 2^nd and 4^th Friday monthly from 12 – 1 pm

2^nd Friday is Hybrid meeting – In-person* at OLLI @ UTMB (1200 Market St. Galveston)  or by Zoom/phone

4^th Friday  -  Zoom /phone only 

Meeting on June 13 is a Hybrid/Zoom/Phone Meeting.  

SIGN IN FOR THIS MEETING at    https://alz-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/T67-fAg-Q3mVwu6eIxAqCA

OR Call the Alzheimer's Association HelpLine to register at 800-272-3900

FIRST TIME ATTENDEES -SIGN IN with ALL requested information.  

PREVIOUS ATTENDEES – SIGN IN ONLY with name, email, zip code and preference on receiving Alz. Association emails.   
After sign in, check your email for a link to join the meeting.

Meeting facilitator:  Alice Williams, MS, LBSW  UTMB Sealy Center on Aging 

Caregiver support group meetings are sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association Houston and Southeast Texas Chapte

Thinking about retirement?

The HR Benefits Center is hosting a virtual TRS informational session on:

Thursday, June 26th, 2025, from 12:00pm – 1:00pm

This session will cover retirement benefits eligibility, required documentation and other critical items.
To register for this retirement session, please click on the link below.
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email, which will be saved to your Outlook calendar. 

Teacher Retirement System of Texas Benefits Information Session

If you are unable to attend this retirement session, future dates for 2025 are listed below.
Please look out for these dates in the UTMB Daily Announcements!

August 8, 2025
October 3, 2025
December 12, 2025

Thinking about retirement?

The HR Benefits Center is hosting a virtual ORP informational session on:

Thursday, June 26th, 2025, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm

This session will cover retirement benefits eligibility, required documentation, and other critical items.
To register for this retirement session, please click on the link below.
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email, which will be saved to your Outlook calendar. 

Optional Retirement Program of Texas Benefits Information Session

If you are unable to attend this session, future dates for 2025 are listed below.
Please look out for these dates in the UTMB Daily Announcements! 

August 8, 2025
October 3, 2025
December 12, 2025