What is our vision? That is the question that Heads/Chairs, Dean's Staff and the Strategic Planning Committee work groups have wrestled with the past couple of months. The debate has increased in intensity and urgency since the Strategic Planning Retreat in early July. It has become clear to me that the central theme to all these discussions is the notion that we need to grow and we aspire to be famous. To become famous, the College, its faculty and students must continue to work toward achieving national excellence in education, research, clinical care and outreach. These goals are precisely aligned between the two campuses, but unfortunately, the planning process has tended to cluster around the "needs" of each campus. Geography and historic rivalries regrettably create a myopic vision of what the College can collectively achieve. However, we are united by our desire to achieve notoriety in academic medicine, to continue our tradition of highly personalized educational experiences for medical and graduate students, and to achieve national and international fame for leading edge research and clinical care. This must be our unifying and rallying vision.

All of the participants in the planning process have made it clear that "new resources" are required. I've indicated that this is a major goal for this administration, but also I've clearly stated that we must use existing resources wisely and move from the position of "paying the bills" to an investment strategy of growth. To fail in the investment strategy will, in my opinion, continue the struggle that we have faced. This Fall we will be presenting this plan to multiple groups as we work to make our Strategic Plan and vision a reality.

Development

Our new Director of Institutional Advancement, Tom Pool, arrived on July 1st, and has hit the ground running. He is bringing a fresh perspective and new ideas to the College that will greatly improve our marketing of the College. Tom is organizing a Marketing Committee for the College that will work to establish a marketing plan for the College, a "brand" that identifies the College, and policies regarding marketing and publications for the College. All of this will be critical to the success of the College's fundraising effort.

Annual Report

The templates for the 2003-2004 Annual Report have been distributed to all the departments. We are attempting to standardize this process for the purpose of more coherent planning between campuses. Since this is the first year of this reporting process it may be challenging and cumbersome, but the goal is to make it a more streamlined process for subsequent years. The Annual Reports are due in the Office of the Dean by 5:00 pm on Friday, September 17, 2004.

Strategic Planning

The College held a follow-up Strategic Planning Retreat in Temple on Friday, July 9, 2004. The reports from the education, research, facilities, faculty development, and information technology work groups were presented and debated. However, the majority of the discussion focused on identifying a vision for the College. After much discussion, it was determined that the primary vision of the College is to be famous. The work group reports will be sent back to the Strategic Planning Committee for final revisions before forwarding them to the Faculty Advisory Committee, Executive Committee, and Academic Council for review and approval.

Student Affairs

Dr. Kate Fallon, Associate Dean for Student Affairs The White Coat Ceremony was held on Monday, July 26, 2004, in Rudder Theater. Eighty-four entering medical students received their white coats signifying the beginning of their medical training as the Class of 2008. This is the largest medical school class in the College's 27-year history. These students were selected from 2,300 applicants, and represent 40 colleges and universities throughout the state and nation. Ed Childs, MD, associate professor of surgery, delivered the keynote address to the entering students and other guests. A reception was held in Rudder Exhibit Hall immediately following the ceremony. ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dr. Kelly Hester, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dr. Thomas Peterson attended the "Program for Leaders in Healthcare Education" June 13-18, 2004, at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Peterson was selected to participate in this prestigious leadership program. The program is designed for leaders with major responsibilities for healthcare education across the continuum, especially those introducing or managing significant interdepartmental changes or innovations in their institutions. The formal curriculum is designed to assist participants in developing their own strategies for leading change within a rapidly evolving healthcare delivery system.

Dr. Thomas Peterson attended the faculty development course: Leadership Skills for the Basic Scientist given on July 9, 2004, at the 8th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Medical Science Educators at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA.

PRESENTATIONS

Peterson, T., Baker, R., Hester, K., and Green, B. presented "A Comprehensive Course Evaluation System Utilizing Combined Online Student and Faculty Evaluations, Student Performance Measures and Course Director Meetings" at the 8th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Medical Science Educators at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, June 9-13, 2004.

Academic Technology

Dr. Tim Manning, Associate Dean for Academic Technology

New Interactive Rooms in Reynolds

The Office of Academic Technology has prepared five additional rooms in the Reynolds Medical Building for computer presentation and video conferencing. The three departmental conference rooms on the upper floors and two small group study rooms on the 1st floor have been equipped with video cameras and plasma displays. The conference rooms also have also been equipped with video projectors. All of these rooms can be used to originate or receive seminars or classroom activities involving any other interactive room in our system. They can also be used to show local computer presentations on either the video projectors or the plasma displays.

For audiovisual assistance or to schedule an interactive event call 845-9373 or email scheduler@medicine.tamhsc.edu.

