Pat Remington Earns Belzer Award

In October, the Folkert Belzer Award was presented to Patrick L. Remington, MD, MPH, professor emeritus, population health sciences and former associate dean for public health. The recognition was a fitting bookend to Remington’s long and distinguished career as a public health practitioner, researcher, educator and leader.

In characteristically altruistic fashion, Remington also turned the award celebration on its head by making a gift to benefit the future of the school. He has initiated the Most Promise in Preventive Medicine Award Fund in his name at the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and encourages others to contribute. “I was inspired to establish this scholarship fund to recognize students who excel in preventive medicine and public health, and to increase the awareness of preventive medicine as a medical specialty,” said Remington.

Learn more about the fund and contribute

Shiva Biedar-Sielaff, Gina Green-Harris, Jasmine Zapata among campus' Outstanding Women of Color honorees for 2019-20

For the twelth year in a row, UW-Madison is honoring campus leaders with its Outstanding Women of Color award. This year, three of the seven honorees represent the School of Medicine and Public Health or UW Health. The honorees (pictured above, from left to right) include:

• Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, MA, UW Health Chief Diversity Officer
• Gina Green-Harris, MBA, MPH, Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships; Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, Regional Milwaukee Office; Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families, Milwaukee Program Office
• Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor (CHS), Pediatrics and Centennial Scholar, UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research

Honorees will be honored during a public reception on March 5.

Congratulations to Bidar-Sielaff, Green-Harris, and Zapata on their outstanding work.

Mission, Vision and Values Initiative to launch in 2020

In 2020, the School of Medicine and Public Health will undergo a major strategic initiative called Vision 2020 to create a new vision statement, and to provide an opportunity to reflect on our mission and values. 

During the spring semester, all members of the SMPH community will be invited to participate in a survey and in focus groups. The school’s leadership will use the results of these activities to draft mission, vision, and values statements, which will be circulated widely for comment. A new vision statement and new or reaffirmed values and mission statements will be finalized by summer 2020. 

Your participation is encouraged! Visit the intranet and watch your email to get involved.

Save the date: MLK Jr. Day event in January and Diversity Summit in April

• In honor of 2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, join us for a showing of Bryan Stevenson’s recent AAMC talk "American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference” on Friday, Jan. 24 from noon–1 p.m. in room 1335 HSLC. A panel discussion will follow, and pizza will be served. RSVP today and download the flier (pdf)
• Please save the date for the third annual UW School of Medicine and Public Health Diversity Summit on Monday, April 6, 2020, from 4:30–7:30 p.m. in the Health Sciences Learning Center. A reception and social hour will follow. We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker is Elena V. Rios, MD, MSPH, FACP. Dr. Rios serves as President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association, (NHMA), representing Hispanic physicians in the United States. She also serves as President of NHMA’s National Hispanic Health Foundation to direct educational and research activities. More information is forthcoming.

Photos: Women in Medicine and Science Symposium

Hundreds gathered on Nov. 20 in the Health Sciences Learning Center for the inaugural Women in Medicine and Science Symposium.

Photos: Medical Student Research Forum

The annual research event took place on Nov. 15, featuring poster and podium presentations from dozens of students.

Shining a light on SMPH staff members

More than 2,700 staff members in the School of Medicine and Public Health play key roles in carrying out our academic, research, patient care, outreach, and service activities. To raise awareness of these contributions, the SMPH Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) has launched a Staff Spotlight series that highlights both academic staff and university staff.

In this issue, read about Suzanne Ponik, PhD, senior scientist in the Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology.

To nominate someone to be profiled for this series, contact Spotlight series editor Laurie Silverberg-Elwert.

Stephen Nakada selected for national award 

The American Urological Association has announced that the 2020 Hugh Hampton Young Award will be presented to Stephen Nakada, MD, professor and chair, Urology. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the study of genitourinary tract disease. The society noted Nakada's enduring leadership in the field of urology and his pioneering studies of urolithiasis, minimally invasive surgery and renal preservation. 

The award will be presented at the association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in May 2020. This is the second AUA honor that Nakada has received; in 2004, he was selected for the AUA Gold Cystoscope Award, which recognizes rising star early-career urologists. 

