The nationally recognized Callier Center for Communication Disorders will begin taking patients next month at its newly completed 23,000-square-foot satellite facility on the campus of The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).

The new branch of the Callier Center, which is part of UTD's School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and has one of the top-ranked audiology programs in the United States, is scheduled to open on Monday, Aug. 18.

Callier Richardson will bring a wide array of state-of-the-art hearing, speech and other communication services to residents of North Dallas and Collin County, from infants to mature adults. The Callier satellite will house clinical areas where patients with hearing, speech and language disorders will be diagnosed and treated, as well as two classrooms and several laboratories for student training and research. The satellite will offer many of the same services as the Callier Center's much-acclaimed facility near downtown Dallas, including an amplification program, which will outfit certain household devices, such as doorbells, telephones, televisions and alarm clocks, with amplification mechanisms so persons with hearing loss are better able to use the equipment. Other programs will be unique to Callier Richardson.

Also at Callier Richardson, there will be a pre-school language development program, student-based training programs for aphasics (people with stroke-induced communication difficulties), an oral motor feeding program for children with an aversion to eating and an accent modification program, among other offerings.

In addition to providing advanced clinical services, the Callier Center offers educational services, conducts innovative research and, as part of UTD, awards more master's degrees in communication disorder-related areas than any other school in Texas. The center averages about 70,000 patient visits a year.

Donise Pearson, head of the speech-language pathology clinical division at UTD, will serve as program director of Callier Richardson. She is the current past president of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Pearson's areas of expertise include pre-school children and parent training, and she is the co-author of two books and has written numerous articles.

Licensed, certified professional clinicians will train post-graduate, graduate and undergraduate students at the new facility, something done at only a handful of such institutions in the United States. Traditional university communication disorder programs typically are student-run with licensed, certified supervisors.

Sam Houston State faculty and students will begin working under the Texas Crime Victims' Institute beginning Sept. 1 after Gov. Rick Perry gave his final approval of Senate Bill 1245 on June 20.

The bill, written by Sen. Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria) and Sen. Steve Ogden (R-College Station), transferred the duties and funding of the institute from the State Attorney General's Office to the university.

The institute will work closely with a 16-member advisory council, comprised of the attorney general, a state representative, a state senator and other governor appointees, who will help provide potential research topics.

Jim Marquart, SHSU criminal justice professor and director of SHSU's National Institute of Victim Studies, said he would like the institute to conduct a crime victimization poll within the state.

"We want to ascertain how many people are victimized and the process of victimization," he said. "We want to find out what happens: are they re-victimized then by the criminal justice system and the long-term aspects of victimization: how long does it take before they get up and get back in the swing of things? Most crimes are property, but we would like to improve our understanding of the victimization of people from violent crimes."

The university will receive about $290,000 in funding for the first year and about $310,000 for the second year. Funding for the TCVI comes directly out of the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund, which funds about a dozen programs and is tied to the Attorney General's Office, according to Marquart.

The purpose of the TCVI is to fully examine crime victim issues in Texas, the results of which are to inform legislators and influence policy on the issues.

Because SHSU is the only university in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in victims studies, this transfer also may benefit SHSU in other ways.

Cheryl and Jack Lockton have given $5 million to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center's pancreatic cancer research program, a gift that equals the largest single private donation given to the institution's pancreatic cancer program.

With the $5 million gift, the Locktons have given a total of $6.15 million to pancreatic cancer research at M. D. Anderson since 2000. Mr. Lockton was diagnosed with the disease that same year and began treatment at the institution.

