Faculty Development & Faculty Affairs News Supporting and Celebrating Faculty Success at UTMB

A Message from the Senior Vice President, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer, UTMB:

Epic Cosmos logo

Epic Cosmos Makes Big Data Research Possible - SideKick AI Makes it Practical

Imagine being able to search 300 million patient records, 67 billon lab results, and over 16 billion encounters - all without any extra software or contracts. This is Epic Cosmos.

In December 2024, UTMB went live as a contributing member of the Cosmos Community, which is the only way to gain access into this impressive dataset.

Would you like to learn more? You can now gain access to Cosmos by requesting the "Cosmos User" role in ITIM.utmb.edu for either Research or Clinical respectively, or you can join a weekly Cosmos Research Lab exploratory working session on Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please contact Juan Artigas for more information or an invite!

We are also very excited to share that we just received pilot access to the SideKick AI client which enables you to create complex queries by typing in a few conversational messages  - just like you would with other AI agents.  We hope you'll join us on this journey through the Cosmos!

To learn more and register, message the program contact.

Office Spotlight

Congratulations to our Faculty Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
We are delighted to honor the 2025 Lifetime Achievement and Faculty Excellence Award recipients. These individuals will be recognized, along with the many impressive achievements of UTMB faculty in FY25, at the Faculty Recognition Reception on Sept. 4, 2025. Click to see the list of winners!

News

Office of the Provost

  • Institutional Accreditation Update: April 2026

    As we continue preparing for our upcoming SACSCOC reaffirmation, this month we’re shining a spotlight on the “Nines” – the accreditation standards that focus on Educational Program Structure and Content.

  • IPCE Opportunity Spotlight and Upcoming Events

    The Office of Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) would like to highlight a Texas Medical Board–approved educational opportunity: Senate Bill 31 (“Life of the Mother Act”) Required Education

  • A group of colleagues take a walk outside on UTMB campus on a sunny day. The Galveston National Laboratory and several trees are in the background.

    Wellness Wednesdays: Walk With Us

    April is recognized as Move More Month, an initiative inspired by our partners at the American Heart Association, reminding us that even small amounts of movement, like walking, can have a big impact on our health.

Appointments & Promotions

Epic Cosmos logo

Epic Cosmos Makes Big Data Research Possible - SideKick AI Makes it Practical

Imagine being able to search 300 million patient records, 67 billon lab results, and over 16 billion encounters - all without any extra software or contracts. This is Epic Cosmos.

In December 2024, UTMB went live as a contributing member of the Cosmos Community, which is the only way to gain access into this impressive dataset.

Would you like to learn more? You can now gain access to Cosmos by requesting the "Cosmos User" role in ITIM.utmb.edu for either Research or Clinical respectively, or you can join a weekly Cosmos Research Lab exploratory working session on Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please contact Juan Artigas for more information or an invite!

We are also very excited to share that we just received pilot access to the SideKick AI client which enables you to create complex queries by typing in a few conversational messages  - just like you would with other AI agents.  We hope you'll join us on this journey through the Cosmos!

To learn more and register, message the program contact.

Health Education Center (HEC)

Epic Cosmos logo

Epic Cosmos Makes Big Data Research Possible - SideKick AI Makes it Practical

Imagine being able to search 300 million patient records, 67 billon lab results, and over 16 billion encounters - all without any extra software or contracts. This is Epic Cosmos.

In December 2024, UTMB went live as a contributing member of the Cosmos Community, which is the only way to gain access into this impressive dataset.

Would you like to learn more? You can now gain access to Cosmos by requesting the "Cosmos User" role in ITIM.utmb.edu for either Research or Clinical respectively, or you can join a weekly Cosmos Research Lab exploratory working session on Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please contact Juan Artigas for more information or an invite!

We are also very excited to share that we just received pilot access to the SideKick AI client which enables you to create complex queries by typing in a few conversational messages  - just like you would with other AI agents.  We hope you'll join us on this journey through the Cosmos!

To learn more and register, message the program contact.

Faculty Development Events

UTMB Old Red historic red brick Romanesque Revival building with flowers for a spring time setting

Call for Nominations - Educator of the Quarter | Spring FY26

- , 2026
Advanced Career in Academia_2

Advanced Careers in Academia, LLC - FY26

-, 2026 - - Open Gates, 3rd Floor Auditorium (room 301) - Galveston
Presenter Rachel Walden; she is a Caucasian female in her 30s with straight black shoulder length hair, oval face, pointed chin, smile, in a dark blue blazer.

How to be a Better Writing Coach

, 2026 - -
White female in her 50s with gray white wavy shoulder length hair , smiling, wearing a blue blouse with green dots with a pendant necklace.

ARM Seminar Series on Navigating the Research Journey

, 2026 - - HEC 3.200
Three Caucasian women of 40-50s age seated at a table with tea service, filing cups and chatting. Two are blond and one is a brunette. All are dressed in business casual attire.

2026 Afternoon Tea Series: Jia Zhou, PhD

, 2026 - - Moody Medical Library, Faculty Lounge (3rd Fl) - Galveston, TX 77555 USA
Karl Kellar: Caucasian man in his late 50s-early 60s with white short hair and eyebrows, large nos. He is wearing a dark blue button up and a vibrant blue jacket.

Unlock The Secrets to Successful Grant Writing! - FY26 (second round)

- , 2026 - -
Dr. Chubinskaya giving a presentation to a group of new faculty members

New Faculty Orientation: Spring 2026

, 2026 - - Administration Building - 301 8th Street, Galveston, TX 77555 United States
Caitlin Cotter: Caucasian female in her 30s-40s with an oval face, narrow nos, long brown wavy hair, in a black blouse. Mandeep Sandhu. Indian female with long black hair, wearing a stripped blouse and black sweater.

