Michael McDermott elected to ATA board
Michael McDermott, MD, has been elected as a director on the Board
of Directors of the American Thyroid Association (ATA). He will serve
a four-year term of office (2006-2010).
McDermott is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology
at the University of Colorado Denver. He is the director
of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Practice and the Metabolic Bone Clinic
at University of Colorado Hospital.
A member of the ATA since 1992, he has served on the Program Committee,
the Publications Committee, and the Website Committee. He also has
been a co-director of the Fellows Track at the ATA Annual Meeting,
now in its second year of providing targeted education and skill enhancement
for endocrine fellows.
Medical student wins poster award
Kyle Johnson, a second year student at the UCD School of Medicine,
received the subspecialty award in the Geriatrics and Aging poster
category at the Western Student Medical Research Forum conference held
in Carmel, Calif., in February. He received the award for his poster
presentation titled, “Exercise Intervention Outcomes on Cognitively
Impaired and Intact Older Adults: A Meta Analysis.”
Along with the award, his project is automatically accepted for presentation
at the 48th Annual National Student Research Forum conference to be
held in Galveston, Texas, in April. Johnson will also have an article
on his research published in Internal Medicine News.
His research study evaluates, by meta analysis method, the endurance
and strength outcomes on cognitively impaired and intact older adults
to determine whether the impaired individuals benefit from physical
rehabilitation (retain or improve ability to perform ADL, improved
strength/mobility, improved endurance, etc.) just as non-impaired individuals
do.
Researcher receives March of Dimes grant
James McManaman, PhD, assistant professor, School of Medicine, has
been awarded a grant from the March of Dimes for research that may
help predict and prevent premature births. He is one of eight scientists
who have been awarded a total of $3 million in grants for a three-year
period.
McManaman’s goal is to create comprehensive profiles of the many
proteins in vaginal fluid of pregnant women who have had premature
babies and so are at risk of recurrence, and to identify protein profile
differences between those who go on to deliver prematurely and those
who do not. Such differences may enable doctors to predict preterm
deliveries more reliably than is now possible.
More than 500,000 babies in the U.S. (including nearly 8,500 in Colorado)
are born too soon each year. The preterm birth rate has increased 30
percent since 1981.
January Employee of the Month
Vonelle Kelly
Office Manager, Physical Therapy Program
“
Vonelle is, quite simply, nothing short of outstanding, both as an
employee and as an individual. She has been able to bring a sense of
organization and structure to the office, and she has an incredibly
pleasant nature that she brings into the office on a day-in and day-out
basis. Vonelle’s ability to manage difficult situations effectively
comes from her calm, competent, and effective manner of relating to
staff, students and faculty alike.”
Margaret Schenkman, PT, PhD
Mary Jane Rapport, PT, PhD
“Vonelle consistently demonstrates
leadership, professionalism, respect, and kindness in a dynamic and
demanding work environment. Her warm and generous personality and her
sincere consideration for others make her extremely approachable for
questions, assistance and trouble shooting.”
Jan Euley, PT, PRA
Jaime Salay, PRADr.
Randy Kluender receives kudos from
Colorado Dental
Association
 |
| Randy Kluender, DDS, MS, flanked by Colorado Dental Association Director Gary Cummins and CU School of Dentistry Dean Denise Kassebaum, DDS, MS. |
University of Colorado School of Dentistry Associate Dean Randy Kluender,
DDS, MS, was honored recently with the Colorado Dental Association’s
(CDA) 2006 Exceptional Service Award. The award was presented by CDA
Director Gary Cummins.
Kluender has been a major player in the development of the relationship
that exists between the school and the CDA.
Kluender has been intimately involved with the CDA’s Give Kids
a Smile Day program, as well as organizing the opening of the Healthy
Smiles Clinic.
“ Randy’s cooperative spirit, organizational
skills and commitment to the dental community is commendable and much
appreciated by the Colorado Dental Association,” said Cummins.
University
of Colorado Cancer Center names new administrator
Donna Berrier has been named the administrator and associate director
for administration and finance for the University of Colorado Cancer
Center (UCCC). She will begin her new position Feb. 12.
