2010 Outstanding Woman Faculty Nominees:
- 1. Mary Aitken, MD, MPH
It is with enthusiasm that I recommend Mary Aitken, MD for the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award--2010. Dr. Aitken’s passion for her injury prevention research, her child safety legislative advocacy, and her mentoring of other faculty is contagious, inspiring others toward having as strong an impact on patients and society as she has had. Further, her leadership style is a model for other women faculty to follow—careful contemplation of issues, keen insight and therefore good judgment, and a demeanor of decisiveness once a decision is made. She is truly a worthy candidate for this award.
Dr. Aitken is a strong leader in the field of academic medicine and in particular is internationally known for her work in pediatric injury prevention. She has testified to Congress on the issue of ATV safety, and plays a strong role in child health advocacy on a national level as well as having a direct impact on recent state laws (ATV safety). She serves as Director of the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, taking on a powerful leadership role within the UAMS COM system and directing the research efforts of many faculty members in diverse research areas. She also has had a leadership role in the Executive committee of the WFDC (Secretary-Treasurer 2003-2004, Vice President 2004-2006, President 2006-2008) as well as serving on multiple influential committees nationally and in UAMS COM. She is a shining example of a leader.
As Professor with tenure in the Department of Pediatrics and Adjunct Professor in the departments of Maternal and Child Health and Health Policy and Management (COPH), Dr. Aitken has shown significant achievement in her career. In 2009 alone she was awarded the Buchanan Excellence in Child Advocacy and Community Service Award, Community Champion Award, and the Paul Harris Fellow Award, She is repeatedly recognized for excellence in her work.
Dr. Aitken is a gifted mentor, receiving the DOP Mentor of the Year Award in 2006. She has formally mentored 9 junior faculty, along with informally mentoring countless others. She has developed curricula for the COM and mentors students of all levels regularly. As Chair of my mentorship committee, she reviewed my grant proposals, papers, and IRB submissions. Most of these efforts were with projects in which she did not personally benefit. I have also met several of her other mentees who also praise her for the depth and breadth of assistance she has provided in their careers. One spoke on her mentorship skills at the 2006 Annual WFDC meeting, citing Dr. Aitken as one of the finest examples of mentors in the COM.
Dr. Aitken has published over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts in international and national journals. Her research is currently funded by no less than 8 grants, and she has received an additional 31 NIH, CDC, and other federal and private grants over the years. She is a frequent speaker in international and national forums. Her scholarly work in the area of childhood injury prevention is well-known.
It is with sincere appreciation of her numerous talents and her passion for her work that I request the committee consider her for the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award—2010.Wendy L. Ward-Begnoche, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics
2.Kathleen Gilbert, Ph.D.
I am extremely proud to nominate Kathleen Gilbert, Ph.D., for the 2010 Outstanding Woman Faculty Award. A California native, Dr. Gilbert graduated with a BS in Biology from Occidental College in Los Angeles before receiving her Ph.D. in Immunology from Tulane University in New Orleans. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York City and at the National Institute for Medical Research in London before accepting a faculty position at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. In 1995, she was recruited to UAMS in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology where she is now Associate Professor.
An Immunologist by training, Dr. Gilbert’s research interests include autoimmune disease and regulation of the immune system cell types that mediate autoimmune disease. Her work has shown that exposure to the ubiquitous organic solvent and environmental chemical, trichloroethylene, at levels similar to those encountered in the workplace accelerated the development of lupus as well as liver-specific autoimmune disease (autoimmune hepatitis). Dr. Gilbert is a leading researcher in her field. Due to her expertise in the immunotoxicology of trichloroethylene, she was recently selected to serve on the prestigious Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board to review trichloroethylene health assessment.
Throughout her career, Dr. Gilbert has authored 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 book chapters. As an active member of The Society of Toxicology and The American Association of Immunologists, she has chaired symposia, and has been an invited speaker at national and international meetings. She is an ad hoc peer reviewer for 10 national/international journals, is a grant reviewer for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has received grants from the National Arthritis Foundation, EPA, NSF, and American Cancer Society. She recently received an NIH R01 to study the immunotoxicological effects of the trichloroethylene on CD4+T lymphocyte function. She has been the recipient of competitive Arkansas Biosciences Institute funds annually since 2001 to develop an Immunotoxicology Center in Arkansas.
Dr. Gilbert serves on several committees including UAMS Research Council, ACHRI Scientific Advisory Board, and the College of Medicine Academic Standards Committee, and is the faculty representative to the Postdoctoral Fellow Society. Dr. Gilbert has directed the UAMS and ACHRI Flow Cytometry Core Facilities since 1999. She developed a booklet titled, “Trained Operators Know the FACS” for investigators who wish to familiarize themselves with the concepts and techniques of flow cytometry, which is an important technique used commonly in immunology to examine the characteristics of cells.