The Locktons' $5 million gift will fund:
- Lockton Distinguished Chair in Pancreatic Cancer Research: To provide the necessary funding to enable the institution to recruit a new senior faculty member of national prominence in the field of pancreatic cancer research.
- Grant-matching incentives: To encourage new and innovative pancreatic cancer research at M. D. Anderson, the Lockton Fund will match monies earned by researchers through the National Institutes of Health or the American Cancer Society for pancreas-specific research.
- Targeted discovery: Under the direction of Douglas B. Evans, M.D., professor of surgical oncology, and Lee M. Ellis, M.D., professor of surgical oncology and cancer biology, this research program will focus on the rapid translation of evolving laboratory discoveries into clinical application in the early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Because pancreatic cancer accounts for only 2% of all newly diagnosed cancers in the United States each year, private philanthropy to the disease site, compared to others such as breast cancer, is relatively minimal. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of adult cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2003, pancreatic cancer will be responsible for approximately 30,000 deaths in the United States. The disease is often advanced by the time symptoms occur, and therefore, researchers are actively exploring novel approaches to early diagnosis.

The Locktons already have begun to make a difference in pancreatic cancer research. In 2000, they committed $1.15 million to fund basic science research in the areas of early diagnosis, angiogenesis (tumor blood vessel growth) and cell signaling.

Jack Lockton also accepted an invitation in April to become a member of M. D. Anderson's Board of Visitors, the institution's advisory board. His term officially begins September 1.

Jack Lockton founded then Lockton Insurance in Kansas City, Mo. in 1966. From a modest, home-based business, Lockton Companies has become the largest, independently owned insurance broker in the United States, delivering insurance, surety, employee benefits and risk management services.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, has awarded a new seven-year contract to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to support the World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA). Arboviruses are viruses transmitted by biting insects and ticks, also known as arthropods.

The total amount of the award is $4.4 million. The intent of this contract is to learn more about the basic biology, virulence, and ecology of emerging viruses and arboviruses and to provide support for investigations of emerging or arthropod-transmitted virus outbreaks throughout the world.

In addition to research, the staff of the WRCEVA collaborates with national and international health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization and various national ministries of health to analyze disease outbreaks and identify new and emerging viruses.

The WRCEVA maintains a major collection of emerging and arthropod-borne viruses; it also serves the world research community with basic certification of these viruses. Some of the diseases currently being studied by researchers at the WRCEVA include West Nile encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Rift Valley fever and viral hemorrhagic fever. Drs. Robert B. Tesh and Robert E. Shope are co-directors of the WRCEVA.

A three-year $1 million gift from the Texas Instruments Foundation will expand the reach and impact of The Infinity Project, the nation's leading high school and early college high-tech engineering education program, headquartered at the Institute for Engineering Education at SMU.

The Infinity Project was created to increase student interest and preparedness in engineering, math and science by getting more young students involved in hands-on cutting edge engineering design. It provides schools with a state-approved curriculum, modern classroom technology, teacher training and extensive on-line support. The award-winning program was created three years ago by a national team of leading experts in engineering research and education.

The TI Foundation grant will provide the resources to expand the reach of the program to hundreds of additional schools across the region, state, and nation. It will also allow the Institute for Engineering Education to conduct a multi-year impact study of the Infinity Project on student learning and interest in math, science and engineering-related courses. Currently the Infinity Project is working with more than 80 schools in 20 states with plans to grow to all 50 states over the next five years.

The engineering curriculum created by The Infinity Project focuses on the applications of math and science fundamentals to modern engineering and teaches students how engineers create and design the technology around them. Hands-on labs integrate cutting-edge software with advanced digital signal processors (DSPs), the semiconductor technology that powers electronic devices ranging from cell phones to dishwashers.

To gain the skills necessary to effectively teach the Infinity Project curriculum, high school math, science, and technology teachers attend summer professional development institutes hosted by universities across the state and nation. To date, more than 200 math and science teachers have been trained to teach the Infinity curriculum in schools ranging from comprehensive public schools with both inner-city and suburban campuses, to magnet, private and parochial schools.

The Infinity Project is one of five major programs administered by the Institute. The other programs are Visioneering, the Gender Parity Initiative, the Math and Science Readiness Institutes, and Community College Partnerships, all of which help students from middle school to early college become more proficient in math and science, to prepare them meet the demands of an increasing technical world.

Four researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston each received $150,000 grants from the Welch Foundation recently to support their investigations into some of biochemistry's most intricate problems.

