2025 AUG. EDITION
We are moving quickly through summer and into fall, and change is happening around the UH campus. Students are back on the main campus now, which means more traffic and congestion, but also more excitement and events. A few months ago a large construction project started to prepare the University for our Centennial, which will be celebrated by a series of events culminating in October of 2027. Early that year, the construction fences will come down, and the new central campus will be unveiled. The main 2 lane horseshoe drive into campus will be gone and replaced by a smaller drive, allowing new landscaping and amenities on both sides. The quad with its historic fountains on the other side of the Cullen building will be replaced by a larger quad made possible by the demolition of Farish Hall. A new, modern fountain and a new tower or art installation will complete the renovation. But the capstone of the construction will be the new Medical Research Building I mentioned in an earlier Pulse – it will sit behind the College of Medicine near Spur 5 and will be completed in fall of 2027 as the Centennial celebration comes to a close. Ground breaking is only a few months away now – change is in the air!
- Jon McCullers
University of Houston has a new CME Platform available for our learners. This new platform allows learners to view and register for upcoming activities. Learners can also access their personal “Portal” to self generate transcripts and past certificates, update account profile information and more. Contact Sophia Eloufir or Wendy Fitzgerald for more information.
Fertitta College of Medicine students and faculty took their skills to help out our UH Cougar Football Team. Earlier this month, they attended a team practice and taught a session on proper CPR to the players.
Our partnership with HCA Clear Lake began student rotations in internal medicine and surgery this past July. Pictured are MS3s Mathew Mendoza, Iman Bouchelkia and Yakob Zumlot with HCA Clear Lake CEO Todd Caliva and HCA Clear Lake Director of Surgical Education and Associate Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Bryne.
Congratulations to Ashlei Phillips, MS2, on receiving the Future of Pathology Award from the National Medical Association. The Future of Pathology Award was established in 2020 with the goal to recognize and reward minority students and trainees who have a special interest in the field of Pathology. Applicants may be students ranging from the high school and college levels to medical school, as well as residents and fellows who are underrepresented in the field of medicine.
The Office of Student Research hosted Student Research Day, featuring poster presentations, lightning talks, and awards for the top three presentations in each category. Our students impressed faculty, staff, and peers with their hard work, innovation, and commitment to advancing medical knowledge. Congratulations to this year’s winners and to all who presented!
Congratulations to Ariana Johnson, MS2, for her poem titled Olas Picados on placing first in a recent competition. On her poem, Johnson shares that “Writing has always been a quiet passion of mine, and creating this poem was a meaningful way to connect with my home, family, and roots, while sharing the values and experiences that have shaped me. I’m incredibly grateful to Dr. Nash for creating space in PPP2 to explore creative expression and inspire deep reflection, which played a key role in bringing this piece to life."
Brendan Rosamond, MS4, was selected to serve on the American Journal of Surgery (AJS) Student and Resident Scholar (STARS) Committee. Rosamond will help the research subcommittee publish resources in the AJS focused on making careers in academic surgery more accessible to all levels of trainees. He is excited to work towards getting more medical students involved in academic surgery!
Suture Surgical Collaborative (SSC) is UH Medicine's Surgical Interest Group! SSC serves as a community for all students interested in surgery- regardless of the specialty. There are student mentors who serve as specialty chairs and connect with students interested in their selected specialty.
The first general meeting was held this month and was led by president Jacqueline Garcia, MS2, and faculty advisor Thomas Hunt, M.D., D.Sc. Guest speaker Brian Brewer, MD, MBA, FACS, joined the group to share advice and more information about his residency program. He is currently the general surgery residency program director at HCA Clearlake. We're excited to collaborate with his program in the future- stay tuned for future events.
Gregory Scott Brown, M.D., FAPA, FAIHM, recently gave a TED Talk on the topic of happiness. “Imagine your happiest life. Are you married to the perfect spouse? Are you excelling in your career? Are you traveling the world? When most people think about happiness, it’s these types of images that come to mind. Fantasies of bliss, excitement, and perfection...” View his TED Talk here.
Kimberly A. Pilkinton, M.D., M.P.H., was in Philadelphia, PA this month volunteering with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) as they were reviewing all of their new items and some other projects that produce questions that are used on various assessments, including the ob/gyn shelf examination. Pilkinton says “It has been an honor to serve on such committees with the NBME.”
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
Volunteer Organization Involving Community Engagement and Service (VOICES) hosted a community event serving over 200 people with free school supplies (with backpacks from the UH Health Family Care Center), hygiene kits, blood pressure checks and community resources. This event was seven months in the making, powered by the Houston Global Health Grant and American Women’s Hospitals Services grant. Special shout out to the VOICES E-board: Dallas Bennett, Amani Halawa, Sidnee Wilson, Ashlynn McCall, and Thai Tran for making this possible.
The Houston Heart Walk is on October 25th at Helix Park and you are invited! This family and pet-friendly event is more than just a walk—it’s an opportunity to unite, take action, and save lives. The American Heart Association’s goal is to ensure that at least one person in every household is confident and prepared to perform CPR. By joining the Heart Walk, you’ll be helping to expand our reach and turn bystanders into lifesavers.
Jerome Crowder, Ph.D., has been promoted to Clinical Professor.
James Bray, Ph.D., was elected as a fellow in the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology of the American Psychological Association
Congratulations to Anthony Schrock, the first-ever recipient of the UH Health Family Care Center RISE Award! This award honors clinic team members who embody our core values: Respect, Integrity, Servant Leadership, and Equity. Whether he’s stepping in to support the Family Care Center team, navigating office changes with a smile, or offering a helping hand wherever it's needed, Anthony’s kindness, thoughtfulness, and dependability shines through in his work. We’re so grateful for the servant leadership you bring to the team every day.
This year the UH Health Family Care Center gave away nearly 500 backpacks full of school supplies to over 120 families. The clinic partnered with over 20 vendors and had dozens of UH volunteers assist in the preparation and passing out of backpacks. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a great success!
The UH Health Family care Center hosted a Mental Health First Aid training session for 10 members of the U.S. Dreams Academy. U.S. Dreams Academy is a nonprofit organization that provides afterschool programs, including tutoring, homework assistance, mentorship and emotional support for students. The course was led by Saralyn McMorris, LCSW, a behavioral health provider at the clinic. As a result of the training, participants are now better equipped to recognize signs of mental distress in the students they work with and connect them to appropriate support and resources. This training was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as part of David Curtis’, Ph.D., Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Program.
Dr. Smith’s walking challenge at the clinic has been in full swing and she would like to share an update on the recent competition! Please congratulate all of our challenge champions: Alicia Barrientez, Tayvia Dotch, Dr. Elkins, Dr. Grair, Rebecca Negri, Laura Vasquez, Jeri Parker, Loan Villon, Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Zebda.
Big shout out to our other two challenge champion team members who beat the 200 point challenge: Dr. Grair, Dr. Wheeler, Dr Zebda, and Rebecca Negri. As always, a special thanks is extended to Neena Arora, Assistant Vice President and CEO, for supporting the challenge's promotion of mental, physical, and workplace wellness!!
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.