Dr. Gilbert’s teaching accomplishments are exemplary. She lectures in nine courses for both medical and graduate students. She was course director for the graduate Immunology course for seven years where she worked with other lecturers to emphasize conceptual understanding, and to stress the relationship between immunology and other disciplines. She developed the curriculum on immunotoxicology that has been integrated in the Toxicology for Graduate Students course. She consistently receives “excellent” rating scores from her students. She was major advisor of 4 Ph.D. students (3 women) and 1 M.S. student. She has served as dissertation/thesis committee member for 9 Ph.D. students, 2 M.S. students, and has mentored 10 junior faculty in the Department of Pediatrics as a part of their Faculty Development Program. She has also mentored several summer students and multiple postdoctoral fellows as part of the mentoring program with the Women’s Faculty Development Caucus.
Dr. Gilbert is dedicated to encouraging the professional growth of women faculty. She is an active, contributing member in the Woman’s Faculty Development Caucus, serving as Vice President and President from 2003-2007. She was nominated for the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award in 2006. Dr. Gilbert has demonstrated her dedication to the challenges women in science face in being an excellent scientist and finding the time for a balanced life. She has actively encouraged the professional development of women students, postdocs, and faculty through advocacy and mentorship. I feel uniquely qualified to attest to these skills. I met Dr. Gilbert in 1995 when I was a graduate student. I consider myself fortunate that she was my dissertation advisor, because women who choose careers in basic science often have limited access to strong female role models. She was friendly and approachable, but also tough with high expectations. She placed a strong emphasis on laboratory work, but also stressed the importance of writing and encouraged me to present my work at meetings. She was my role model and I knew that in choosing a profession in the basic sciences, I would also have the time not only to dedicate myself to work, but also have a family and time to do the things that I enjoy. Today, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with Kathleen who is a source of encouragement and inspiration as my mentor, colleague, and friend. I cannot think of a person who is more deserving of this honor.Sincerely, Sarah J. Blossom, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
3. Stacie Jones, MD
When I think of a woman who encompasses all aspects of an outstanding woman faculty member, Stacie Jones is the first person to come to mind. Dr. Jones is a leader in the Department of Pediatrics, in our region, and at the national level in her area of expertise. She has been the chief of Allergy and Immunology since 2003 and recently was promoted to professor by the promotion and tenure committee. Her current research involving peanut oral immunotherapy is primarily funded by an NIH grant, has already produced multiple publications, and has generated hope and excitement in both the scientific world and general public.
While she may be best known for her scholarly accomplishments, it is her leadership in other areas that make her stand out from the crowd. Stacie is an exemplary teacher who makes time to teach students, residents, and even other faculty both formally and informally. She is a mentor who promotes interest in research and academic medicine. Over the years she has mentored over 12 female residents, some of whom now work in her department as academic scholars.
As my personal mentor, Stacie has been fantastic at providing constructive feedback and encouragement. She treats everyone with a level of respect and kindness that is difficult to explain fully, but easy to recognize. At monthly section meetings she certainly commands the room but asks for input from everyone about how we can do things better-- from providing better patient care to how to move forward with current research projects.
One of the most important things to realize about this extraordinary woman is the example she sets to all young female faculty who strive to “have it all”. I think she says it best by placing her three children and spouse at the top of her CV as if to say that these accomplishments trump the 40+ publications or 20+ honors and awards she has won. Her children are always included in her scheduling, and yet she somehow manages to be published on a yearly basis, maintain a busy clinic schedule, run an entire department, and play an active role in mentoring up and coming clinicians and scientists.
Stacie has been a finalist on at least two separate occasions for this particular award. I hope she can be recognized her for many accomplishments, and the multitude of ways she contributes to our UAMS community, and for her ability to inspire us to have complete and balanced lives.
Amber Morgan, MD, Instructor, Pediatrics
4. Nancy Rusch, Ph.D.
It is great pleasure nominate Nancy J. Rusch, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology at UAMS, for the 2010 Outstanding Faculty Award. She truly embodies all that this award signifies. Dr. Rusch is a leading national expert in vascular ion channel remodeling in hypertension, a hard-working national advocate for the advancement of science, and an outstanding leader and mentor of scientists at in all career phases. Her leadership and mentoring efforts at the departmental and university levels and her tremendous service to the research community at both the university and national levels make her an excellent candidate for this award.