The largest private funding source of basic chemistry research in the state, the Houston foundation recognized Drs. Robert O. Fox, James R. Halpert, Vincent J. Hilser and Javier V. Navarro for their research.

The director of UTMB's X-ray Crystallography Center, Fox earned a Welch Foundation grant for his examination of protein structure. His lab is developing an anti-viral technique that may help fight HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The Welch Foundation grant is supporting Fox, a professor in the Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, in his efforts to design folded proteins that will attach to the outer shell of the HIV-1 protein and prevent the virus from entering cells.

Halpert, the chairman of UTMB's Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, is investigating the difference between cytochrome P450 and other enzymes. Cytochrome P450 is a group of enzymes that is responsible for metabolizing drugs and other chemicals. One member of the group, 3A4, metabolizes practically half of all clinically available drugs, potentially preventing the body from metabolizing two or more drugs at once, said Halpert, the Chauncey Leake Distinguished Professor in Pharmacology. Competition by two drugs for metabolism by 3A4 can adversely affect drug dosages and cause more pronounced drug side effects in patients who are required to take multiple drugs. Halpert's research data may help improve drug design and therapy, leading to more customized medicines and, therefore, fewer adverse drug reactions. His Welch grant focuses on a bacterial P450 that is being used as a model to understand the much more complicated human enzyme.

Navarro is similarly studying how to design more specific and potent drugs, although he is examining membrane proteins to achieve this. Membrane proteins are found in the fatty membranes that encase human cells and are the doorways to some 80 percent of the body's physiological processes. A professor of physiology and biophysics and senior scientist of the Sealy Centers for Molecular Science and Structural Biology, Navarro is working to comprehend the atomic structure of the proteins by using X-ray crystallography, a process in which crystallized structures of membrane protein molecules are used to obtain detailed images of the molecules. These images can help scientists improve their understanding of biological reactions at the atomic level. However, because of the difficulty in forming membrane protein crystals in the laboratory, Navarro and his fellow researchers have developed artificial membranes to help spur crystal formation and are investigating the proper environment needed to grow the crystals.

An associate professor in the Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, Hilser is examining protein molecules, the amino acid sequences produced by living things that govern most biological processes. Each protein sequence folds back on itself in a certain way, forming a unique structure believed to be responsible for a biological function specific to a particular protein. Yet research over the last 10 years has shown that the protein structures are not fixed but rather fluctuate over time, which affects the proteins' physical and functional properties. Hilser, who is also a scientist in the Sealy Centers for Structural Biology and Molecular Science at UTMB, is studying the impact structural changes have on specific protein functions so that researchers may one day be able to control protein functions by altering their structures.

The Welch Foundation was established in 1954 by the estate of Robert A. Welch, an oil and minerals businessman. It has contributed nearly $7 million to UTMB over the years, which includes support for various fields of chemistry research and the establishment of the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry and the Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry.

Texas Tech University's College of Education has received a $120,000 grant from the CH Foundation, a local charitable organization. The two-year grant will contribute to the College of Education's project, "The Network for Education in Autism Teaming."

Established in the Fall 2002 semester, "The Network for Education in Autism Teaming," or NEAT, project helps parents, educators and professionals to improve the lives of children living with autism. As a part of the project, two CD modules will be created to provide strategies on working with children who have autism. Lock said one CD module will offer tips on improving the communication skills of children with autism while the other CD module will give information on how to teach children social behavioral skills.

Through the NEAT project, Robin Lock, Ph.D., assistant professor of special education in the College of Education said parents and professionals will be able to form a dialogue on issues related to autism. Lock said production of the CD modules will begin in the Spring 2004.

Polymer nanospheres just 1/100 a hair's width in diameter and loaded with potent anti-cancer drugs could one day become a powerful weapon in the chemotherapy arsenal, two University of Texas at Austin biomedical engineers reported today at the Controlled Release Society's 30th Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland.

Jay Blanchette, a biomedical engineering doctoral student working in the laboratory of Dr. Nicholas Peppas, presented the new findings in a paper which earned him the prestigious CRS-Capsugel Graduate/Postdoc Award for innovative aspects of gastrointestinal drug absorption and delivery.

