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International Programs Office Awards
Seed Grants to Faculty
Three University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston faculty members are among six recipients of seed grants through the new International Award from the Office of International Programs, made possible through a generous donation from a benefactor.
“The new award is designed not only to provide seed money to worthwhile international collaborations, but also to increase the individual and collective awareness of the importance of international programs, as we live and work in an increasingly global community,” said Hui-Ming Chang, M.D., associate vice president for international programs and special advisor to the president.
The numerous faculty and student applicants came from throughout the health science center and submitted projects of high caliber, Chang said. “The evaluation committee didn’t have an easy task, yet six individuals (three faculty members and three students) emerged as winners.” (See the October issue of The Leader for information on the student recipients. http://publicaffairs.uth.tmc.edu/leader/archive/2005/October/index.html)
Chang hopes that the Office of International Programs 2005 Award will continue on an annual basis.
Faculty winners and their descriptions of their projects are:
Anil D. Kulkarni, Ph.D., professor of surgery, UT Medical School at Houston and UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (GSBS)
My research collaboration with Professor Shigeru Yamamoto at the University of Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and now in Tokushima, has continued to do well since 1994. I have been a visiting professor in his school many times. Our collaboration led us to develop an exchange program between the UT Health Science Center and Tokushima University, under an agreement signed in 2002 by President James T. Willerson, M.D., and President Shiro Saito.
There have been several exchanges from both institutions at the faculty, staff and student level. In addition, the dental schools from both institutions signed a separate agreement of cooperation that resulted in a visit to the UT campus from six Tokushima dental students, their dean and a professor.
Now, I plan to focus on developing an affiliation agreement between our two medical schools after visits last December by Dean Saburo Sone and Associate Dean Toshiaki Tamaki of Tokushima University. Such a relationship will provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students to learn from each other various aspects of medical education and administration, as well as to develop mutual understanding and appreciation of each others’ cultures.
The International Program Development Award will allow me to strategically plan and expand our current affiliation and to develop other international contacts that will be mutually beneficial, especially for our students.
Sheryl A. McCurdy, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral sciences, UT School of Public Health
This preliminary research will investigate interpersonal and gender-based violence, substance use and HIV/AIDS risk among Burundian refugees residing in Western Tanzania in camps established after the 1993 Burundian crises.
Policies and practices emerging since 2000 regarding Burundian refugees’ movements and practices in Tanzanian refugee camps have strained relationships. Tensions between camp residents and local Tanzanians have escalated, as have tensions within the camp community between leaders and their constituents, between households, between generations, and between men and women.
Individual interviews with key informants and refugees, and a pilot survey will form the basis of this collaborative project with the University of Dar es Salaam Center for Forced Migration. We expect the collaboration to lead to supervised internship opportunities for UT students.
The award will help pay for a graduate student and a faculty member from the University of Dar es Salaam to begin the initial process of setting up the program and as research assistants in carrying out the project.
Amy Ridall, D.D.S., Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of prosthodontics, director of Asian Student Exchange Program, and director of Undergraduate Implant Program, UT Dental Branch at Houston and GSBS
The grant from the International Programs office will be used to expand an ongoing Student Exchange Program between the UT Dental Branch and the University of Tokushima (Japan) Dental School.
The major emphasis of the program is to allow the exchange of four-to-six students from each school for one week during the spring semester and to promote an understanding of how the unique cultures of each country influence the respective dental public health policies and the practice of dentistry.
Funding for this project will support cultural education classes and stipends for UTDB students for housing during their stay in Japan, as well as sponsor a mini-research symposium for faculty and students. Long-range goals are to foster academic collaborations through research and dental continuing education courses, identify and participate in global outreach programs, and promote community support.