Mentee Research Meeting

, 2026 - - HEC 3.201
Presenter Rachel Walden; she is a Caucasian female in her 30s with straight black shoulder length hair, oval face, pointed chin, smile, in a dark blue blazer.

Ethical Use of AI in Academic Publishing: Opportunities and Responsibilities

, 2026 - -
Mid-Career Bootcamp icon: Dark and light blue globe in puzzle pieces

Faculty Leadership Collaborative (FLC): Mid-Career Bootcamp 2026

-, 2026 - -
Elizabeth Lyons is a white woman in her 30s with long brown hair dark glasses who is smiling and wearing a black blazer and black beaded necklace.

Meet the Research Expert: Dr. Elizabeth Lyons

, 2026 - -
Holly West. Caucasian female in her 40s with a found face smiling with long brown hair past her shoulders in a black blazar. Amanda Persons. Caucasian female in her 40s with a round face buzzed hair on sides and purple curls at top in pink blouse.

Office of Faculty Development: Tell Your Story: Writing Your Narrative for Promotion

, 2026 - - HEC 2.206
Faculty attending a tea networking session seated at a table. There are two blondish Caucasian women seated next to each other preparing tea cup with a tea set on the table and a Caucasian man and woman seated opposite them.

2026 Afternoon Tea Series: Amr Abouleish, MD, MBA

, 2026 - - Moody Medical Library, Faculty Lounge (3rd Fl) - Galveston, TX 77555 USA
Presenter Rachel Walden; she is a Caucasian female in her 30s with straight black shoulder length hair, oval face, pointed chin, smile, in a dark blue blazer.

Working with an Author's Editor: Getting the Most Value

, 2026 - -
Presenter Adam Wolfe from Baylor College of Medicine. Caucasian male in his 50s with glasses a mustache and cropped beard, brown hair and wearing a white lab coat.

Office of Faculty Development: Disseminate Scholarship of Teaching: How to Publish a Teaching Tool or Curriculum

, 2026 - -

Highlights from Around Our Schools

New Awards

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New Grants

Epic Cosmos logo

Epic Cosmos Makes Big Data Research Possible - SideKick AI Makes it Practical

Imagine being able to search 300 million patient records, 67 billon lab results, and over 16 billion encounters - all without any extra software or contracts. This is Epic Cosmos.

In December 2024, UTMB went live as a contributing member of the Cosmos Community, which is the only way to gain access into this impressive dataset.

Would you like to learn more? You can now gain access to Cosmos by requesting the "Cosmos User" role in ITIM.utmb.edu for either Research or Clinical respectively, or you can join a weekly Cosmos Research Lab exploratory working session on Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please contact Juan Artigas for more information or an invite!

We are also very excited to share that we just received pilot access to the SideKick AI client which enables you to create complex queries by typing in a few conversational messages  - just like you would with other AI agents.  We hope you'll join us on this journey through the Cosmos!

To learn more and register, message the program contact.

New Publications

Epic Cosmos logo

Epic Cosmos Makes Big Data Research Possible - SideKick AI Makes it Practical

Imagine being able to search 300 million patient records, 67 billon lab results, and over 16 billion encounters - all without any extra software or contracts. This is Epic Cosmos.

In December 2024, UTMB went live as a contributing member of the Cosmos Community, which is the only way to gain access into this impressive dataset.

Would you like to learn more? You can now gain access to Cosmos by requesting the "Cosmos User" role in ITIM.utmb.edu for either Research or Clinical respectively, or you can join a weekly Cosmos Research Lab exploratory working session on Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please contact Juan Artigas for more information or an invite!

We are also very excited to share that we just received pilot access to the SideKick AI client which enables you to create complex queries by typing in a few conversational messages  - just like you would with other AI agents.  We hope you'll join us on this journey through the Cosmos!

To learn more and register, message the program contact.

Research and Innovations

News and Events

Additional Resources for Researchers

Research Administration
Research at UTMB
Research Seminar Calendar (provided by the Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Science)
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Institutional Grant Opportunities

More News and Events

Epic Cosmos logo

Epic Cosmos Makes Big Data Research Possible - SideKick AI Makes it Practical

Imagine being able to search 300 million patient records, 67 billon lab results, and over 16 billion encounters - all without any extra software or contracts. This is Epic Cosmos.

In December 2024, UTMB went live as a contributing member of the Cosmos Community, which is the only way to gain access into this impressive dataset.

Would you like to learn more? You can now gain access to Cosmos by requesting the "Cosmos User" role in ITIM.utmb.edu for either Research or Clinical respectively, or you can join a weekly Cosmos Research Lab exploratory working session on Tuesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please contact Juan Artigas for more information or an invite!

We are also very excited to share that we just received pilot access to the SideKick AI client which enables you to create complex queries by typing in a few conversational messages  - just like you would with other AI agents.  We hope you'll join us on this journey through the Cosmos!

To learn more and register, message the program contact.

Cancer Connection Research Symposium

, 2026 - -

The Office of Team Science will host a campuswide forum designed to bring together individuals from all disciplines to explore cancer research, connect across fields, and discover new ways to contribute.

IHII/McLaughlin Colloquium

, 2026 - -

The McLaughlin Endowment Committee and the Institute for Human Infections & Immunity host this annual event. The UTMB community is invited to attend, including a keynote lecture by Joan Kenney, PhD, Microbiologist, Centers for Disease Control.

Do you have an item for our Faculty Focus newsletter? Please provide your submissions by April 20 to be considered for publication in the next edition.

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