Such nanospheres, known as "carriers" for their ability to transport a drug agent safely through a hostile chemical environment, are suited to formulation into capsules or tablets for oral consumption.

Most chemotherapy treatments are now administered through either multiple daily injections or infusion (injection over a period of several hours) because the drugs quickly break down in the acidic environment of the digestive system.

Blanchette and Peppas, professor of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and pharmaceutics, have devised a new category of carrier nanospheres designed to overcome that obstacle. They created their spheres from hydrogels: stable organic materials which swell at a rate dependent on the relative acidity of their environment. As a drug-laden hydrogel swells, it releases its drug.

The researchers synthesized co-polymer nanospheres from a dilute solution of two hydrogel monomers-polyethylene glycol and methacrylic acid-in the presence of the chemotherapeutic agent bleomycin. Bleomycin was incorporated into the structures during the process of nanosphere formation under exposure to ultraviolet light.

Next, in vitro experiments were conducted under conditions simulating the passage of the bleomycin-packed nanospheres through the gastrointestinal tract from the stomach (highly acidic) to the upper intestine (barely acidic) over a several-hour period. The results point to the nanospheres as potentially viable elements in an ingestible capsule- or tablet-based controlled-release system. Such a delivery system would take cues from the acidity of its bioenvironment as it moved through the digestive passages, swelling rapidly and releasing most of its beneficial cargo into the upper small intestine to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

While stressing that a great deal more basic research needs to be conducted, Blanchette envisions a day when orally administered chemotherapy drugs will yield comparable efficacy, while reducing side effects and eliminating much of the inconvenience and discomfort of outpatient cancer treatment regimens.

He added that nanosphere composition can be tailored to deliver specific chemotherapeutic agents.

Studies with the widely used agent Alpha Interferon are underway.

Peppas holds the title of Paul D. & Betty Robertson Meek Centennial Professor of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Pharmaceutics. Blanchette is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering and a Thrust Fellow of the university. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have discovered that the presence of a particular protein can predict whether the most common childhood brain tumor will continue to grow or return following surgery.

The tumor, pilocytic astrocytoma, is more likely to progress if large amounts of the Ki-67 antigen are present in cancer cells, suggesting that certain tumors are biologically predisposed to progress or reoccur, the UT Southwestern researchers report.

The study - one of the largest of its kind - appears in the August edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and went online this week. The findings also were presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in June.

About 40 percent of all childhood brain tumors are pilocytic astrocytomas. Although not usually life threatening, the tumor can cause problems with speech, balance and coordination, walking and handling objects. About 1,100 children under 18 are diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytomas annually in the United States.

This latest discovery helps explain why some children's brain tumors don't return after surgery and others continue to grow. The finding also provides an important prognostic tool for doctors, said Dr. Daniel Bowers, assistant professor of pediatrics and lead author of the study.

MIB-1 is an important prognostic factor for certain malignant brain tumors in adults but has not been extensively studied in childhood pilocytic astrocytomas. Dr. Bowers said he has long suspected a connection.

Researchers looked at cell samples from 118 patients evaluated and treated in the neuro-oncology program of Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Tumor cells were stained with the MIB-1 antibody. Researchers sampled the number of positive cells to determine the MIB-1 index, which is the percentage of positive cells compared to an estimate of the total number of cells.

Dr. Linda Margraf, associate professor of pathology and the study's senior author, said that patients with more than 2 percent of positive cells had an increased risk of cancer recurrence or growth.

The next step in the research is to identify genes that are overexpressed - or turned on - in progressive tumors. Researchers hope to one day define tumors genetically and create drugs to treat the problem.

Other UT Southwestern researchers who worked on the study included Dr. Payal Kapur, a pathology postdoctoral trainee; Dr. Joan Reisch, director of academic computing services and associate professor of family practice and community medicine; Dr. Arlynn Mulne, clinical instructor of pediatrics; Dr. Kenneth Shapiro, clinical associate professor of neurological surgery; Dr. Roy Elterman, clinical associate professor of neurology; and Dr. Naomi Winick, professor of pediatrics.

