May 6, 2013

Welcome to our new employees! Meet our new additions here. 

Breathing new life into diversity

Many of our colleagues have spent the last few months preparing to breathe new life into our diversity efforts. We strive for diversity because it is essential to each of our four mission areas. It strengthens our ability to recruit and retain talented faculty, staff and students; enhances the way we teach our students and conduct research; and fosters our ability to better serve our community. Read more.    

Stuff that might interest you

National Nurses Week: Did you know there are an estimated 3.1 million registered nurses in the U.S.? Monday, May 6, is National Nurses Day, and kicks off a week of celebrating nurses and all they do. Read more.

KU Market Center - a new way to buy at KUMC: Stay tuned for the upcoming launch of KU Market Center, an easy to use online purchasing system. Scheduled to be released in fall 2013, the KU Market Center will offer you a quick and easy way to obtain goods from many of the suppliers you use today - think Amazon.com for KUMC! Read more.  

Volunteers needed: Team KU needs 16 volunteers to help with the Corporate Challenge duathlon/triathlon event on Sunday, June 16, 5:30 to 11 a.m., Shawnee Mission Park. Read more.
 
Legislative updates: The Kansas Legislature will return to Topeka on May 8 to begin the wrap-up session. Read updates on legislative actions affecting the university on the KU Public Affairs website. 

Energy awareness quiz: We would like to thank everyone for supporting our energy conservation efforts and for your commitment to helping KU Medical Center save on our utilities' costs. Congratulations to our employees who answered all six quiz questions correctly. Read more.

KUMC in the newsKansas City Public Television did a feature on the University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center's focus on diet and exercise as a means of preventing the disease. Russell Swerdlow, M.D., professor, Alzheimer's and Memory Program; Jeff Burns, Edward H. Hashinger professor, neurology; and William Brooks, Ph.D., professor, neurology, were interviewed. Read more.

Redefining concussion guidelines More than one million athletes experience a concussion in the United States each year. Gary Gronseth, M.D., professor, neurology, was on the American Academy of Neurology panel that wrote a new set of guidelines for athletes, released earlier this year. Read more.

Second life and weight loss    

A study by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, used Second Life's three-dimensional, virtual reality environment to study both weight loss and maintenance. Read more.

Have a news item?

If you have a news item you would like included in KUMed Central, submit the information by Wednesday for the following Monday's issue. You can also email Carrie Brown, internal communications manager. Your feedback is also welcome. 

Missed last week's issue? Click here for the April 29 issue.

TAKE NOTE

May 7-8: Informational sessions about the new short-term disability benefit. Read more.

May 15: Creating Performance Goals and Expectations: this class will help you strengthen leadership skills and improve professional performance. Open to faculty and staff. Read more.

May 16 & 17: Last chance to sign up for the onsite biometric screening dates. Read more.

May 18: Heart Walk - KU Medical Center is joining with The University of Kansas Hospital at this year's walk. Read more.

May 22: Town hall with Dr. Girod, EVC, at 4:30 p.m. in SON auditorium. More details to come.

BRAG IT UP!

Michael Parmely, Ph.D., professor, microbiology, molecular genetics and immunology, has been named as chair of the department.

Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, Ph.D., RN, associate professor, nursing, and Steven Simpson, M.D., professor, pulmonary and critical care medicine, have been awarded Health Outcomes Research grants from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. 

Giulia Anna Bonaminio, Ph.D., associate dean, Office of Medical Education, is a fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Read more on the accolades.

JUST FOR FUN

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and each week in May, we'll feature a related trivia question.

What Burmese woman graduated from the KU School of Medicine in 1929, and was the first female graduate of Asian heritage? Email your answer, and we'll post the answer in next week's issue