Jane Potter, M.D., chief of geriatrics and gerontology, has been selected as one of four national judges in the Salute to Senior Service program sponsored by Home Instead, Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network. The program honors the contributions of adults 65 and older who give at least 15 hours a month of volunteer service to their favorite causes.
The first-year medical students announced their outstanding teacher award. The winner was:
- Golden Apple Award – Sarah Keim Janssen, Ph.D., genetics, cell biology and anatomy.
- Runners-up for Golden Apple Award – Parmender Mehta, Ph.D., and Richard MacDonald, Ph.D., both biochemistry and molecular biology.
The second-year medical students honored several faculty with outstanding teacher awards. The winners were:
- Golden Apple Award — Geoffrey Talmon, M.D., pathology/microbiology. The award is presented to a faculty member with the largest number of student nominations.
- Silver Pear Award — Aaron Wieland, M.D., otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
- Best Section of Clinical Medical Education Award — section of immunology directed by Tom McDonald, Ph.D., and Geoffrey Thiele, Ph.D.
The fourth-year medical students honored two faculty with the Hirschmann Prize for Teaching Excellence. The winners were:
- Clinical – Matthew DeVries, M.D., radiology;
- Pre-clinical (basic science) – Robert Binhammer, Ph.D., genetics, cell biology and anatomy.
Jonathan Thompson, M.D., a fourth-year UNMC surgery resident, received an Excellence in Research Award from the American College of Surgeons in the category of vascular surgery. Dr. Thompson was one of 15 authors identified for the award, which will be given at the 2013 Surgical Forum in October and includes an $800 stipend. Dr. Thompson's article was titled, “Mortality Rates of Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease Are Predicted by the Respiratory Activities of Gastrocnemius Mitochondrial Complexes I and IV.”
James Armitage, M.D., oncology-hematology, has been elected to the TESARO board of directors. TESARO is an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by acquiring, developing and commercializing safer and more effective therapeutics.
Paul Tomich, M.D., obstetrics-gynecology, has been elected fellow-at-large for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Dr. Tomich has been on the UNMC faculty since 2002. He has previously served as assistant secretary for ACOG.
Curtis Hartman, M.D., orthopaedic surgery, has been inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The academy is the largest medical association for musculoskeletal specialists. Its fellows have completed medical school, plus at least five years of specialty study in orthopaedics in an accredited residency program, passed a comprehensive oral and written exam, and have been certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Giving cancer the boot was once again the purpose of the 8th annual Kicks for a Cure event held April 19-20 at Creighton University's Morrison Stadium. A total of $310,665 was raised at this year's event. All proceeds from the soccer tournament go to Liz's Legacy, a fund started in memory of the late Liz Karnes, who died of ovarian cancer in 2003. Liz's Legacy contributes the proceeds towards cancer research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center and Creighton University.