Ryan Denu named 2019 STAT Wunderkind

While pursuing his MD-PhD in the Medical Science Training Program, Ryan Denu's accomplishments have included authoring two legislative bills to address radon-induced lung cancer in Wisconsin, becoming a student representative to the American Medical Association House of Delegates, and discovering a genetic mutation linking breast cancer to a rare genetic condition.

This puts Denu in extremely rare company. Last month, he was named a 2019 STAT Wunderkind – one of only 22 in the nation.

Two new state bills facilitate care for the underserved and technology transfer processes

Ann Catlett, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine, attended Governor Evers' signing Act 57 into law in November. The bill will allow greater participation in the state’s Volunteer Health Care Provider program, which provides liability insurance for providers who volunteer to care for homeless patients. Catlett co-founded Madison Area Care of the Homeless, known as MACH OneHealth, which was recently awarded a Community Collaboration Grant by the Wisconsin Partnership Program.

In an unrelated legislative measure, Wisconsin Act 36 was recently signed into law. The bill will streamline the process by which the university contracts with companies in which a faculty or staff member has a financial interest. Dubbed the “Mark Cook Bill” after UW-Madison Animal Sciences Professor Mark Cook, the legislation was inspired by his experiences as he spun four companies out of his research. Chancellor Blank, President Cross, members of the Board of Regents, and several other stakeholders attended the bill signing in the Governor’s office.

HR highlights

Title and Total Compensation Project updates: 

• TTC Project timeline shifting to allow more time for quality assurance. Managers and supervisors will also have more time to complete training and engage in conversations with employees. New titles and position descriptions will be effective on July 1, 2020. Employee conversations, some of which have already begun, will be extended through the spring.
• TTC Project forum recording now available. All employees are encouraged to watch the video, particularly those who were unable to attend a forum or would like another review of the material. This project update includes details on the new UW Title and Standard Job Description Library and information about upcoming manager and employee engagement.

Mark your calendar for these faculty development events and opportunities

SMPH events:

• Career Conversation series, Feb. 26 and April 22
• Pathways to Promotion – Tenure, Biological Sciences, Feb. 11
• Pathways to Promotion 101, March 12

Learn more about these events at the Office for Faculty Affairs and Development event website

Get design help for posters, presentations and more

Design literacy empowers your ability to share ideas and expertise with the world. DesignLab offers free digital design help for all UW–Madison students, faculty and staff. Learn more from DesignLab consultants about how to create effective presentations, posters, videos, audio, websites/blogs, infographics, and more. After a successful pilot in October, DesignLab is now available at Ebling Library on an ongoing basis on Mondays from 2-6 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by appointment. Walk-in requests are also welcome.

Headlines and announcements

School news:

• Wisconsin Partnership Program welcomes three new Oversight and Advisory Committee members
• New tool predicts three-dimensional organization of human chromosomes
• Lawrence Brown selected to lead County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
• Delirium linked to brain injury after severe surgery
• Study finds cyberbullying media coverage overuses emotional, fear-based language
• As epilepsy drugs fail nearly one-third of patients, scientists seek root causes of seizures
• Cell and Regenerative Biology postdoctoral scholar Alexandra Soukup, PhD receives American Society of Hematology Scholar award
• Daniel Kurtycz, MD, inaugurated President of the American Society of Cytopathology (pdf)

School and Continuing Medical Education events:

• Jan. 22-25 — UW-Madison Data Science Research Bazaar
• Feb. 26 — Immunization Summit: Supporting Access Expansion and Vaccination Efficiency in Clinics and Communities (Wisconsin Dells)
• Feb. 29-March 1 — Randomized Trials and their Independent Data Monitoring Committees: Impacts on Clinical Practice (Boca Raton, Florida)
• April 17-18 — Navigating the Transition Zone: Adolescence through Young Adulthood (Madison)
• April 7 — Global Health Symposium: Connecting Scientific Knowledge and Indigenous Wisdom (abstract submission deadline Feb. 18)
• ICEP launches Safe Opioid Prescribing for Pediatric Patients course (free for UW and UW Health providers and staff)
• See additional upcoming events