When Dr. Rusch arrived at UAMS in January 2005, she already had earned a stellar reputation as a researcher and faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin and through her service in many national leadership roles. Nancy has served on numerous Study Sections and Special Review Groups at the NIH and the American Heart Association, as well as on the editorial board of four leading cardiovascular journals. Past leadership positions include Chair of the NIH Pharmacology Study Section and of various review committees at the American Heart Association. Among recent national FASEB posts, she held the position of Secretary-Treasurer and President-Elect of the Cardiovascular Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), and then President of the same division from 2006-2008.
We would especially like to describe the tremendous impact that Dr. Rusch has been making on the research and teaching in the UAMS College of Medicine. When Dr. Rusch joined our faculty, the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology was 52nd among peer departments, and is now ranked 33rd in the nation. Despite the stagnant federal research funding climate, the department’s yearly funding has doubled during her short tenure. Furthermore, most of the department’s full-time faculty serves on national study sections. This growth in funding and stature is the direct result of Dr. Rusch’s hands-on leadership and dedication to collaborative peer review. In her department, virtually all grants and projects are reviewed by teams of faculty members before submission.
Dr. Rusch also has made many contributions to the College of Medicine as a whole, having served as Chair of the Basic Science Chairs, Chair of the Council of Department Chairs and as a member of the Dean’s Executive Committee. She is so highly respected that, within her short tenure at UAMS, she has already served as a member or chair of seven search committees for UAMS/College of Medicine leadership positions, including the committee charged with nominating a successor to the retiring UAMS chancellor. One particular example of her strong leadership skills is the Cardiovascular Interest Group meeting that she initiated in 2005, which brings together cardiovascular scientists – both basic science and clinical – from across campus on a weekly basis. These many positions of leadership reflect the strong trust and confidence that other UAMS leaders hold in Dr. Rusch.
She has demonstrated exemplary teaching skills, teaching cell physiology, molecular pharmacology, molecular biology and neuroscience graduate courses at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and teaching the Antihypertensive Drugs and Calcium Channel Blockers section of Medical Pharmacology.
Dr. Rusch leads a very productive cardiovascular research team that has been funded since its inception in 1987 by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the NIH. Her long-term research activities have encompassed vascular and endothelial cell biology with a particular emphasis on identifying the molecular basis of K+ channels in the cerebral circulation, and also on defining the dilator and protective role of K+ channels in the systemic vasculature during hypertension. Dr. Rusch has a very strong record of scholarly endeavors, as she has made several key discoveries and has over 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high-impact journals such as Circulation Research and Hypertension.
While Dr. Rusch’s laboratory discoveries are helping to shape tomorrow’s treatments for the deadly disease of hypertension, she also is advancing science through her positive influence on aspiring scientists and academicians. She has trained numerous undergraduate and graduate students and post-doc fellows, many of whom have gone on to hold prominent faculty positions in North America, Europe and Asia. At UAMS, Dr. Rusch has been active in the Women’s Faculty Development Caucus mentoring program for postdoctoral fellows and new faculty. Aside from formal teaching and mentoring roles, Dr. Rusch is currently co-leading an initiative in Arkansas to conduct a statewide conference for University of Arkansas System women faculty in the STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). This is an initial step toward a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant to promote the recruitment, retention and status of women faculty in the state universities throughout Arkansas.
While this letter just skims the surface of Dr. Rusch’s many accomplishments, we hope that this letter demonstrates that she possesses all the qualities of a recipient of the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award at UAMS. She is a highly successful and greatly appreciated mentor and role model, has a track record of scholarly endeavors, has demonstrated outstanding teaching expertise, and is an exceptionally strong leader who is looked up to and held in high esteem by people in her department, at her university and in national and international societies.
Nomination offered by:
Laura Hutchins, M.D. Professor and Director of Division of Hematology & Oncology
Gwen Childs, Ph.D. Professor and Chair of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences
W. Sue T. Griffin, Ph.D. Dillard Professor and Vice Chairman, Donald W. Reynolds Dept of Geriatrics
Ginell Post, MD/Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology
Kristen Sterba, Ph.D. Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Recruiting and Retention Graduate School
Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Physiology& Biophysics
Mildred M. Randolph, DVM, DACLAM Professor and Director of DLAM
Patricia Wight, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Helen Benes, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences
GouriRanganathan, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
LeeAnn MacMillan-Crow, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
LudwikaZimniak, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
UmaNagarajan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
MarjanBoerma, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Sabine Telemaque, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
KeshariThakali, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Li Pang, M.D. Research Instructor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Fusun Kilic, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
5. Debra Simmons, MD
I am writing this letter to nominate Debra L. Simmons MD for Outstanding Woman Faculty award. In her career she has inspired and influenced the success of many others as an exemplary and compassionate clinician, scientist, educator and leader, as well as through formal mentoring roles.