The study was supported by Children's Medical Center Foundation, the Children's Cancer Fund of Dallas and the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation of the Southwest.

Beginning with the fall semester, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will offer a Ph.D. in economics aimed at students who are pursuing research careers in academia, government and industry, at both the local and national levels.

The 90-credit-hour program, which was formally approved last month by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will require a dissertation and will be administered by UTD's School of Social Sciences, whose economics faculty has expertise in human resources economics, public policy analysis, development economics, industrial organization and behavioral economics.

The new offering will include a strong foundation in economic theory and econometric methods, but also will offer a limited number of courses in specialty fields within economics. In addition, the program will integrate research opportunities at UTD's Cecil and Ida Green Center for the Study of Science and Society and the Bruton Center, which conducts basic and applied research on the trends, forces and public policies that pertain to urban and regional development.

The new offering brings the total number of doctoral programs at the university to 23 and all degree programs to 105. As announced in May, the School of Social Sciences also is adding a Ph.D. in political science in the fall semester.

For more information on UTD's new Ph.D. in economics program, please call 972- 883-2042.

Students at The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston this fall semester will test the DentSim dental training system, on loan for one year from DenX Ltd. of Jerusalem, Israel. The DentSim is a completely computerized dental procedure training laboratory, using the latest in optic, imaging and simulation technologies.

As dental students practice procedures on the DentSim machine, they are provided with case history information about the simulated patient, on-screen visual tracking of the procedure they are performing, and real-time feedback and evaluation of the procedures they perform. DentSim then stores the student practice sessions, making it possible for the instructor to view the quality of the entire preparation process, not just the end results.

The DentSim will be utilized by about 40 first- and second-year students this fall. Only eight dental schools in the United States currently have a DentSim, and this is the first DentSim to be installed in Texas.

Faculty members will conduct a trial of the product, measuring students' success rate with the machine, polling colleagues on their views of the DentSim, seeing how well it is assimilated into the dental school's curriculum, and talking to students about their experiences.

M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University (TCU) will merge its E-Business, decision sciences and supply chain management programs into a new department of information systems and supply chain management, effective this fall. The change is designed to better align students' knowledge with industry changes.

Dr. Charles Lamb, former chair of the marketing department, will be chair of the newly created department.

The Neeley School's Supply and Value Chain Center, a primary aspect of the supply chain management program, and the E-Business program's current advisory board will play key roles in the new department. The center and advisory board will work to maintain networking ties and partnerships with industry professionals and leaders, identify research and scholarship opportunities for Neeley school faculty and students, and provide practical guidance as the department evolves.

Courses in the new department will consist of existing and new courses in decision sciences, supply chain management and E-Business courses. Undergraduates will be able to major in E-Business and supply chain management through the department, while MBA students will be able to earn concentrations in E-Business. Both undergraduate and graduate students will be able to earn certifications in supply chain management through the Supply and Value Chain Center.

The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) this fall will begin offering the state's first Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) track, built on curriculum created by the Association for Investment and Management Research (AIMR®), an international, nonprofit organization of more than 50,000 investment practitioners and educators.

The new track will prepare students to sit for the CFA examinations - analogous to the Certified Public Accountant examination in the field of accounting - while allowing them to complete the degree requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and finance.

The CFA designation is awarded by AIMR to a select group of investment professionals who have mastered a rigorous curriculum covering a broad range of investment-related subjects. To earn the right to use the CFA designation, candidates must pass three levels of examination, have at least three years of acceptable professional experience in the investment decision-making process and comply with AIMR's code of ethics and standards of professional conduct.

According to Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, associate dean for undergraduate education and associate professor of economics in UTD's School of Social Sciences, which will offer the new track, courses within the CFA track will be taught by faculty members who hold the CFA designation.

Northcentral University Online (NCU), an accredited distance-learning institution providing bachelor-level to doctoral degree programs in business and psychology, announced this week that it has signed an articulation agreement with the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), including Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake, and Richland.

