President’s Cabinet Awards 

For more than 30 years, the President's Cabinet has provided a vehicle for UTMB and the community to work together to support these promising initiatives to improve health and well-being.

  • Addressing Pediatric Food Insecurity and Obesity Through the Healing Hunger Family Food Pantry Project

    Jaclyn R. Dempsey, MD
    Pediatric Surgery, League City Campus

    With an estimated 1 in 4 children in Galveston County experiencing food insecurity, UTMB Health is launching the Healing Hunger Family Food Pantry Project to support pediatric patients and their families during and after hospital stays. Led by UTMB’s pediatric care team and in partnership with the Galveston County Food Bank, the pantry will provide nutritious meals, fresh produce and healthy staples, addressing both recovery and prevention. This initiative not only combats hunger but also tackles childhood obesity and promotes long-term wellness. The pantry will support UTMB Health in treating food as medicine and building a healthier future for our community’s children.

  • Bereavement Basket Project

    Lucy A. Salazar, RN, BSN
    Angleton Danbury Campus 

    The Bereavement Basket Project provides comfort baskets to families of patients receiving General Inpatient Hospice care at the UTMB Health Angleton Danbury Campus (ADC). Each basket includes grief literature, snacks, drinks, hygiene items and cozy essentials to help ease the emotional and physical burden of staying bedside with a dying loved one. This initiative reflects the deep commitment to compassionate, holistic and family-centered care at UTMB Health ADC.

  • Empowering Nursing Students with High-Consequence Infectious Disease Training for Enhanced Health Outcomes

    Shinu Joy, DNP, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, OCN
    Corri B. Levine, PhD, MPH
    School of Nursing and Internal Medicine

    Over the past two decades, high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) like Ebola, Lassa Fever and mpox have become more common, putting frontline healthcare workers, especially nurses, at increased risk. The awarded funds will be used to enhance infectious disease preparedness by supporting clinical training for nursing students at UTMB and other Galveston County nursing schools. Through the UTMB School of Nursing and the (Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness and Education Program) SPECTRE, students will gain hands-on experience in infection prevention and safe care practices for patients with highly transmissible diseases. This initiative aims to better equip future nurses to identify and manage high-consequence infectious diseases, reduce exposure risks, and strengthen community trust in local healthcare systems.


  • Enhancing Functional Independence through Occupational Therapy

    Jairy Medina, MS1- Frontera De Salud President
    Grayson Jarvis, MS1- Frontera De Salud Vice President
    Office of Student Affairs, Frontera De Salud 

    This community-driven project transforms an underused Holland House community room into an active wellness space for movement and social engagement. With senior loneliness and physical inactivity among the top health concerns in Galveston County, UTMB Health occupational therapy students, through Frontera de Salud, are stepping in to provide exercise equipment and lead therapeutic sessions. The goal is to promote healthy aging, enhance quality of life and create an inclusive space where seniors can thrive.

  • Reading Together – Promoting Early Literacy and Development of Socio-Emotional Learning Skills

    Shilpa Rajagopal, MD/MPH Student
    Madeline R. Steck, PhD Student
    School of Public and Population Health 

    Reading Together is a student-led initiative that supports early childhood literacy by providing free book packages to new parents at the Mother/Baby Unit at UTMB Health in Galveston. Each package includes bilingual board books, a literacy activity calendar, informational brochures and resources from Rosenberg Library. With research showing that reading from infancy promotes language development and school readiness, it also recognizes that many families lack access or awareness. This project helps bridge that gap. Monthly volunteer visits also offer families meaningful opportunities for connection and confidence through shared reading.

  • St. Vincent’s H.O.P.E. Garden G.R.O.W.S.

    Blair H. Brown, MS, RDN, LD, CNSC
    Christopher M. Messenger, MS, TD, LD, CNSC, PhD
    Nutrition Sciences and Health Behavior 

    The (Helping Others Prosper Equitably) H.O.P.E. Garden has become a vital source of fresh produce and hands-on nutrition education in Galveston. In response to shrinking local food resources and a supply crisis at St. Vincent’s House, UTMB Health Department of Nutrition Sciences & Health Behavior and its graduate students are expanding the garden through the H.O.P.E. Garden (Growing, Resilience, Opportunity, Wellness & Sustainability) G.R.O.W.S. project. This next phase aims to increase food production, utilize underused land and train future dietitians, all while ensuring families in need continue to have access to nutritious food and a renewed sense of hope.


Awards by Year