February 2014 Distinctions
Leading the way in diabetes
Desmond Schatz, M.D., medical director of the UF Health Diabetes Center of Excellence, has been elected president of the American Diabetes Association. Schatz will begin his term as president in 2016. First, he will serve as vice president in 2014 and then as president-elect in 2015. “This is a great honor and privilege, and I’m humbled to serve the ADA, whose mission is to improve the lives of all those affected with diabetes and to prevent and cure the disease,” said Schatz, a professor of pediatrics in the UF College of Medicine and associate chairman of the department of pediatrics. Schatz has served previously as a member of the ADA’s board of directors. In addition, Schatz was part of a team that received the association’s 2010 Public Policy Leadership Award for his court testimony in a civil case involving a detective with Type 1 diabetes.
IT all-stars
UF Health has earned kudos from two national organizations for leading efforts to integrate technology with patient care. UF Health Information Technology has been named one of InformationWeek’s top 500 business innovators of 2013 thanks to the development of a program that alerts physicians about patients whose genetics make them a poor candidate for certain drugs. In addition, UF Health Shands Hospital has been named to Hospitals & Health Networks’ list of Health Care’s Most Wired Hospitals for 2013. In InformationWeek, UF Health ranked No. 22 on a list of the 500 most innovative companies. The list includes Gap Inc., ConocoPhillips, Penske Truck Leasing Co., John Deere, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and other large corporations from all industries.
College of Dentistry
M. Franklin Dolwick, D.M.D., Ph.D., received the Donald B. Osbon Award for an Outstanding Educator on Oct. 9 during the 95th Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Orlando. The Osbon Award is presented to those who exhibit the highest ideals of an educator.
Jacksonville
David Wood, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of pediatrics, has been selected as a UF International Educator of the Year. The UF International Center in Gainesville gives the award annually to recognize outstanding international endeavors by UF faculty members. One award is presented each year to a senior faculty member and another to a junior faculty member. Wood was recognized for his efforts as director of the Program for Global Health Education, which is part of the UF College of Medicine.
College of Nursing
Debra Lyon, Ph.D., R.N., has been appointed executive associate dean and the Thomas M. and Irene B. Kirbo endowed chair, effective Jan. 2. Lyon comes to UF from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she served as associate dean for research and the Judith B. Collins and Joseph M. Teefey distinguished professor. Lyon’s research focuses on symptom management in women with breast cancer, and she is currently the principal investigator on two National Institutes of Health-funded studies totaling $4.8 million.
College of Public Health and Health Professions
Steven George, Ph.D., P.T., an associate professor and assistant chair in the department of physical therapy, received the J. Brooks Brown Research Award. The annual award is given by Jacksonville-based Brooks Rehabilitation in recognition of outstanding achievement, inspiration and service contributions to science in rehabilitation research.
Eric Soule, a doctoral student in the department of behavioral science and community health, received the 2013 Student Poster Showcase Award for Tobacco Use Prevention given by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section of the American Public Health Association. He presented the findings of his pilot study examining the relationship between hookah smoking and alcohol use among young adults.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Arthur Donovan, D.V.M., a professor of large animal clinical sciences, is UF’s recipient of the Zoetis (formerly Pfizer) Animal Health Distinguished Teaching Award. The award recognizes outstanding teachers who contribute significantly to the advancement of the veterinary medical education through ability, dedication, character and leadership. Winners of the award are then evaluated annually to select a national award winner.