FACULTY

Tenure Awarded Three COM faculty members were recently awarded tenure by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents. The faculty members awarded tenure are Dr. Steve Maxwell, Dr. Roy Smythe, and Dr. Farida Sohrabji.

HSC Distinguished Professor
C. Nick Pace, PhD, has been named the second Distinguished Professor for the Texas A&M Health Science Center. Dr. Pace, who is also a Texas A&M University System Regents Professor, is a professor in the department of medical biochemistry and medical genetics. He is also Tom and Jean McMullin Professor of Genetics at TAMU. Dr. Pace is a world-renowned expert in the areas of protein stability and the energetics of protein folding, in which the polypeptide chain is tightly "folded" into a globular formation that is essential for the biological functions of cells. When protein folding goes awry, a number of diseases may result.

Humanities in Medicine

Samuel H. Black, PhD, Professor Emeritus in the College of Medicine, was recently recognized in The Valley Alumni Magazine, a publication of his alma mater, Lebanon Valley College. The article describes how one of his undergraduate professors, Dr. George Struble, was responsible for "opening his eyes to art, science, literature, and music." Dr. Black continues to be influenced and motivated by his former professor as is evidenced by the trilogy of classes he is creating for the College that will explore the role germs have played in the arts. According to Dr. Black, "I'm looking at germs in the performing arts like in the opera La Boheme, germs in literature, and germs in the visual arts."

Donnie Self, PhD, from the Department of Humanities in Medicine together with DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr., MD, from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and Margie Olivarez, from Beeville Family Practice, published an article in Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education. The topic was Clinical Performance and Moral Reasoning skills in a Family Medicine Clerkship.

Gül Russell, PhD, Associate Professor for the Department of Humanities in Medicine, presented Perceptual determinism: Anatomy of the eye from Hunayn ibn Ishaq to Vesalius at the University of Birmingham School of Medicine, the Society for Ancient Medicine European Meeting 2004, and in London, at the University College London.

In May, Janine C. Edwards, PhD, presented Bioterrorism and Other Public Health Emergencies: Tools and Models for Planning and Preparedness at the Regional Partnerships in Bioterrorism and Preparedness Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

George Davis, MD, PhD is a charter member of the NIH "Cardiovascular Differentiation and Development" study section. He will be associated with this study section through 2006.

Cardiovascular Research Institute

Dr. A. Gashev received the Award for Excellence in Lymphatic Research from The Microcirculatory Society, Washington, DC, April 16, 2004.

Dr. Z. Sun received a $500 Research Recognition Award from the APS Cardiovascular Section, Washington, DC, April 2004.

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Dr. Bala V. Manyam, COM Professor and Director of the Plummer Movement Disorders Center at Scott & White, was one of six new members appointed to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's National Advisory Council.

Tommy G. Thompson, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services made the four-year appointments. The Council, which is composed of 18 members, contributes their time and expertise in offering advice and recommendations in the areas of alternative medicine research, including research training and dissemination of health information from the Center.

Dr. Manyam performs research on Ayurvedic drugs, especially for degenerative neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease. He has written more than 170 publications, including book chapters on movement disorders, Ayurveda, general neurology and the history of neurology. He has served on several editorial boards for journals in his field.

VA

Thomas Edward Scott, M.D., MPH, FACS assumed his duties as Chief, Surgery Service for Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) in July. Dr. Scott was the Chief, Surgical Care Line at the Southern Arizona Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System. He also held the title of Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Scott has been with the VA for two years. Dr. Scott retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel in 2002. Military duties included being the Commander of the 355th Medical Group, Tucson, Arizona, and Chief, Clinical Quality Management Division, Office of the Surgeon General. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Scott received his medical degree from University of Nebraska School of Medicine and has a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University. He has a strong research background which focused on clinical decision analysis and effectiveness of training surgical faculty in educational techniques. Dr. Scott has over 14 years of teaching experience and has numerous publications.

RESEARCH

Medical Microbiology & Immunology

Dr. David McMurray received the Notice of Award for a subcontract to Johns Hopkins University for an NIH-funded project entitled "New Animal Models for Tuberculosis." His subcontract budget over the next seven years totals $1,321,664. Under the subcontract, he will develop and validate experimental protocols in the guinea pig for detecting the effect of deletion of putative virulence genes of M tuberculosis on specific stages of disease pathogenesis.

Dr. Pawan Sharma, a senior tuberculosis researcher from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi, visited Dr. David McMurry's lab from June 6-12. Drs. Sharma and McMurray are collaborating on the establishment of animal models of tuberculosis. They initiated the transfer of aerosol infection technology, and shared the protocols which they have developed for studying tuberculosis vaccine responses in guinea pigs.

