Pulse

Volume5/2005_July26U N I V E R S I T Y OF U T A H A H E A L T H S C I E N C ES July 26, 2005 J an is Weis Receives Watkins Endowed Chair Janis Weis, Ph. D., professor of pathology, has been named the third recipient of the C. Scott and Dorothy E. Watkins Endowed Chair honoring U pathologist Ernst J. Eichwald, M. D. " This recognizes the outstanding contributions made in the areas of research, teaching, and administration by Dr. Weis," said Peter E. Jensen M. D., professor and chair of the Pathology Department. " She is very deserving of this prestigious award." Weis is an internationally recognized leader in micro-bial pathogenesis and immunology and has published numerous articles in peer- reviewed journals. She also collaborates extensively with other researchers inside and outside the University, serves on numerous university committees, and directs both the Medical Student Summer Research Program and the NIH- funded Train-ing Program in Microbial Pathogenesis. A native of Kansas City, Kans., Weis received her doctorate in microbiology from the University of Minne-sota in 1982 and her postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. She was a faculty member at Harvard Medical School when recruited to the U in 1988. Continued on back _ Anne Brillinger, Public Relations Leader, Retires Veteran public relations professional Anne Brillinger is retiring July 29. Brillinger joined the U's health sciences public affairs office in 1978 and has served as director since 2001. Brillinger is known as a tough editor and shrewd public relations strategist, who took her work, but not herself, seriously. A n n e Brillinger She has played a significant role in every major health sciences news story for 27 years. From the artificial heart transplant in Barney Clark to numerous local and national news inquiries from sometimes- aggressive reporters, Brillinger has worked tirelessly to put the University's best foot forward. Along the way she also has written, revised, and rewrit-ten hundreds of speeches for University presidents, vice presidents, deans, and administrators. As a gifted editor, Brillinger has left her mark in countless University books, magazines, newsletters, brochures, and news releases. A U graduate, she began her career in the University's main campus public relations office. She also worked for Macmillan Publishing Co., New York City, and the Utah Travel Council before returning to the U. Editor's note: Stop by the health sciences boardroom on Friday, 2: 30- 4: 30p. m., and wish Anne well. University Health Care on the Web Along with an updated look, incorporating the new brand, the University Health Care Web site, uuhsc. utah. edu, has improved navigation, content, and features. The site includes " A Healthier U" section with health articles, quizzes, and calculators, as well as a " Find a Location" page, which allows users to enter a zip code to find the nearest health centers, specialties, and services. Residents Win Teaching Award Five residents have been named recipients of the 2005 Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. Fourth- year medical students nominated and selected the winners who demonstrated exceptional teaching skills and are role models of compassionate, relationship- centered patient care. Recipients included Christopher Canale, M. D., internal medicine; Jeff Erickson, M. D., pediatrics; Colleen Milroy, M. D., OB/ GYN; R. Douglas Matthews, M. D., Surgery; and Jennifer Staff, M. D., psychiatry. The awards were presented earlier this month at the Student Clinician Cer-emony for the Class of 2007. U Hospital Thanks Local Clergy Members More than 25 representatives from local religious communities and the U Hospital gathered last month for an interfaith appreciation lunch and to welcome home U Hospital Interfaith Chaplain Mark Allison, who recently return from a 16- month military tour of duty in Afghanistan. " The hospital periodically invites clergy, representing a cross section of faiths in our city, to thank them for helping meet the wide range of spiritual and religious needs of patients and their families while in the hospital," Allison said. The primary role of the hospital chaplain is to support the spiritual and religious needs of patients and their families through bedside visitations, prayer, blessings, pastoral counseling, weddings, and funerals, according to Allison. The chaplain also is available to assist hospital staff. Spiritual Care Services and the chaplain may be reached by calling the hospital information desk, x5- 8000, or by contacting Allison, x7- 9064 or mark. allison@ hsc. utah. edu. Got Talent? Let's See . . . The U's upcoming Employee Appreciation Day, set for Sept. 29 at the Olympic Cauldron Park at Rice- Eccles Stadium, will feature an employee talent show. First-, second-, and third- place winners will receive prizes. Auditions will be held Aug. 15 from 3: 30- 7 p. m. in the Olpin Union Saltair Room and Aug. 26, from 3: 30- 7 p. m. in the Olpin Union Panorama East Room. For more information or to reserve an audition time, e- mail Susan. Weaver@ hsc. utah. edu. For more information about the event, go to www. utah. edu/ employeeday. Change Will Do Us Good You may have noticed Pulse is sporting a new look. We made the change to better reflect our new brand and image. We hope you like it. Roll Up Your Sleeves and Give Blood ARUP Blood Services and U Hospital will host a blood drive on Aug. 2 from 2- 8 p. m. in the Starbucks overflow area on the first floor of the Eccles Critical Care Pavilion. Donors must bring photo ID. For more information or to sign- up, call 583- 2787, ext. 2408. Weis Named to Watkins Endowed Chair continued The endowed chair recognizes the contributions of Eichwald, professor of anatomic pathology, who is internation-ally known for his pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation. Eichwald served as chairman of the Department of Pathology between 1968 and 1979. C. Scott Watkins established the chair in 1999 by donating funds in honor of his first wife, Dorothy, who died of cancer in 1996. He and his wife, Berniel Thayne Watkins, are members of the University of Utah Health Sciences Council. uuhsc. utah. edu Cj PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Faculty / Staff News Beverly Webber, M. S., R. D., C. D., assistant profes-sor of nutrition in the College of Health, has been named president- elect of the Utah Dietetic Associa-tion. The organization is an affiliate of the American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Mary Bishop Stone, M. B. A., a public health doc-toral student in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, was named Student Prize Winner: Session 2 at a recent Society of Epidemio-logic Researchers Conference in Toronto. She was recognized for her poster, " Selecting Study Popula-tions using Internet Databases as an Alternative to Random Digit Dialing." Stone's poster was selected from approximately 50 student posters and was funded in part by the Ed Yeates Public Health Media Endowment Fund. The fund is named in honor of Yeates, who is a longtime medical and science reporter at KSL television