In the past week or so, I have had the pleasure of presenting two of our faculty members with endowed professorships. Buddhadeb Dawn, MD, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, was given the Maureen and Marvin Dunn Professorship in Cardiovascular Disease on Oct. 26, and Debra K. Sullivan, PhD, RD, associate professor and chair of the Dietetics and Nutrition Department in the KU School of Allied Health, received the Midwest Dairy Council’s Endowed Professorship in Clinical Nutrition on Oct. 29.
Participating in these investiture ceremonies is one of my favorite things to do in my role as executive vice chancellor. The investitures give us the opportunity to acknowledge and honor the recipients and to recognize the donors, their families and their extraordinary generosity to the University of Kansas Medical Center.
There are many reasons why KU Medical Center is on the rise, but at the heart of our success is our outstanding faculty. It is the faculty who carry out the mission of educating students, caring for patients and contributing to our cutting-edge research. These distinguished faculty members help draw other renowned colleagues to KUMC, which in turn attracts excellent graduate and undergraduate medical students, improving the overall quality of education and research throughout our institution.
One of the reasons we have been able to add so many top-flight faculty members in the past several years is the support provided by endowed funds. When public funding declines and is unable to keep up with growth, that gap is filled through donated funds raised by KU Endowment. The support of our generous donors has played a major role in making KU Medical Center the world-class institution it has become.
Buddhadeb Dawn, MD, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, was presented with the Maureen and Marvin Dunn Professorship in Cardiovascular Disease at an investiture ceremony on Oct. 26. Dr. Dawn, right, is pictured with Steven Stites, MD, the Peter T. Bohan Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine.
In the News
U.S. News & World Report has named The University of Kansas Hospital as one of the country's "Best Hospitals" in the publication's latest ranking. The ranking is based on surveys for overall patient satisfaction, quality nursing care and pain management. The hospital appeared on all three lists. Read more.
One year after voters passed the Johnson County Education and Research Triangle (JCERT), the University of Kansas Cancer Center continues to make progress toward renovating and opening the Fairway Clinical Research Facility. Maxine Stoltz, PhD, was recently hired as the senior executive director of the facility and is responsible for the strategic planning of the facility and ultimately managing the operations of the building. KUMC has also selected Overland Park architecture firm HMN to manage the project. Demolition of the interior of the building, donated by the Hall Family Foundation, will begin by the end of March 2010. The Hall Family Foundation donated the facility to KUMC upon passage of the initiative in November 2008. Read more.
Kudos
Susan Carlson, PhD, the A.J. Rice Professor of Nutrition in the Dietetics and Nutrition Department, has received the Helen LeBaron Hilton Award from the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University. The Hilton award recognizes ISU graduates who are nationally and internationally recognized for their community leadership, meritorious service or distinguished achievement in the areas of family and consumer sciences.
Community
Just a reminder that there is just one week to go in our annual United Way Campaign. Last week, you should have received an e-mail from United Way containing personal log-in information, should you choose to donate. You may choose to give a one-time gift, a recurring amount, or a percentage of your pay.The campaign runs through Thurs., Nov. 12. If you have any questions about the campaign or the new e-pledge system, please feel free to contact either Paula Baum at pbaum@kumc.edu or David Rowe at drowe@kumc.edu.