It’s been a very long road for Galveston’s Hunter Cherryhomes. When he walked across stage at UTMB’s School of Nursing graduation ceremony on April 29, getting his degree was definitely the high point of a long journey.

To meet the growing demand for skilled and well-trained nurses in a highly competitive job market, UTMB Health launched an initiative this year to hire new nursing graduates from UTMB’s School of Nursing.

Thomas Ksiazek, DVM, PhD, is a world-renowned virus expert with 40 years of experience on the front lines of some of the worst outbreaks the world has ever seen. He currently serves as director of high-containment laboratory operations for the Galveston National Laboratory, as well as professor in the departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology.

It was a party atmosphere as more than 1,600 UTMB employees were celebrated for reaching important milestones in their careers during the annual Employee Service Day ceremony on April 13 at Levin Hall. Collectively, the employees represented 21,960 years of service to UTMB and its mission. Special service pins were presented in five-year increments, with 50 years being the longest tenure honored at the ceremony.

When the second phase of the John Sealy Hospital modernization project is finished in 2020, the facade of the towers will look similar to Jennie Sealy Hospital, complete with gleaming glass running the building’s length and new brick to match the hue of the newest arrival to the Galveston campus.

The courtyard outside of the Moody Medical Library was full of vendor booths, spectators, food trucks and live music as UTMB celebrated its 24th annual Earth Day celebration on April 22. Only one person was missing. Ken Steblein, UTMB’s recycling coordinator who started the annual event back in 1992, passed away on April 16 following an 18-month battle with cancer.

Ann Varghese, director of Ambulatory Operations at the Angleton Danbury Campus, was recognized as one of the Brazosport Facts newspaper’s “Leaders Under 40.” Facts editor Yvonne Montz surprised Varghese with a plaque on April 18. Leaders were nominated by the community and were included in a special section of the newspaper on May 15.

May is national Physical Fitness and Sports Month and a great time to spread the word about the benefits of getting active. The tips below can help people of all ages and body types not only get fit, but also reduce stress, lose weight and gain energy!

UTMB President David Callender cuts the ribbon on May 3 for the new League City Campus Hospital. A crowd of local dignitaries, UTMB leaders, staff and many friends from throughout the community attended the ceremony, which also included tours of the three-story hospital.

UTMB’s executive leadership team approved changes to the university’s parking management plan for its three campuses in early March. The changes, which take effect with the start of Fiscal Year 2017 on Sept. 1, include a new web-based validation system for public parking areas on the Galveston and League City campuses, as well as increased rates for some employee, student and patient/visitor parking in Galveston.

UTMB President David Callender first announced the WEAR initiative in January, to ensure all university faculty, staff, students and contractors consistently display proper identification while on UTMB property.

Students from the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences visited the Professionalism Committee student table on April 6 to talk about what unprofessional behaviors “push their button,” as well as share positive examples of professional behavior. The event led up to UTMB’s fifth biennial Professionalism Summit on April 8, titled “Managing a Respectful Intergenerational and Interprofessional Workforce.”

Members of the Angleton Danbury community had the opportunity to tour the Peklo Women’s Pavilion on the UTMB Angleton Danbury Campus and meet its physicians and staff during an open house on March 17.

Since joining UTMB in 2010, Katrina Lambrecht has overseen a host of mission critical initiatives, including the university’s involvement in the Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program (1115 Waiver) and the integration of the Angleton Danbury Campus with UTMB. In addition to her role as vice president of Institutional Strategic Initiatives, Lambrecht was named vice president and administrator of the Angleton Danbury Campus in January.

Nearly a decade of planning, years of construction and many months of preparation, culminated with the opening of Jennie Sealy Hospital on April 9. On that day, UTMB safely moved 185 patients from John Sealy Hospital to the new 765,000-square-foot facility that includes12 floors and 252 patient rooms.

Ramkumar Menon, PhD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has found that higher concentrations of Bisphenol A, or BPA, the common plastics chemical and environmental pollutant, in a pregnant woman’s blood may be a contributing factor in preterm births. The UTMB study found that pregnant women with higher levels of BPA in their blood are more likely to deliver their babies early compared to women with lower levels of BPA.

“Ever wondered what it would be like to live on the Moon?” Bobby Marlin asks, as he points to an oversized drawing from the 1950s. It was made by Dr. James Gaume, who was charged with designing the first house in outerspace—before man had even left the atmosphere.

Fourth-year medical student Agnes Usoro looked calm as she waited to receive the envelope that would reveal her fate for the next three to seven years.

It’s early morning as Chris Roundy methodically checks the small black traps in a Galveston backyard, looking intently for the tiny treasures that might help scientists researching arboviruses, including Zika and dengue fever.

A team of student volunteers at St. Vincent’s Student-Run Free Clinic in Galveston are working to make sure patients don’t have to choose between filling their prescriptions or buying food.