Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/662005
t m c ยป p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 6 36 36 ACCOLADES JENNY BARNETT-SARPALIUS has been named chief financial officer for CHI St. Luke's Health (CHI St. Luke's) CHI Texas Division. As the Division CFO, Barnett-Sarpalius represents Texas on the CHI National Enterprise Finance Operations Leadership Council, which is charged with develop- ing the overall financial strategy for CHI. In her new role she will lead the division's financial operation, serve as a strategic partner to the division's leaders to develop and implement an effective long-term financial model, and establish a financial opera- tional infrastructure to support the organization. MICHAEL R. BLACKBURN, PH.D., has been named executive vice president and chief academic officer for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Blackburn joined the UTHealth faculty in 1997 and has served as the vice chairman of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth since 2011. In 2012, Blackburn and Michelle C. Barton, Ph.D., of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, were named joint deans of The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston. MARIA ELENA BOTTAZZI, PH.D., associate dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, has been named the recipient of the 2015 Jose Cecilio del Valle National Science Award from the government of Honduras. The award recognizes work that contributes to the nation's body of knowl- edge, its resources and values, as well as its devel- opment. Bottazzi's principal interest is in the role of vaccines as disease control tools integrated into international public health programs and initiatives. PATRICIA BOWYER, ED.D., M.S., OTR, FAOTA, associate professor and director of the Texas Woman's University School of Occupational Therapy, has received the American Occupational Therapy Association Outstanding Mentor Award. Bowyer performs research that concentrates on children and teens undergoing treatment for cancer or experiencing sensory processing issues, including those associated with autism. SAMIR DESAI, M.D., assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine, was recently recognized by the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Student Affairs for two books he authored: "Medical School Scholarships, Grants & Awards: Insider Advice on How to Win Scholarships," and "The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match." The group identified the books as high-value resources in its Group on Student Affairs (GSA) Performance Framework. The GSA addresses issues in medical school admissions, student financial aid, medical student diversity, student affairs and student records at all member medical schools. MICHAEL FREEMAN has been named senior vice president of Strategic Planning and Business Development for the CHI Texas Division of CHI St. Luke's Health. Freeman is a seasoned health care business professional with 37 years of experience in strategic planning implementation and administra- tion, including 28 years in academic medical centers. With a primary focus on the Division's strategic plan, Freeman will facilitate the creation of plans for the suburban hospitals and work with administrative and medical staff in the development of business plans that support growth initiatives. IMAD JARJOUR, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, was appointed to the Council of Pediatric Subspecialties by the Child Neurology Society to represent child neurology. The mission of the council is to advance child health through commu- nication and collaboration within its network of pediatric subspecialties and liaison organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Board of Pediatrics. SALLY VERNON, PH.D., chair of the department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health, has been appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors for Clinical Sciences and Epidemiology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). As part of her duties, Vernon will evaluate and review research projects of cancer scientists and clinicians in the NCI's Center for Cancer Research (CCR) and Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health.