News Briefs

Study Shows UT System Economic Impact

A recently released study of the economic impact of The University of Texas System's 15 institutions shows a multi-billion dollar return on the state of Texas' investment in higher education. The study shows that UT institutions, including the UT Health Science Center at Houston, add $4 billion in personal income and a total economic impact of $12.8 billion annually to the state.

The report estimates the health science center's economic impact at $809 million annually, including $546 million in direct spending. It also calculates health science center employment impact at 11,801 jobs - 5,528 being directly employed at the health science center and another 6,273 jobs generated indirectly.

"Our biggest investment is in our people," said Michael McKinney, M.D., senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of the health science center. "Keeping our turnover rate down is a good investment in terms of people and in terms of money - that's how we can do our best to keep the health science center productive and to help contribute to the economic well being of our people and the Houston economy."

To read the report, go to http://www.utsystem.edu/news/2005/EcoImpact-Study03-09-05.htm.

Externs Become Medical Students

Two of the four participants from last summer's Mary Ann Lunsford Summer Externship in Cardiovascular Medicine have been accepted as students at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston beginning in the fall of 2005.

Camaran Roberts, a human biology major at UT Austin, and Michael Merrick, an economics major at Rice University, were part of a six-week externship, directed by Richard W. Smalling, M.D., Ph.D., the Jay Brent Sterling Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Established more than six years ago, the program provides qualified undergraduate students with a broad introduction to cardiovascular medicine and reinforces the goal of a career in medicine. Each year, 40-60 students apply for the four openings in the highly competitive program.

Beaumont engineer Ralph Lunsford established a $50,000 endowment in memory of his late wife to support the endeavor. Each student receives a $1,000 stipend.

Saying YES to Robotics

High school students from YES College Preparatory School Southeast visited Eyal Porat, M.D., assistant professor of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, to learn how medicine employs robotic technology. The da Vinci robot is used by physicians in the departments of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery and surgery for minimally invasive operations.

The students, who are members of their school's competitive robotics club, first received a welcome and introduction to the Medical School by Dean Stanley Schultz, M.D. Their visit was coordinated by the Medical School's Office of Development and Alumni Affairs on the suggestion of a UT Health Science Center Development Board member.