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Among many business and civic leadership roles, Samis served as a director of BancFirst, a publicly traded commercial bank, was a member of the board of the Dean McGee Eye Institute, and chaired the University of Oklahoma Foundation. Samis received the 2002 Alumni Achievement Award from Casady School and was honored in 2010 as the recipient of the school’s Distinguished Graduate Award. The University of Oklahoma presented Samis with its Regents’ Alumni Award in 2007 and an honorary doctorate in 2010.
Isaac Rutel, Ph.D., Department of Radiological Sciences, Oklahoma City campus, faculty membership R. Michael Siatkowski, M.D., Department of Ophthalmology, Oklahoma City campus, faculty membership
Several faculty members also were honored with Dewayne Andrews Excellence in Teaching awards in the areas of preclinical, clinical, graduate medical education and physician assistant education.
“Mike was a more than a highly regarded and valued colleague. He was also a trusted friend and mentor whose insights and leadership had profound impact,” said Chuck Spicer, FACHE, President and CEO of OU Medicine, Inc. “The void created by his death is immeasurable. He was a man who challenged us to be better and helped us find the best within ourselves.”
Preclinical Awards:
Jason Sanders, M.D., MBA, Senior Vice President and Provost of OU Health Sciences Center and Vice Chair of OU Medicine, Inc. Board of Directors, said, “Mike Samis had tremendous resolve to lead OU Medicine through milestone after milestone. Due to Mike’s years of tireless effort, in 2018 OU Medicine became a locally owned and operated health system. Mike’s vision centered on the patient, and he fought to expand OU Health’s essential clinical programs for all Oklahomans. He likewise championed medical education for tomorrow’s caregivers. Among his many legacies is a lifetime of reaching new heights for healthcare in Oklahoma, and challenging each of us to do the same.”
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Academy of Teaching Scholars Inducts New Members, Honors Faculty Medical educators were celebrated during the Academy of Teaching Scholars Education Week this fall at the OU College of Medicine. The ATS was created in 2012 by former Executive Dean M. Dewayne Andrews, M.D., as a means to foster, recognize, celebrate and encourage excellence in teaching and scholarly pursuits. This year’s inductees into ATS are: • • •
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Catherine Heith, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Oklahoma City campus, associate membership Edgar LeClaire, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oklahoma City campus, associate membership Catherine Hunter, M.D., Department of Surgery, Oklahoma City campus, faculty membership
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Mohiuddin Ahmad, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology, Oklahoma City campus Kent Teague, Ph.D., Integrative Immunology Center, Tulsa campus
Clinical Awards: Afia Sadiq, M.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma City campus Bryan Billings, M.D., Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Oklahoma City campus Blake Lesselroth, M.D., Department of Medical Informatics, Tulsa campus Shashank Shettar, M.D., Department of Anesthesiology, Oklahoma City campus
Graduate Medical Education Awards: • • • • •
Kristina Booth, M.D., Department of Surgery, Oklahoma City campus Brian Lich, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Oklahoma City campus James O’Brien, M.D., Department of Ophthalmology, Oklahoma City campus Amy E. Lee, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Oklahoma City campus Gwendolyn Neel, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oklahoma City campus
PA Faculty Awards:
• Mark Perdue, MHS, PA-C, Tulsa campus • Jennifer Boyett, MHS, PA-C, Oklahoma City campus
Several grants for health education research were also presented. Recipients are: • • • • • • •
Zain Ul Abideen Asad, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Oklahoma City campus Sarah Beth Bell, Ph.D., Research Development, Tulsa campus Monica Henning, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tulsa campus Monique Naifeh, M.D., MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Oklahoma City campus Erin Hawks, Ph.D., HSP, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma City campus Kristina Booth, M.D., Department of Surgery, Oklahoma City campus Catherine Heith, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Oklahoma City campus
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