UNMC student named Yale Ciencia Academy fellow
Maranda Thompson, an M.D./Ph.D. at UNMC, was among 40 young science leaders from 29 institutions nationwide selected as fellows of the Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA) for Career Development.
The YCA provides doctoral students from underrepresented backgrounds in the life and health sciences with opportunities for mentoring, networking, skills development, and contributing to their communities through science outreach.
The program is led by the non-profit organization Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR) in collaboration with Yale University. Fellows must apply to be selected to participate in the year-long, mostly virtual program which leverages the CienciaPR community — one of the largest networks of Hispanic/Latinx scientists in the world.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity to grow as a student, professional and advocate in my community,” Thompson said. “This program offers a diverse network of scientists that I am excited to take part in.”
Thompson, a first-generation college student, is passionate about helping vulnerable populations. One of her long-term career goals is to combine her passions for research and vulnerable communities. She wants to become a pediatrician conducting translational research focused on the placenta’s role in maternal-infant morbidity and mortality.
UNMC scientists claim three cancer research awards
Two graduate students and a faculty member in the UNMC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology were recently recognized at the 26th annual meeting of the American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research in Atlanta. The award winners included:
- Graduate Student Award – Koelina Ganguly, a graduate research assistant;
- Postdoctoral Fellow Award – Rizwan Ahmad, Ph.D., instructor; and
- Travel scholarship for doctoral candidates – Saswati Karmakar, graduate research assistant.
The aim of the organization is to support the excellent work being done by young Indian American cancer researchers. Of the nine total awards given, UNMC scientists claimed three of them.
Gary Moore, M.D., recognized by Continental Who’s Who
Gary Moore, M.D., professor, otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, has been recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Achiever in the field of medicine as a doctor in neurotology. Dr. Moore, who has been on the UNMC faculty since 1983, also has expertise in otolaryngology, skull base surgery, balance, hearing loss and facial nerve function. He is a 1979 graduate of the UNMC College of Medicine.
Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Society welcomes new members
The Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Society would like to recognize the new third and fourth-year medical students who were nominated for election into the society this year. The annual AOA banquet was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Kathryn Rentfro was elected president and Evan Ryan was elected vice president for next year.
The new members are:
Class of 2020
- Emily Boes
- David Bunker
- Sara German
- Tanner Hannappel
- Kurtis Johnson
- Nicholas Lambert
- Alexandra Moulton
- Sydney Randall
- Alexandra Sorrick
- Morgan Walgren
- Luke Witte
Class of 2021
- Brett Begley
- Zane Blank
- Kevin Hanna
- Ran Jing
- Rohan Khazanchi
- Harrison Lang
- Devor O’Connor
- Ann Pearson
- Kathryn Rentfro
- Evan Ryan
- Rachel Samuelson
- Kyle Sramek
House officers
- Joshua Belle, M.D., urologic surgery
- Bradley Hall, M.D., general surgery
- Brittany Hance, M.D., internal medicine
Faculty
- Whitney Goldner, M.D., diabetes, endicrinology and metabolism
- Wendy Grant, M.D., transplant surgery
- Agapito Lorenzo, M.D., neurological sciences
AOA also awarded four awards:
- AOA Senior Scholar – Justin Burr (initiated in 2019)
- AOA Clinical Scholar – Brian Richard (initiated in 2019)
- Grissom Book Award – Nicholas Lambert (initiated in 2020)
- Senior Thesis – Tessa Delaney (initiated in 2019)
Retirements announced
The UNMC Department of Human Resources has released a list of six UNMC College of Medicine retirements scheduled between Jan. 1 and Oct. 10, 2020. The list includes one person with more than 35 years of service.
Leading the list in seniority is Gerianne Miller, UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. She will retire July 1 with nearly 37 years of service, after starting her career at UNMC on March 31, 1983.
Here’s the list of other announced retirements in order of longevity:
- Susan Siebler, UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, will retire on April 3 (start date March 17, 1983)
- David Staiert, UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, retired Feb. 1 (start date Nov. 25, 1989)
- Mary Peterson, UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, will retire Oct. 3, 2020 (start date July 23, 1990)
- Audrey Paulman, M.D., retired Feb. 11 (start date Dec. 9, 1996)
- Kenneth Follett, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC Department of Neurosurgery, retired Jan. 1 (start date Jan. 1, 2005)