For nearly eight years, Berrier has worked at the University of Colorado Denver as the administrator of the Department
of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics. Before that, she worked at UCD
as the residency program coordinator for the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology for four years (1992-1996) and then became the manager
of the Department of Medicine’s Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Division (1996-1999). Prior to her university career, Berrier served
in a variety of administrative roles at Radio City Music Hall, the
Ascot Theatre and Walt Disney World.
Berrier replaces Rae Ann Paden, who relocated to Albuquerque, N.M.,
in December 2006 to become the administrator of the University of New
Mexico Cancer Research & Treatment Center.
Technology Transfer
Office announces
Proof-of-Concept awards
The University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office completed its
Fall 2006 Proof of Concept grant (POCg) solicitation for both bioscience
and non-bioscience projects; overall, 19 projects were selected for
funding. The POCg program provides grants that enable advanced development
and validation of promising CU technologies that are, or will become,
suitable for commercialization.
The State of Colorado Bioscience Discovery Grant Program, created by
HB1360, provides matching funds for POC projects related to bioscience.
In November, the TTO selected 13 projects using a competitive internal
application process combined with presentation to a panel of venture
capitalists. Winning proposals totaled $2,129,000, and were reviewed
and accepted by the state in January 2007.
Bioscience winning proposals
were:
•
Stephen Hunsucker, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UCD. “Protein
Biomarkers to Differentially Diagnose Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma
and Follicular Thyroid Adenoma.”
•
Leland Shapiro, School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,
UCD. “Infusion of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT) to Suppress
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV) Replication in Patients.”
•
Steven Anderson, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, UCD. “Suppression
of Irradiation-Induced Salivary Gland Dysfunction by IGF-1."
•
Jeffrey Holt, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, UCD. “Biomarker
Enabled Development of PARP Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy.”
• Gary Brodsky, School of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology,
UCD. “In-vivo Analysis of a Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle
Stem Cell Activator.”
• Edward Dempsey, School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Pulmonary
Research Laboratory, UCD. “Moving Bryostatin-1 from the
Lab to the Clinic for the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension.”
• Robert Hodges, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Genetics, UCD. “Applicability of SARS Coronavirus
Antibody Technology to Influenza Virus.”
• Karen Stevens, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, UCD. “A
New Treatment for Ineffectively Treated Schizophrenia Patients: Pre-clinical
Validation for Centrally Administered Clozapine.”
• Douglas Graham, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics,
Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, UCD. “A Novel Biologically
Targeted Agent for the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.”
• David Ross, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
UCD. “Hydroquinone Ansamycin Pro-drugs as Novel Anticancer
Hsp90 Inhibitors.”
• Tad Koch, Chemistry and Biochemistry, CU-Boulder. “New
Targeted Drug for the Treatment of Lung Cancer.”
• Christopher Bowman, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, CU-Boulder. “Redox-Initiated
Radical Chain Polymerization for the Detection and Amplification of
Biological Recognition Events.”
• Michael Larson, Mechanical Engineering, UCCS. “A Device
for Laser Fusion of Septal Tissue.”
In the bioscience field, 41 proposals were submitted for consideration;
25 of these were advanced to the second round for presentation to a
panel of local venture capitalists. The figures below illustrate the
wide variety of proposals received.
The TTO also provided $101,850 for the funding of 6 non-bioscience
POC proposals, with some additional funding conditional on completion
of project milestones.
Winners outside of bioscience were:
• Hans-Dieter Seelig, Aerospace Engineering, CU-Boulder. “Sensor
systems and methods for the evaluation of water deficit stress in plants.”
• Josef Michl, Chemistry and Biochemistry, CU-Boulder. “Catalyzed
Radical Polymerization.”
• Rishi Raj, Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder. “Ultra-efficient
Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation.”
•Rafael Piestun, Electrical and Computer Engineering, CU-Boulder. “Super-resolution,
Compact, Passive Three-Dimensional Imaging System.”
• Ronggui Yang, Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder. “Photonic
Crystal Fiber Based Micro Capillary Pumped Loops for Site-Specific
Cooling of Electronics.”
•
Terrance E. Boult, Computer Science, UCCS. “Privacy Enhanced
Surveillance Camera.”