The agreement also provides for scholarships to DCCCD graduates in the amount of 10 percent of NCU's tuition for each course, up to $2,000 for a degree program, and a reduced application fee.

The purpose of the agreement is to enable students who graduate from any of DCCCD's associate's degree programs to transfer to NCU's baccalaureate programs and carry with them the credit they have already earned for as much relevant study as possible. Graduates will not have to repeat lower-division requirements, and those with grade point averages of 2.0 or higher are fully considered for admission.

Brent E. Davison, assistant vice president for development for the University of North Texas, will begin serving as interim vice president for development August 1.

Davison will serve as the university's chief fundraiser on an interim basis while UNT conducts a national search for a new vice president of development. He replaces Dr. David Shrader, who has led the operations of the Office of Development since Spring 2001. Shrader will retire from full-time duties at the university on July 31.

The university hopes to name a long-term vice president for development during the coming academic year.

Davison has worked for the university's Office of Development for seven years, during which time he has helped formulate and implement a capital campaign strategy that raised $169.7 million, exceeding a campaign goal of $150 million. He also has been in charge of donations to UNT through wills, charitable trusts and other means of estate planning. He has personally raised more than $88 million in gifts and pledges to the university and tripled UNT's inventory of planned gifts.

Davison was formerly a planned giving officer for the Kansas State University Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Southwest Baptist University in Missouri.

Michael A. Olivas, William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law, director of the Institute for Higher Education Law & Governance, and associate dean for Student Life at the University of Houston Law Center, has been named a Fellow by the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

The recognition came during the NACUA's 43rd annual conference in Minneapolis.

This award was created to recognize individuals who have been outstanding in the practice of law on behalf of higher education clients, whether through the quality of their scholarship, breadth of their service, or other means.

Professor Olivas is the author or co-author of nine books. He has published widely in higher education journals and law reviews, including four articles in the NACUA's Journal of College and University Law. He has served on the editorial board of more than 20 scholarly journals. He was a member of the editorial board of The Journal of College and University Law from 1983-1985 and rejoined in 1998, serving as a member for the past five years.

NACUA's mission is to advance the effective practice of higher education attorneys for the benefit of the institutions they serve. Founded in 1960, the association serves 730 public and private higher education institutions, including more than 3,000 attorneys throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and in seven international countries. NACUA produces publications, sponsors continuing legal education seminars, workshops and conferences, operates a clearinghouse through which attorneys share their expertise, and establishes cooperative relationships with other associations and groups for these purposes. For more information, visit the NACUA Web site at www.nacua.org.

Professor Olivas received his bachelor's degree from the Pontifical College Josephinum, a master's degree and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Two medical researchers at The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler recently were recognized for their accomplishments.

Vijaya Rao, PhD, has been appointed to the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Study Section of the Center for Scientific Review of the National Institutes of Health. Hemostasis is the stoppage of blood flow or circulation; thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot.

Dr. Rao's term as a section member began July 1 and will end June 30, 2007. Section members meet three times a year to review grants submitted to the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Study Section. At the Health Center, Dr. Rao studies how clotting factors are regulated and their role in heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. He is the recipient of previous NIH grants and has been with the Health Center for 10 years.

Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline, according to a letter from Ellie Ehrenfeld, PhD, director of the Center for Scientific Review. This achievement is measured by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities and honors. Dr. Rao also has shown mature judgment and objectivity and the ability to work effectively in a group, Dr. Ehrenfeld wrote.

Kenna Stephenson, MD, medical director of UTHCT's Women's Wellness Center, has been awarded member status in the American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM). The association recognizes individuals working in the health-care field who are dedicated to the advancement of integrative medicine. Integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies and complementary and alternative medicine treatments for which there is scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Members of the association come from integrative, alternative, holistic, complementary, and traditional health-care fields. Dr. Stephenson is board certified in Family Practice medicine, and is a fellow in the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Stephenson joined the Health Center about a year ago.