Organizational Structure
Since its creation in 1993, the Experimental Pathology Graduate Program has maintained a basic organizational plan with a Director, a coordinator and an executive committee drawn from the membership of four subcommittees (Figure 1)
Figure 1. Experimental Pathology Graduate Program Organizational Structure
The Program Director, Dr. Jere W. McBride, has been involved in graduate education through teaching and mentoring since 2000. One of his first contributions was the creation of a new course to develop competitive grant writing and review skills for Experimental Pathology students. He has served as a small group facilitator for 10 years in the medical school curriculum facilitating "Pathobiology and Host Defense". He has also been a lecturer in several graduate courses (BBSC, PATH and MICRO), was awarded the Experimental Pathology Graduate Student Organization award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring in 2004, and was nominated for the Dr. Leon Bromberg Professor for Excellence in Teaching in 2011. He has over 20 years of teaching and mentoring experience, including contributions to both graduate and medical school curriculums. Dr. McBride is a GSBS graduate faculty member in both Experimental Pathology and Microbiology & Immunology, has chaired both the EP Admissions and Recruitment Committee (ARC) and the Student Evaluation & Advisory Committee (SEAC), and has been course director for PATH 6279 "Introduction to Competitive Grant Writing" for 8 years. He has mentored over 20 students (doctoral, master's, undergraduate, high school) and six visiting scientists from Cameroon, Brazil, Columbia, and South Africa during his career at UTMB. In addition to his education contributions, he is an NIH funded investigator with over 60-peer-reviewed publications and reviews, 17 book chapters and proceedings, and 13 US patents along with 4 patents pending for intellectual property related to vaccine and diagnostics for the ehrlichioses. He was recognized as the Department of Pathology "Researcher of the Year" in 2009. His departmental and university service includes the Pathology Educational Leadership Committee, UTMB Faculty Senate, and the James W. McLaughlin Fellowship Committee. His membership in scientific organizations includes the American Society for Microbiology, American Society for Investigative Pathology (elected), and the American Society for Rickettsiology.
The Program Coordinator, Paula Gabriles, is solely responsible for the administrative duties of the Program as well as coordination with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences concerning all aspects of policy and procedures pertaining to the Experimental Pathology Graduate Program.
The four committees of the EPGP are comprised of members of the EPGP faculty as listed below.
Current Memberships for 2011-2012
Admissions and Recruitment Committee (ARC):
Nigel Bourne, Ph.D.—Chair
Paige Adams, DVM, Ph.D.
Paul Boor, Ph.D.
Saravanan Thangamani, Ph.D.
Tina Wang, Ph.D.
Ex-officio: Jere W. McBride, Ph.D.
Curriculum and Academic Planning Committee (CAPC):
Shakeel Ansari, Ph.D.—Chair
Judy Aronson, M.D.
Alan Barrett, Ph.D.
Gerald A. Campbell, M.D., Ph.D.
Hal K. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.
Sanjeev Sahni, Ph.D.
Student Evaluation and Advisory Committee (SEAC):
Xue-JieYu, Ph.D.—Chair
Paul Boor, M.D.
Slobodan Paessler, Ph.D.
Richard Pyles, Ph.D.
Berry Rockx, Ph.D.
Gustavo Valbuena, M.D., Ph.D.
Nikos Vasilakis, Ph.D.
Awards Committee:
Nigel Bourne, Ph.D.
Charles Fulhorst, D.V.M., Dr. P.H.
Experimental Pathology Graduate Student Organization:
Ashley Grant and Frances Valencia—Co-Presidents
Experimental Pathology Graduate Faculty Committees
1. Executive Committee
- The committee is composed of the program director and chairs of the other four standing committees.
- The committee appoints and replaces the members and chairs of the other committees. Goals for committee composition are that each committee is representative of program strengths and blends enthusiasm with experience.
- At least twice per year, schedule meetings of the entire graduate program faculty.
- Appoint ad hoc committees to address problems or concerns.
- Annually review contributions of all graduate program faculty to graduate and interdisciplinary courses, laboratory rotations, program committees, and student committees.
2. Admissions and Recruitment Committee
- The committee is composed of eight members representing different areas of program strength.
- The committee advertises the program and, when necessary, appoints an ad hoc
committee to update/revise the program brochure and/or web site as well as other
recruitment materials. - Recruit applicants and coordinate program recruiting efforts with Graduate School
recruiting efforts. - Screen applicants and make recommendations for admission or rejection of applicants.
- Make recommendations concerning exceptions to the admission or rejection of
applicants. - Make recommendations concerning initial stipend awards.
- Actively recruit all outstanding candidates before and after their admission.
- The chair of this committee is asked to serve on the Graduate School/BBSC Recruitment Committee.
- The committee will meet at least once per semester. The committee chairman will ensure the preparation and distribution of the minutes of each meeting within 30 days of the meeting.
- Members of this committee shall be appointed by the program director and the chair of the Admissions & Recruitment committee to serve on the GSBS/BBSC Admissions Committee.
3. Curriculum and Academic Planning Committee
- The committee consists of five members with relevant experience in graduate student education. In addition, the students in the Experimental Pathology Program elects two student members. One is a "junior" student and the other a "senior" student.
- Annually monitor and evaluate all program core courses using student and faculty
feedback. Make recommendations for course improvements. - Make recommendations concerning development and approval of new courses.
- Examine credentials of faculty wishing to become members of the Experimental
Pathology Graduate Faculty and make recommendations concerning such faculty
appointments. - The chairman of this committee serves on the Graduate School Curriculum Committee.
- The committee meets at least once per semester. The committee chairman ensures the preparation and distribution of the minutes of each meeting within 30 days of the meeting.
4. Student Evaluation and Advisory Committee
- The committee consists of seven members representing different areas of program
strength. - Advise students concerning laboratory rotations.
- Review student and faculty reports of laboratory rotations.
- Monitor the course grades, rotation and research reports, and progress of each student at least twice per year to ensure early detection of problems.
- Help students choose a Preliminary Examination Committee.
- Oversee the Preliminary Examination process and make recommendations for modification when or where needed.
- Help students select a dissertation supervisory professor and supervisory committee. Faculty who wish to be considered as a dissertation supervisor must submit a financial plan for the student's stipend and laboratory expenses.
- The committee meets at least once per semester. The committee chairman ensures the preparation and distribution of the minutes of each meeting within 30 days of the meeting.
5. Awards Committee
- The committee consists of at least three members representing different areas of program strength.
- To promote, encourage and support applications by Experimental Pathology student applications for awards, scholarships and fellowships from both intramural and extramural sources.
- Review student accomplishments for awards nominations.
- Help students to become aware of available awards.
- The committee meets at least once per semester. The committee chairman ensures the preparation and distribution of the minutes of each meeting within 30 days of the meeting.