2024 SEP. EDITION
I am honored and excited to have been named the second Dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. I appreciate the warm welcome I have received from the students, staff, and faculty and am thankful that I have been entrusted with this role. Great progress has been made to date by Founding Dean Spann and the faculty on the formation and growth of the College, culminating in the recent graduation of our inaugural class. Founding Dean Spann did an amazing job under complex circumstances getting us to where we are today. I feel humbled to be carrying on this important legacy.
Our Mission since the founding of the College has been to educate a group of physicians who will provide compassionate, high-value care to patients, families, and communities, with a focus on primary care and other needed specialties. It is indeed “medicine with a mission” – improved health and healthy communities. My background includes significant experience in higher education and health care that will help us grow into our next phase. I also bring a mindset that community service and innovations in preventative care have to be in all of our DNA. Our Strategic Plan calls for us to grow our class size by 60, expand research, and recruit new top-flight teaching, clinical, and research faculty. However, our Vision will remain steadfast; we “will be recognized nationally for educating physicians who have a deep understanding of the non-medical determinants of health and health disparities, know how to work with communities to improve their health and health care, and are experts in providing high-value health care, managing the health of patient populations, and continuously improving health care delivery.” The next few years will be an exciting time for the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine as it enters its next phase. I am proud to be leading you all into the future.
- Jon McCullers
Why did you choose to join the College of Medicine?
“I chose the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine because it aligns with my passion for advancing health care through education and research. My finance and administration background in academic medicine and clinical operations has made me admire the College’s commitment to shaping future health care professionals and impacting the community. This role allows me to leverage my experience to drive meaningful contributions and foster growth while optimizing processes to enhance our health care initiatives.
I encourage blending professionalism with fun and creativity in our work. Collaboration and innovative thinking are key to achieving extraordinary outcomes. Embrace curiosity, support one another, and infuse joy into our endeavors. Your authenticity is unique and can inspire lasting impact.”
Fun Facts About Mekia Amos
“I once won a company-wide talent show with my rendition of "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston. I also love cooking and baking from scratch, creating dishes like Truffle Pasta, Louisiana Gumbo, Banana Bread, and Chipotle Bowls, which let me express my creativity in the kitchen!”
Nyeomi McGaskey, MS3, has been appointed to be the Executive Coordinator of Learning & Growth of the AAP Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT) for a one-year term. This opportunity provides a wealth of great rewards that include opportunities to network with AAP leadership, participate in SOPT Executive Committee meetings and make a difference in the lives of pediatric trainees and the children and families they serve.
UH Scripts is a collaboration between the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine and the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Scripts Fellows teach students how to use writing to become better listeners, develop cultural humility, and mitigate burnout. On August 26, 2024, we launched the Scripts folio, a collection of poems and essays from 11 students and faculty members. During the event, the writers presented their work, and the winner of the Inaugural Scripts Writing Contest – Osaiyaoko Sylvia Omozee – was announced. The current fellows are Nick Templeton and Bevin O’Connor, and their fellowship is co-sponsored by the College of Medicine and Inprint – a literary non-profit organization. If you would like to work with the fellows, please complete this form.
Congratulations to the four inaugural Health Commons Fellows! Jasmin Ali, MS2, Mathew Mendoza, MS2, Nyeomi McGaskey, MS3 and Angelique Basquine, MS3, (not pictured). The fellows will participate in a year of research and service supporting food access, healthy eating, and shared governance in Third Ward and Cuney Homes. Each fellow will receive a $1,000 stipend. The Health Commons is the College of Medicine’s model for community engagement that prioritizes shared leadership. Through an intentional approach to power-sharing, the community and the College co-create policies and programs to improve community health. Current projects include starting a food buying club and food cooperative at Cuney Homes in Third Ward.
Edgard Castillo, MS2, recently won the Stanford-Arizona-Morehouse-UAB Cardiovascular Research Symposium Poster Award. His poster, “Estimating Vessel-Specific Myocardial Perfusion using the Voronoi-Tessellation Principle” was a standout at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute Summer Program.
The MedEd Ignite Pre-Health Summit was created for students pursuing a career in medicine, offering essential guidance to help them become more competitive medical school applicants. Our mission is to empower aspiring health care professionals by offering a platform for networking and knowledge-sharing. Through interactive and informative workshops, we aim to prepare participants for their journey into medicine.
Brendan Rosamond, MS3, was selected by the Southern Medical Association (SMA) as the 2024 recipient of the Constellation Quality Health Medical Student Scholarship. Brendan will be acknowledged at the SMA Scientific Assembly in Atlanta in October as one of six scholarship recipients in the South.
Aaryani Tipirneni-Sajja, B.E., M.S., Ph.D., is a joint associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Resident Affairs (GRA) sponsors the GRA Leadership Course, a two-part certificate course, annually. The first meeting of this cohort was in Washington D.C. this past September, where Jacqueline Levesque, A.Ed., presented. Over 40 Graduate Medical Education (GME) leaders from institutions across the nation gathered to advance their leadership skills.
Lani Ackerman, M.D., received the Global Faculty Award, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, which is given to full-time tenured, tenure-track, and promotion eligible non-tenure track faculty who have demonstrated excellence in the promotion of globalization of teaching, research, and/or service. Learn more about the nomination processes and more information about the Global Faculty Award.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
On Friday, September 6, representatives from Healthy Connections and the UH Health Family Care Center attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for Dia de la Mujer Latina, a women’s health organization. Dia de la Mujer will bring resource navigation, mental health services, community events and health screenings to women and their families in the East End.
Congratulations to Riley Battenfield, M.B.A., Roxanne Garza, Linda Civarello, M.P.H., on receiving a Cougar Kudos for the month of September!
We’d also like to recognize Riley Battenfield, M.B.A, Taylor Collins, M.B.A, Rebecca Negri, Matthew Spieldenner and J.R. Rubinsky who were part of a group recipient of Cougar Kudos at the College of Medicine for the month of September.
United Healthcare and Bread of Life teamed up to host a Grandparents Day event at St. John’s Downtown on Saturday, September 7. Attendees celebrated their grandparents with a health fair, games and activities, health screenings and more. The UH Health Family Care Center provided clinic information and giveaways to attendees and their families.
Do you have something you’d like to share college wide? Email uhcomcom@central.uh.edu with details for consideration in next month’s edition of The Pulse.
