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2023: A Look Back in Pictures

Published on: December 21, 2023 By: Staff Reports

Backs of two women standing outside wearing matching jerseys, that say Charitable Campaign 23. — Dewotta Gossett, M.B.A., (left) and Dinah Middleton kick off the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) with an SECC Fair in October on Eugene McDermott Plaza. Ms. Gossett is a Talent Acquisition Partner in Human Resources and Ms. Middleton is a Manager in the Office of Business Affairs. Both are SECC Committee members.

The heart and soul of UT Southwestern can be seen in faces – the faces of the dedicated staff who work here; of the brilliant students who aspire to be future physicians, scientists, or health care leaders; and of the gifted faculty members intent on inspiring future generations. Portraits of patients, donors, community members, and others are also part of this larger supportive network that ultimately enables UTSW to heal, discover, and educate at greater levels. Enjoy a few highlights capturing special moments from this past year in photos.

Select an image to begin the slideshow.

Event keynote speaker Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks (right), shares a joyful pose with RN D’Amber Howell, B.S.N., during the reception for UT Southwestern’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration in January. Ms. Marshall challenged the audience to be courageous in responding to obstacles they may face, just as Dr. King did to fight racial injustice.

UTSW Cardiovascular team members and leaders pose in a heart shape for a photo in William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital to bring attention to cardiovascular health issues during February’s American Heart Month and, highlighting women in particular, on National Wear Red Day.

Surrounded by his mom and dad, Jeremy Aymard celebrates with his wife, Maddie Aymard, after opening his Match Day envelope. On Friday, March 17, over 200 fourth-year medical students took part in Match Day 2023, an event filled with laughter, happy tears, and joy as students discovered where they would be spending the next chapter of their medical training.

Four Nursing team members at Clements University Hospital pose for a festive group selfie on National Donate Life Blue and Green Day in April, an event to bring awareness to organ donation.

Champ, the mascot of the Dallas Mavericks, shares crayons with children at the UT Southwestern Pediatric Group at Plano. Champ visited the clinic in April on Cape Day, the local spin on National Superhero Day, to show support for pediatric care teams and patients. The event is a collaboration of the team, UTSW, and Children’s Health.

A UTSW student paints a pretty design on the face of an eager attendee at UT Southwestern’s 18th annual Carnaval de Salud on April 22. The health fair event offered numerous ways for families to learn through safe, interactive experiments. Children lined up to make fake snow, create candy “cells,” or suture a banana while adults could take advantage of free health screenings and medical information.

Joan Conaway (left), Ph.D., Vice Provost and Dean of Basic Research, congratulates Doujia Pan, Ph.D., Chair of Physiology, on his election in May to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors for American scientists. Dr. Pan’s wife, Elizabeth Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, (center) and other faculty and guests attended a reception both in his honor and for a second faculty member elected, Russell DeBose-Boyd, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Genetics. Dr. Pan, also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, discovered the Hippo signaling pathway that controls organ size in animals. Dr. Conaway holds the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Dr. DeBose-Boyd holds the Beatrice and Miguel Elias Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science. Dr. Pan holds the Fouad A. and Val Imm Bashour Distinguished Chair in Physiology.

Russell DeBose-Boyd, Ph.D., was elected in May to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors for American scientists. Dr. DeBose-Boyd, a Professor of Molecular Genetics, was recognized for his innovative research studying the regulation of HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that produces mevalonate, a crucial intermediate in the synthesis of cholesterol. Dr. DeBose-Boyd holds the Beatrice and Miguel Elias Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science.

UT Southwestern Medical School graduates raise their diplomas in celebration of earning their medical degrees. More than 200 students celebrated commencement on May 11 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

Yang Liu, Ph.D., is hooded by Xiaochun Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biophysics, at the May 18 Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences commencement ceremony. Dr. Li is a Rita C. and William P. Clements, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research.

Denise Marciano, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, watches the ceremony intently as remarks are made at the May 18 Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences commencement. Dr. Marciano holds the Carolyn R. Bacon Distinguished Professorship in Medical Science and Education.

Darren C. Tsang, M.D., receives a “superlative” award at the Internal Medicine Residency graduation and recognition dinner at the DoubleTree Hotel in North Dallas on May 20.

Savannah Smith, a student at Biomedical Preparatory at UT Southwestern, is all smiles after receiving her certificate at the end-of-the year award ceremony in May. The school, which opened on North Campus in 2022 through a partnership between UTSW and the Dallas Independent School District, focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Members of the UTSW community and friends participated in the Dallas Pride Parade at Fair Park on June 4 to show their support for the LGBTQ community. The event was tied to UT Southwestern’s other June Pride Month celebrations, including a Pride Month Signature Event and Pride Brunch on Eugene McDermott Plaza.

Here is just one of the many joyful moments captured during UT Southwestern’s Employee Recognition Week. The Employee Advisory Council (EAC) made stops around the main campus and regional centers June 12-16, offering swag and prompting smiles. Above, the EAC also sponsored food trucks, featuring breakfast, lunch, and sweet treats such as ice cream and snow cones.