A grant entitled "Genes Regulating Capillary Morphogenesis and Apoptosis" with Dr. George Davis as PI has been approved by NIH for funding. Dr. Van Wilson is a collaborator on this grant.

Cardiovascular Research Institute

M.R. Forough and J.L. Parker received a $124,000 American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate Grant-in-Aid grant entitled "Fibroblast growth factor-1 signaling in angiogenesis" for the period 07/01/04 - 06/30/06.

J.D. Humphrey and G.A. Meininger received a $340,936 NIH grant entitled "Novel organ culture & theory for arteriolar remodeling" for the period 04/01/04 - 03/31/06.

C.J. Meininger and G. Wu received a $363,750 NIH grant entitled "Oxidative stress and pterdine metabolism in diabetes" for the period 07/01/04 - 06/30/06.

C.J. Meininger and G. Wu received a $55,000 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Innovative Grant entitled "Development of an endothelium-targeting DNA-nanoparticle to reverse diabetic vascular complications" for the period 09/01/04 - 08/31/05.

C.J. Meininger and G. Wu received a $124,000 American Heart Association grant entitled "Oxidative stress, pterdine metabolism, and vascular complications in diabetes" for the period 07/01/04 - 06/30/06.

G.A. Meininger, M.J. Davis, D.C. Zawieja, G.E. Davis, D. Earnest, and J.D. Humphrey received a $350,000 NIH Shared Instrumentation grant entitled "A confocal multiphoton/atomic force microscopy system" for the period 05/01/04 - 04/30/05.

M.H. Wu and G.A. Meininger received a $1,636,875 NIH grant entitled "VEGF regulation of microvascular permeability" for the period 07/01/04 - 06/30/09.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Pharmacology & Toxicology

Jung, K.-Y., Dean, D., Jiang, J., Gaylor, S., Griffith, W.H., Burghardt, R.C. and Parrish, A.R. Loss of N-Cadherin and a-Catenin in the Proximal Tubules of Aging Male Fischer 344 Rats. Mechanisms of Aging and Development, 125: 445-453, 2004.

Jiang, J., Dean, D., Burghardt, R.C., and Parrish, A.R. Disruption of Cadherin/Catenin Expression, Localization and Interactions During HgCl2-Induced Nephrotoxicity. Toxicological Sciences, 80: 170-182, 2004.

Chiou, G.C.Y., and Xu, X.L. Effects of some natural flavanoids on retinal function recovery after ischemic insult in the rat. Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 70: 107-113, 2004.

Murchison, D., Zawieja, D.C., and Griffith, W.H. Reduced mitochondrial buffering of voltage-gated calcium influx in aged rat basal forebrain neurons. Cell Calcium, 36: 61-75, 2004.

Cardiovascular Research Institute

Gaffin, R., Gokulan, K., Sacchettini, J. Hewett, T., Klevitsky, R., Robbins, J., and Muthuchamy, M. Charged residue changes in the carboxy-terminus of a-tropomyosin alter mouse cardiac muscle contractility. Journal of Physiology, 556.2: 531-543, 2004.

Martinez-Lemus, L.A., Hill, M.A., Bolz, S.S., Pohl, U., Meininger, G.A. Acute mechanoadaptation of vascular smooth muscle cells in response to continuous arteriolar vasoconstrictions: implications for functional remodeling. FASEB Journal, 10.1096/fj.03-0634fje, 708-710.

Murchison, D., Zawieja, D.C., and Griffith, W.H. Reduced mitochondrial buffering of voltage-gated calcium influx in aged rat basal forebrain. Cell Calcium, 35: 61-75, 2004.

Spier, S., Meininger, C., Donato, A., Ramsey, M., and Muller-Delp, J. Effects of aging and exercise training on endothelium-dependent vasodilation and structure of skeletal muscle arterioles. Journal of Physiology, 556: 947-958, 2004.

von der Wied, P.Y., and Zawieja, D. Lymphatic smooth muscle: the motor unit of lymph drainage. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 36: 1147-1153, 2004.

• August 2 - Classes begin for M1 and M2

• August 19 - Exam Item Writing Skills, Noon - 5:00 pm, Reynolds Medical Building

• August 27-28 - Parents' Weekend September 3 - Annual Reports due to the Office of the Dean
• September 14 - Town Hall Meeting, 5:00 pm, Temple

• September 15 - Town Hall Meeting, 4:00 pm, College Station

Christopher C. Colenda, M.D., M.P.H.
Dean, College of Medicine
The Texas A&M University Health Science Center
147 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building College Station, TX 77843-1114
Phone:979-845-3431
Fax:979-847-8663
Email: Colenda@medicine.tamhsc.edu