increase faculty productiveness
and the efficacy of the institution.
Mary
O’Riordan,
associate
dean of graduate and postdoctoral
studies, said Runge’s way forward
will likely be guided by the panel’s
suggestions.
“This is likely to have significant
impact on how Dr. Runge will
shape the sciences and therefore
our educational mission as well,”
O’Riordan wrote in an e-mail to
the Daily. “We are still waiting to
see how this will impact graduate
education.”
The panel identified several
strengths
of
the
University’s
current
efforts in the biosciences included
the size of the overall biosciences
enterprise at the University, the
breadth of disciplines outside of the
biosciences, the scores top-notch
scientists
pursuing
bioscience
research at the University, the
spirit of faculty collaboration, the
highly ranked science facilities
and the existence of a University-
owned hospital.
The weaknesses listed in the
panel’s report include leadership
that does not incentivize risk-
taking, a lack of a common mission
— especially between the Medical
School and other entities — and
insufficient support for graduate
programs in research.
“While there are many examples
of productive collaborations across
disciplines at UM, our highly
decentralized
structure
and
traditionally defined departments
limit our ability to take full
advantage of our large investment
in faculty and infrastructure in
this vital domain of scholarship,”
a statement released by the panel
read.
When he originally appointed
Marshall Runge as EVPMA in
November 2014, Schlissel said
he made the recommendation
based on his accomplishments
as a scientist, doctor and leader.
In
September,
Schlissel
said
appointing Runge to the deanship
is logical because of the emphasis
he places on innovation and
progress.
This shift in leadership comes
at a time when UMHS is looking
to create a more collaborative
environment to make way for
greater
achievements
in
the
biosciences.
Neuroscience Prof. Huda Akil,
a panel member, said she believes
the panel was a good first step
in planning how to build on the
advantages that the University
already has.
“Nobody can do this in a
vacuum,” she said. “You could
never duplicate all the strengths
and weaknesses that already exist.
You can just build around them and
hope at the same time you can find
new direction.”
Panel member Tom Schmidt,
professor
of
ecology
and
evolutionary biology, said though
the panel made recommendations
about how to improve biosciences
at the University, no decisions were
made on the ultimate methods.
“That’ll be the next phase —
how do we address some of these
barriers that the panel identified?”
Schmidt said.
One way the University is
addressing
those
challenges,
Schmidt said, is by fostering a closer
relationship between UMHS and
the Medical School, as illustrated
by Runge’s dual position.
“We have tremendous strength
in the biological sciences, and so
how do we better coordinate that
and take advantage of it?” Schmidt
said. “Having the dean and the vice
president for medical affairs be the
same person, I think, will help with
that.”
Sally Camper, chair of the
Department of Human Genetics,
wrote in an e-mail interview that
some faculty members worry
UMHS may be inefficient while
Runge adjusts to his additional
role. For example, Camper’s term
as chair is nearing an end, and
she’s worried the search for a
replacement could be stalled.
“I think there is a fear that it
will slow things down,” Camper
wrote. “But his office has already
contacted
me
about
forming
a
search
committee
for
my
replacement, and he aims to fill it
quickly.”
Medical School student Brendan
Heiden applauded the move to
combine the positions. He said
he thinks the changes would be
positive, though perhaps slow to
occur. He added that it would be
beneficial for UMHS and Medical
School to work together in the
changing healthcare landscape.
“I think medicine is changing
rapidly
right
now,”
Heiden
said. “From a research funding
perspective,
from
a
health
insurance perspective, the rising
costs of patient care, all of that is
changing tremendously. Being able
to tie those two components of the
health system together would be
very beneficial for all those areas.”
However,
Heiden
said
he
recognized the transition might be
difficult.
“I think that the one challenge
here is that these are two very big
positions for one person to have, so
I think that the only tentativeness
that one could take from this is how
much one individual will have to
oversee,” he said.
Akil noted that with all of this
change, it will still be a waiting
game to see how the implications of
the panel come to light. She said the
panel left room for interpretation,
and it is up to Schlissel and the
administration to make decisions
based on the recommendations.
“The
panel’s
goal
was
to
envision possibility,” Akil said. “To
put that in front of the president,
administration and the regents
and to see which path they need to
choose. We did not try to impose
one single approach as the only way
to do it.”
LSA senior Alexandra Laps
said
she
believes
pre-medical
undergraduate students are already
attracted to both the University’s
hospital and Medical School, so
this restructuring can only further
the University’s high standing with
matriculating students.
“In terms of converging the
hospital and Medical School more
together, I think that people will
be able to get a lot more clinical
experience early on in Med School,”
she said. “This is something that,
especially me, in going through
the process am definitely attracted
to and would consider when I’m
looking at a Med School. I also think
that it will probably open up more
opportunities for undergrads to
get involved in clinical experience
while they’re at Michigan in order
to better prepare them for Med
School.”
Though the panel will not meet
again, Akil and Schmidt said they
believe its goals were achieved.
Akil said surveying the strengths
and weaknesses of the University
was their mission, and she believes
they did just that.
Schmidt
said
the
various
departments represented in the
panel all contributed to the final
recommendations.
“We wanted a diversity of
opinion and we wanted to have
the
strengths
across
campus
recognized,” he said. “There were
people there who were able to
speak about the museums, the
biological station, chemistry — how
advances in chemistry are affecting
the biological sciences. We wanted
that diversity of expertise to weigh
in on this because I think that’s
Michigan’s strength and how we’ll
achieve this goal is by building
bridges that connect some of these
people and areas of expertise.”
Kristen
Verhey,
associate
professor
of
cellular
and
developmental biology, said UMHS
needs change, particularly in its
culture.
“What is clear is that the overall
culture here needs to change,”
Verhey said. “And I think just
recognizing that and putting it in
paper is the first step, and therefore
I believe that it is going to be a good
thing.”
Scott Barolo, director of the
University’s Program in Biomedical
Sciences, said as of now, he does not
know of any obvious changes that
will occur to graduate education.
He added that he is optimistic
about the panel’s report, as it seems
likely the University will increase
support for the sciences.
Verhey added that basic support
for research and faculty was
lacking under past leadership,
and she hopes the restructuring
will create a more encouraging
environment.
vendors, contract workers and
temporary workers, will now have
to get a vaccination.
“This year we have improved
the policy to better ensure that our
patients remain safe while in our
care,” Masson said.
Employees who receive medical
or religious exemptions will have
to wear face masks before entering
patient care areas throughout the
flu season.
Influenza causes millions of
infections and thousands of deaths
every year in the United States.
The virus can survive on hard,
non-porous surfaces for hours to
days depending on environmental
factors. It can be contagious a
day before symptoms appear and
remain contagious for five to seven
days after symptoms emerge.
UMHS employees can get their
flu vaccinations at free clinics
throughout
October,
several
of which are offered through
Occupational
Health
Services
in the Med Inn Building. For all
other members of the University
community, the University Health
Service
provides
appointments
for flu shots. The University
is
currently
participating
in
the College and University Flu
Vaccination
Challenge
against
schools across the state such as
Michigan State University and
Wayne State University.
3-News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Thursday, October 8, 2015 — 3A
FLU SHOT
From Page 1A
BIOSCIENCES
From Page 1A