Certified Medical Office Assistant Marilyn Lowery (left) and Anesthesia Technician Latasha Dixon have fun during an impromptu dance at UT Southwestern’s Juneteenth Celebration, which took place a few days in advance of the national holiday. The UTSW event featured cuisine that represented staple food served at Juneteenth celebrations across the state within the African American community. All UTSW staff, faculty, and students were invited.

Master of Physician Assistant Studies student Ashley Louis-Jeune (right) receives a warm embrace from Carolyn Bradley-Guidry, Dr.PH., M.P.A.S., PA-C, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Engagement – School of Health Professions, at the program’s White Coat Ceremony in July. In 2023, the program celebrated 50 years since its initial accreditation. Ms. Louis-Jeune is set to graduate in 2024.

UT Southwestern’s PACT Program celebrated exceptional customer service by employees in a series of get-togethers that included an ice cream social, photo opportunities, and a pin presentation. Above, attendees at one of the summer ice cream socials for Gold pin recipients take advantage of the party props.

Software System Specialist Albert Garner, a Gold PACT pin recipient, is cheered on by his peers at one of the summer ice cream socials for his outstanding commitment to the PACT standards: problem solving; ability, attitude, and accountability; communications and compassion; and teamwork.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse (NICU) Becky Scherer (right) shares a book with baby Mia and mother Steph Diaz at the Clements University Hospital NICU during the international Babies With Books Read-a-thon. The event offered NICUs across the world a friendly competition to see whose staff could read the most books to their littlest patients. Clements University Hospital nursing teams and families completed 154 reading sessions Sept. 11-21. NICU teams collected 293 new books for the project, all of which were donated during the campaign to patients’ families.

UT Southwestern postdoctoral researchers check out a sea of poster presentations and network during the institution’s annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium, which took place during National Postdoc Appreciation Week in late September.

UT Southwestern walkers wave to the camera for a group photo before the start of the 2023 Dallas Heart Walk. Thousands of UTSW employees, friends, and family members turned out for the Sept. 23 event. With help from more than 2,700 registered walkers and 198 teams from UTSW, over $39,000 was raised for American Heart Association efforts, which include assisting heart disease and stroke patients, funding research at UTSW and other research centers, and promoting wellness initiatives.

Employees cheer for each other during games at the Oct. 6 Support Services Appreciation Event outside Clements University Hospital. The celebration included a barbecue lunch.

Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D., Chair of Biomedical Engineering, poses for a photo with Catherine Spong, M.D., Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at a reception honoring her election announced in October to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Spong was recognized for her many contributions to the field of maternal-fetal medicine and leadership in women’s health research. Dr. Achilefu holds the Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Spong holds the Paul C. MacDonald Distinguished Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Student athletes from the UTA Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team gather for a huddle during the seventh annual UTSW/DFW Adaptive Sports Expo at the UT Arlington Maverick Activities Center. The Oct. 14 event showcased a variety of sports, recreational, fitness, and wellness activities available to individuals with impairments and disabilities. The annual event aims to increase awareness, access, and engagement in adaptive and Para sports.

Second graders from Biomedical Preparatory at UT Southwestern take turns using stethoscopes in October on a field trip to the UTSW Simulation Center to learn more about medical technology. The Sim Center provides hands-on training to health care learners, enabling them to become skilled clinicians.

UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson and UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., (center left and right), cut the ribbon at the dedication ceremony opening the Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building on Oct. 26, joined by state, local, and business leaders. The $120 million, 150,000-square-foot building includes wet and dry laboratory space, areas to promote multidisciplinary interactions, a Biodesign Center, a metal fabrication shop, and 3D printing rooms. Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.

Institutional Service Award recipients Vanessa Rogers, M.D., (left) Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Rina Sanghavi, M.D., M.B.A., Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, share a few smiles at the sixth annual Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards ceremony. The Nov. 9 event celebrated clinical faculty and staff across UT Southwestern’s many sites of service for their exceptional contributions to the care of patients. Nine recipients won individual awards, and leaders representing two winning programs were also recognized for their teams’ innovation and impact. Dr. Rogers holds the Norman F. Gant, Jr., M.D. Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In recognition of National Veterans and Military Families Month in November, UT Southwestern honored veterans and active-duty service members at its ninth annual Tribute to Veterans celebration. The event, hosted by UT Southwestern’s Office for Institutional Opportunity and the Veterans Alliance Business Resource Group, featured the presentation of the colors by the U.S. Army Dallas Recruiting Battalion and a performance of the national anthem by Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s principal trumpet player, Stuart Stephenson.

Katy Yost, left, a member of UT Southwestern’s Young Adult Cancer Support group, makes creamy pumpkin hummus during a cooking class in mid-November with the help of UTSW registered dietitians Darienne Hall, center, and Kathryn Kanter. The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center group provides an outlet for cancer patients ages 18 to 39 to socialize and receive assistance during their health journey.

Simmons Cancer Center music therapist Christina Shocklee, M.M.T., MT-BC, (facing backwards) conducts a music therapy session with cancer patient Sheryl Bennett (facing forward), who plays along on her acoustic guitar. Music therapy has been shown to improve well-being during and after cancer treatment, according to Ms. Shocklee. Patients do not need to have a musical background to benefit from music therapy services.