Vol. 15 | October 2022 – 5 minute read

As faculty in an academic medical center, you face unique opportunities and challenges that affect your engagement. 

The institutional leadership is committed to tracking our progress and keeping ourselves accountable as we work toward making UT Southwestern Medical Center a place where all faculty can thrive.

Today, you will receive the StandPoint Faculty Engagement Survey from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) via email. 

The results from the last StandPoint Survey in 2019 showed a higher level of faculty engagement and satisfaction than in our peer institutions and the AAMC cohort institutions. Importantly, it also identified key areas for improvement, such as professional advancement, communications, and diversity and equity. We’ve addressed these through various initiatives, including: 

• Professional Advancement – Development and implementation of the new clinician track and the Starting University Clinical Careers Effectively, Scholarly, and Successfully (SUCCESS) program for new clinician-educators  
• Communications – Launch of Academic Connections and Clinical Research Update as monthly newsletters to share information, announcements, and resources relevant to our faculty 
• Diversity and Equity – Appointment of Shawna Nesbitt, M.D., as Vice President and inaugural Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, directly reporting to UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., and recruitment of Quinn Capers IV, M.D., as Associate Dean for Faculty Diversity. 

We encourage you to take the opportunity to let us know where you stand in terms of job satisfaction, contribution, and effort. Your feedback will help us improve faculty engagement and experience and continue to attract and retain excellent faculty and maintain a nurturing and supportive environment. 

For the third year in a row, UT Southwestern is ranked as the top healthcare institution globally by Nature Index for publishing high-quality research, both across all subjects ranked and in the life sciences.  

The Nature Index compiles affiliation information from research articles published in 82 premier science journals, providing perspective on high-quality scientific discoveries around the globe.  

UTSW's ranking is a testament to the consistent strength and impact of our research community. Our scientists are currently leading about 5,800 research projects with approximately $610 million in annual support from the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, the state of Texas, foundations, individuals, and corporations.

Jorge A. Bezerra, M.D., is the new Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, providing strategic vision and operational leadership of the clinical, research, and training programs in the department. He will also serve as Pediatrician-in-Chief for Children’s Medical Center Dallas, overseeing the quality of pediatric patient care and the integration of clinical and academic activities.

Dr. Bezerra joins us from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) – one of the premier pediatric hospitals in the country – where he served as Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and Medical Director of the Pediatric Liver Care Center.

In almost three decades at CCHMC, Dr. Bezerra cared for children with liver disease and led research and clinical trials with the goal of developing innovative diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions. His discovery of a key immunologic signature in the liver of children with biliary atresia led to a test that is now transitioning to clinical use to facilitate diagnostic algorithms and shorten the time to surgical treatment.

Dr. Bezerra’s expertise as a clinician and researcher and his proven leadership will further elevate UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health as a national hub for excellence in pediatric discovery and clinical care.

After an extensive national search, Dr. Shawna Nesbitt, Professor of Internal Medicine, has been appointed Vice President and UT Southwestern's inaugural institutional Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO).

In this role, Dr. Nesbitt will be responsible for advancing institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies and initiatives through the design and implementation of programs that further our mission across research, clinical, education, and training activities.

Since joining UT Southwestern in 2001, she has held various DEI leadership roles and responsibilities, including serving as a member of the President’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and as Associate Dean, Student Diversity and Inclusion. Under her leadership, the underrepresented minority student population significantly grew in the Graduate School, the School of Health Professions, and the Medical School, which this year welcomed its most diverse first-year class of medical students to date, including a historic majority of female students (56%) and underrepresented minority students (31%). 

Dr. Samuel Achilefu

Dr. Ralph DeBerardinis

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) will induct the classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021 later this month, including two of our faculty members: Dr. Ralph DeBerardinis, Professor in the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern and NAM Class of 2020, and Dr. Samuel Achilefu, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and NAM Class of 2021.

The NAM aims to improve health for all by advancing science, accelerating health equity, and providing independent, authoritative, and trusted advice nationally and globally. UT Southwestern now has 17 faculty who have been elected by their peers to membership in the NAM for outstanding contributions to science and medicine.

From now through Nov. 30, we encourage faculty members to participate in the 2022 State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) – the only authorized workplace charitable giving campaign for state agency and higher education employees in Texas. 

The impact of a single donation cannot be overstated, nor can the combined generosity of the UT Southwestern community. There are several hundred state-vetted charities to select from, so you can give to the causes and organizations that speak to you. 

UT Southwestern is aiming to raise $375,000 this year. Learn how to donate.  

Leadership Emerging in Academic Departments (LEAD) 

LEAD is geared toward junior faculty who aspire to develop their leadership skills. Assistant professors (all years in rank) and associate professors (with fewer than four years in rank) are eligible.  

• Apply by Oct. 7.

Wellness-Centered Leadership Workshop 

Tait Shanafelt, M.D., Chief Wellness Officer at Stanford Medicine, leads this workshop designed to help department chairs and division chiefs promote a culture of wellness.  

• Oct. 7, from 8 a.m.-noon. To register, contact Julian Longoria.   

New Faculty Research Forum

The two-day forum introduces new faculty to the UT Southwestern academic community and provides the opportunity to showcase research and spark interdisciplinary collaborations.

• Oct. 13. Register to attend.
• Oct. 18. Register to attend.

Brown and Goldstein Symposium

UT Southwestern will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the remarkable scientific partnership between Michael S. Brown, M.D., and Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D., with an all-day symposium in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium.  

• Oct. 14, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Register to attend.

Call for Abstracts: Innovations in Health Science Education

Proposals are being accepted for the 2023 Innovations in Health Science Education conference titled "Diversity, Collaboration, and Opportunities in Current Health Science Education."

• Submit your abstract by Oct. 31.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness System 

UT Southwestern is a qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program through the Department of Education. Find out if you are eligible.   

• Apply by Oct. 31.  

Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Granting Opportunity

Young investigators conducting research on obesity, metabolism, and nutrition may apply for awards funded by the NIH's Nutrition and Obesity Research Centers grant.  

• Apply by Nov. 1. For submissions and questions, contact UTSWNORC@utsouthwestern.edu.  

Since 2020, the African American Faculty Networking, Mentoring, and Sponsorship group holds quarterly meetings to discuss a variety of topics, from bias in medicine to faculty promotion.

Now, the Office of Faculty Diversity is seeking faculty feedback on potentially establishing a Hispanic/Latinx faculty group and an LGBTQ+ faculty group to help advance and promote a climate of inclusive excellence at UTSW.