Appointments and awards
Eileen T. Breslin
Eileen T. Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing and the Dr. Patty L. Hawken Nursing Endowed Professor in the Department of Family Nursing Care, was elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). Since joining the Health Science Center in April 2008, Dean Breslin has focused on addressing the national nursing shortage, updating and improving the School of Nursing curricula, laying the groundwork to offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and improving the quality of care in South Texas through evidence-based practice. Fellowship in the AAN is one of the highest honors in the nursing profession.
John C. Calhoon
John H. Calhoon, M.D., professor of cardiothoracic surgery and the Calhoon President’s Council Chair for Excellence in Surgery, is the new vice chair and chair-elect of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. From 2011 to 2013 he will lead the board, which certifies cardiothoracic surgeons nationwide and protects the public by establishing and maintaining high standards in the field. Dr. Calhoon is also an educator and researcher who has saved thousands of lives, including those of week-old infants, and has been listed numerous times in “Best Doctors in America.”
Donald J. Dudley, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was awarded the Texas Perinatal Physician Excellence Award for Public Health Region 8 by the March of Dimes. Dr. Dudley, who sees patients as part of the Long School of Medicine practice group, UT Health San Antonio, is on the forefront of research in perinatal health. He is co-principal investigator for the National Children’s Study, a $33 million study to assess the effects of environmental and genetic factors on children’s health. Dr. Dudley also directs the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network, and serves as director of the maternal-fetal medicine fellowship and vice chairman for research in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Lily T. Garcia, D.D.S., M.S., professor and chair of the Department of Prosthodontics, was named vice president of the American College of Prosthodontics (ACP) during the college’s 39th annual session in San Diego, Calif. Dr. Garcia serves as chair of the Council for the American Board of Prosthodontics. She is also an accomplished author, editor and reviewer who has published numerous articles and abstracts. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and a fellow of the ACP.
Kenneth L. Kalkwarf
Kenneth L. Kalkwarf, D.D.S., M.S., professor of periodontics and dean of the Dental School, received the American Dental Association’s (ADA) highest honor – its Distinguished Service Award. “Dr. Kalkwarf has touched so many groups in our profession and has been a link between the educational community and the profession, and young dentists and more established members. It’s his collaborative spirit that really shines through,” said John S. Findley, D.D.S., ADA president. “In addition, while actively supporting the profession and the ADA on a national scale, he has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to working with the local dental community to further their efforts in promoting oral health for San Antonio and South Texas.”
Michael J. Lichtenstein, M.D., M.Sc., the Dr. F. Carter Pannill, Jr. Professor in Internal Medicine and chief of the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Medicine, received the 2009 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award for Faculty from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. “As a physician, he has it all: skill in scientific research, skill in the teaching and motivation of students, skill as a practicing doctor scientifically and emotionally, and as a contributor to the long-term health of our community and nation. He is indeed the kind of role model our students need,” wrote Edward J. Masoro, Ph.D., the first director of the Health Science Center’s Aging Research and Education Center, known today as the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies.