The CU Technology Transfer Office pursues, protects, packages, and
licenses to business the intellectual property generated from research
at CU. The TTO provides assistance to faculty, staff, and students,
as well as to businesses looking to license or invest in CU technology.
For more information about technology transfer at CU, visit www.cu.edu/techtransfer.
2007 Diversity and Excellence Grant Award Recipients
The 2007 Diversity and Excellence Grant Awards were given to 12 projects
in the University of Colorado System. The University of Colorado Denver was the recipient of six of the awards.
The 12 projects are listed below.
University of Colorado Denver
Lynne T. Bemis, Ade Taiwo, & Rose Montoya, School of Medicine
Comprehensive Health Disparities Training for First Year Medical Students
This project seeks to rectify both the lack of research experience
and inadequate preparation in health disparities experienced by many
first year medical students by providing them with a comprehensive
training program.
Students will attend a weeklong seminar (the 5th
Annual Summer Workshop, Disparities in America—Working Towards
Social Justice, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas),
interview an expert at the conference, develop a power point presentation
about the health disparity issue that they have chosen, and present
their findings at the SOM Undergraduate Academy during the 2007 school
year. These presentations will allow diverse medical students who participate
to act as role models for younger students who are in the medical school
pipeline.
Joann Brennan, College of Arts and Media, Charles M. Musiba,
Department of Anthropology, & Stacy Fischer, Division of Health
Care Policy and Research [in collaboration with Paula E. Cushing, Curator
at the
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and local Chicano artist Jerry
Vigil]
Death and Dying: Cultural, Spiritual and Professional Perspectives
This project is a traveling exhibition and panel presentation that
explores death and dying across cultural, spiritual and professional
perspectives. The exhibition seeks to represent end-of-life issues
in a culturally sensitive manner while exploring and celebrating the
diverse ways that human beings approach the end of life. The target
audience for the exhibit and presentation are the art venues located
at all of the CU campuses. With anticipated opportunities to take the
exhibition beyond CU, project collaborators intend to educate, build
bridges, and inspire sensitivity about cultural and religious diversity
to outside groups and communities.
Josette G. Harris & Alexis Giese, School of Medicine
Evidence and Ethnicity: Application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy to
the Hispanic Patient
The project will introduce didactic and in vivo training in evidence
based psychotherapies to psychiatry and psychology trainees at CU.
A one day symposium will be hosted that includes presentations and
live demonstrations by nationally recognized clinicians with diverse
viewpoints on the utility of evidence based treatments and who employ
different techniques in applying EBTs to the treatment of culturally
diverse patients.
Outcome measures include a pre- and post- session
test of trainees, supervisors, and other faculty of their knowledge,
attitudes and skills related to cultural/ethnic issues in the application
of CBT to diverse patients, and a 6-month follow up to evaluate whether
the curriculum has been integrated into training, clinical practice,
and supervision.
Omar Montgomery, Black Student Services, & Sharon Simmons,
Office of Admissions
Student Ambassador Program for Black Student Services
This program involves training student ambassadors to engage in active
outreach efforts in the African American community. The ambassadors
will introduce African American high school students to the academic
majors and support services offered at UCD, address parents’ and
students’ questions and concerns about UCD, and provide assistance
to prospective students with completing financial aid, housing, and
other required college forms. The expected outcome of this program
is an increased number of first time freshmen African American Students
at UCD.
John M. Westfall, School of Medicine, & Kristina Wenzel,
Central Colorado Area Health Education Center
Opening the Doors for Rural Students to Enter the Health Care Pipeline
The purpose of this project is to provide an educational conference
for rural high school counselors, teachers, and students about the
current demand for health care providers and the educational pathways
and requirements to enter high growth health care careers. Conference
attendees will explore health care careers with faculty, staff and
students of UCD and community agency partners such as the Colorado
Department of Labor-WELLS Center, Math Engineering Science Achievement
(MESA), Health Occupations Student Association, Youth 4 Health, and
Medical Career Collaborative. The long term goal of this program is
to increase the number of rural and underrepresented youth entering
health careers.
