In the last feature of our 2022 Pride Month series, the Department of Medicine has collaborated with the Heersink Office for Diversity and Inclusion to shine a light on how the school is working to expand the perspectives of its medical students through the Health Equity Scholars (HES) program.

CEO and Dean Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., FACS, hosted the recent Grand Rounds with Health and Wellbeing Activation Manager at Delta Air Lines, Anna Threadcraft. The presentation, titled “Workplace Wellbeing: Principles for cultivating an environment that thrives,” provided tools that help maintain well-being and encourage behaviors that can build a healthy workplace environment.

The Patrice L. Knight, M.D., Endowed Memorial Scholarship, named to honor the longtime regional chair of Pediatrics at the Huntsville Regional Medical Campus, will recognize medical students who embody Knight’s passions for teaching, mentorship, and community service. Knight retired in 2020 after 35 years at the UAB Huntsville campus and passed away in early 2022.

Shivani Malhotra, M.D., has been named the chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Huntsville Regional Medical Campus.

Work on the new active learning center for team-based medical student learning on the second floor of the Volker Hall Education Tower begins Monday, July 11.  

In the last installment of our two-part series, the junior faculty educators named the winners of the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Awards in Teaching share their inspirations for teaching, along with tips for faculty looking for new resources in education.

In the United States, LGBTQ+ communities face a range of inequities when seeking healthcare services. So, why do these inequities exist? To answer that question and share the knowledge, the UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center has collaborated on the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s Pride Month series. 

For Juneteenth 2022, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion put together a brief overview of the 157-year-old holiday and lists several ways to celebrate, including cooking traditional Juneteenth recipes, cultivating a reading list, and engaging in local activities.

Mona Fouad, M.D., senior associate dean of Diversity and Inclusion, joined UAB's Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as associate vice president on July 1. She will maintain her role as senior associate dean while also serving as the associate vice president.

Last week, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion shined a light on the transformative work being done to support LGBTQ+ faculty members. As we continue celebrating Pride Month, we shift focus to the ways LGBTQ+ students, trainees, and staff are supported at the school.

Frances Lund, Ph.D., founding director of the Immunology Institute and professor in the Department of Microbiology, is donating her transition party funds to the Blazer Kitchen. These gifts will allow the kitchen to continue its support to ongoing Blazer Kitchen shoppers and help fulfill its expanding needs.

Leadership of the Committee on Responsible Research Practices reminds investigators, both clinical and basic, of some of actions they can take to avoid making errors that can lead to research misconduct allegations. 

In planning sessions for the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, discussions to create a faculty association dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community were in progress. During this time, Rodney Tucker, M.D., reached out to the office to inquire about creating an LGBTQ+ Faculty Association. With his leadership, a partnership formed to bring this idea to life.

In Part 1 of a two-part series, three of the outstanding educators named the winners of the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Awards in Teaching share their inspirations for teaching, along with tips for faculty looking for new resources in education.

Jill Hancock, clinical research coordinator in the Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, found a connection to the local community in a unique way after moving to Birmingham from Louisiana—by volunteering at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

KeAndrea Titer, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and clinician for the Hospital Medicine Service, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award for Diversity Enhancement.  

Morissa Ladinsky, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award for Diversity Enhancement.  

Cristin Gavin, Ph.D., assistant dean for undergraduate biomedical programs and assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring. 

Elizabeth Beierle, M.D., professor in the Department of Surgery, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Mentorship. 

J. Edwin “Ed” Blalock, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Awards in Mentorship.  

Megan Hays, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award for Service. 

Nathan Erdmann, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Service. 

Tiffani Maycock, D.O., associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and director of the UAB Selma Family Medicine Residency Program, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Service.  

Eric Wallace, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Nephrology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Service. 

Anna Sorace, Ph.D., director of the Small Animal Imaging Facility and assistant professor for the Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean's Excellence Award in Research. 

Kelly Hyndman, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Nephrology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Research. 

Nita Limdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Neurology has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.

Yogesh Dwivedi, Ph.D., Elesabeth Ridgely Shook Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.

Sheetal Gandotra, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, has been awarded the 2022 Dean's Excellence Award in Teaching.    

Marissa Dean, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching.