E Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, School of Medicine

It has been over a year now that the Bulletin has had its new look and its larger audience. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the expanded coverage of our clinical, research and education programs and additional features on our outstanding faculty and esteemed alumni.

Sometimes we in academic medicine get so caught up in the clinical and research missions that the real reason we are here—to educate the next generation of scientists and physicians—gets put on the back burner. Our education mission is the backbone of this medical school, and the faculty to whom we entrust the teaching of our medical students are the mainstay of this outstanding institution.

In this issue, we feature one of our most popular teachers, Larry Anderson, PhD, professor of anatomy and neurobiology. Dr. Anderson teaches the first-year anatomy course and consistently receives exceptional ratings by his students, garnering numerous teaching awards in his 30 years here at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. If you weren’t fortunate enough to take structure and development from Dr. Anderson, after reading his profile you will see why he’s a perennial favorite at the medical school.

Morton I. Rapoport, ’60, profiled in these pages, is an icon at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical System. Many of you older alumni will remember him as chief of medical service at the VA Medical Center or as senior associate dean of the medical school. More recent graduates will remember him as the first president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System. The medical system celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and Dr. Rapoport is responsible for much of its success over this past quarter century.

We also profile an alumnus whose three sons are currently all in medical school at the University of Maryland. Dorothy Hsiao, ’75, a pediatrician with a private practice in Bethesda, Md., never thought her boys would go to medical school, much less all at her alma mater, all at the same time. She could not be more proud of all three of them, and I am so pleased that our alumni have such fond memories of their time here and feel so positive about the education they received at Maryland.

Our medical school recently established its seventh organized research center (ORC). Our new center for trauma and anesthesiology research will become a world-class, multi-disciplinary research and educational center focusing on brain injuries, critical care and organ support, resuscitation, surgical outcomes, patient safety, and injury prevention. This new ORC is led on an interim basis by Thomas M. Scalea, MD, professor of surgery, director of the program in trauma, and physician-in-chief at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and Peter Rock, MD, MBA, professor and chair of the department of anesthesiology. It is believed to be the first research center in the nation dedicated exclusively to the study of trauma, its complications and prevention. You can read more in these pages about the opportunities this collaborative effort will bring for faculty and researchers across our campus who have common academic interests in trauma and surgical outcomes.

I very much enjoy meeting and interacting with our alumni. I was pleased to be able to spend time recently with Irving Taylor, ’43M, who just celebrated his 90 th birthday. One of our most stalwart benefactors, Dr. Taylor is the leading donor of the Taylor Lecture Hall (formerly known as the Freshman Lecture Hall on the ground floor of the Bressler Research Building) and a world-famous psychiatrist. In May, Dr. Taylor will receive both the Honor Award & Gold Key and Distinguished Service Award from the Medical Alumni Association, becoming the first alumnus to win both awards at the same time.

I spent a wonderful evening with Dr. Taylor in February at the School of Medicine’s 2nd annual Celebrating Diversity dinner. This annual event, attended by nearly 200 alumni, friends, students and prospective students, is held to raise awareness of our diversity scholars program. Our featured speaker was Joan Reede, MD, MPH, MS, dean for diversity and community partnership and director of the minority faculty development program at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Reede spoke about the positive benefits of a diverse student body.

As I enter my third year as dean and have the opportunity to know more alumni, I continue to be gratified to see how engaged and supportive our alumni are. I look forward to seeing many of you this May at the events scheduled for our 134th alumni reunion. Until then, in the relentless pursuit of excellence, I am

Sincerely,

E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA
Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland
John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and
Dean, School of Medicine