Pete Wolfe, School of Nursing
Diversity Engagement & Enrichment Program
The purpose of the Diversity Engagement and Enrichment Program (DEEP)
is to diversify the student population in the School of Nursing (SON)
and to support diverse students after they enter the SON. In 2004,
the SON implemented a strategic plan, which included the development
of a student enrichment program, to achieve its diversity goals. The
SON seeks to expand and enhance its original enrichment program concept
in 2007 by adding a number of skill-building components for students,
including ESL, medical Spanish, and cross-cultural training.
Boulder
Kwasi Ampene, College of Music
Residency for the West African Percussion Trio and Guest Performance
in the 7th Annual Highlife Concert
This project supports a two-month residency in Boulder of the West
African Percussion Trio. Based in Ghana and acclaimed by critics as
the most innovative percussion group in modern Africa, the trio will
teach percussion and rehearse with music students in the Highlife Ensemble,
offer two master classes for the Percussion Studio, and present a lecture-demonstration
to music students. The Trio also will be guest performers in the 7th
Annual Highlife Concert at Macky Auditorium, where they will demonstrate
their artistry and mastery of complex rhythms.
Ben Kirshner, School of Education
Youth Participation in Policy Making: A Partnership between the School
of Education and Two Denver Youth Organizations
This project combines research and outreach with two Denver community
partners: One Nation Enlightened and the Manual Academic Resource Center
Youth Leadership Team. Professor Kirshner will work with Denver youth
to complete an impact study, begun last year, of the Manual High School
closure.
The team will translate its findings into evidence-based policy
recommendations. In preparation for sharing their findings with policymakers,
students will have opportunities to present their work to education
and youth development researchers from CU-Boulder and UC Denver. In
addition to benefits to youth participants, this project is important
because it builds bridges between the CU-Boulder campus and high school
students of color in Denver.
Dave Newport & Jack DeBell, CU Environmental Center
Computers for Youth Project
This project will provide disadvantaged teens with upgraded computers
equipped with internet access and basic computing programs. Approximately
25 middle and high school students will be recruited from North Denver
with assistance from the Cross Community Coalition, a non-profit community
development organization. These students will be transported to the
Boulder Campus for a one-day workshop where twelve CU Computer Science
students will spend time with these youth discussing fundamentals of
computing and communications technologies. Serving as mentors, these
CU students will then work with youth to build and upgrade a computer
that will then be donated to each participant.
Colorado Springs
Debra Frank Dew, Writing Program
Native American Rhetorics in Theory and Practice: Integrating Diversity
across First-Year Writing Curricula and Instruction
This project offers a lecture and workshop series for UCCS faculty
and students which aims to enhance appreciation and theoretical understanding
of Native American rhetoric, increase understanding of the interpretive
and analytical potential of diverse rhetorical frameworks, and provide
faculty with theoretical tools and practical strategies for presenting
and analyzing Native American rhetoric in the classroom. Two distinguished
scholars in Native American and Indian American rhetoric will share
their theoretical research with UCCS faculty through public lectures
and a half-day workshop.
Barbara Gaddis & Anthony Cordova, Office of Student Multicultural
Affairs
Improving Retention of Hispanic Students through the Hispanic Emerging
Leader Peers (HELP) Program
The HELP Program is a peer mentoring leadership program designed to
improve the retention rate of Hispanic freshmen at UCCS and provide
leadership experience to Hispanic upper division students. This pilot
project is conceived as an ongoing retention effort in which the mentored
freshmen of one class become the mentors for the next class of freshmen,
with the ultimate goal of helping UCCS’s Hispanic students deepen
and broaden their connections to the university.
LaVonne Neal & Kyla Hammond, College of Education
Integrating Culturally Responsive Teaching into the UCCS College of
Education, Campus, and Community
The College of Education will host its second annual “Symposium
on Culturally Responsive Teaching and Counseling,” designed to
foster faculty, staff, student, and community acquisition and practice
of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that reflect cultural competence.
This year’s symposium will focus on Latino culture and bring
to UCCS several nationally recognized experts in the area of culturally
responsive teaching, including Dr. Geneva Gay, Dr. Alicia Moore, Dr.
David Campos, and Ms. Benita Dillard.
For more information, contact Carmen Williams, Assistant Vice President
for Diversity, 303-860-5600
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