Dear colleague: 

Football season is now officially over. Spring Training begins in about two weeks. And this year I will be able to get to some day games. 

I was in Philadelphia last Monday for a meeting of the national program office and the site directors of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. There is a lot of interest in continuing the program after RWJ funding stops in 2017, and part of that is trying to recruit fellows for the 2016 year and potentially adding new sites. Should that happen, the competition would probably be next fall.  

The storm that dumped three feet of snow on Massachusetts last Monday was a non-event in Philadelphia, but that did not deter the airlines from cancelling dozens of flights. I was offered a trip back to Denver the next day in the late afternoon. I experienced a mini-“Trains, Planes and Automobiles” day by taking Amtrak from Philadelphia to the Baltimore airport, and then connecting back to Denver through Houston on a plane that originated in Managua, Nicaragua (where there was apparently no snow). I got home after midnight, but it was worth it because I wanted to be present for what was a very busy (and very nice) Tuesday. Late Tuesday afternoon, campus and school officials gathered outside of the late, great Trivisible Room in Research 2 and, with a champagne toast from Chancellor Donald Elliman, rechristened it the Richard D. Krugman Conference Hall. I am humbled and honored by the recognition. Lilly Marks, the university’s vice president for health affairs, kept it in perspective for me though. She recalled how I used to look at a portrait of former Dean Ward Darley (1945-1949) in one of our meeting rooms at the Ninth Avenue campus and say “Who is that dude anyway?”  Well, I guess my time is coming to be that guy. Lilly aptly concluded her remarks: “Today, dude, this one’s for you.” 

One of the many joys of my job has been serving as president of University Physicians, Inc. (UPI). Our practice has been a pillar of strength for our School and on Tuesday I presided over my 25th and final annual meeting of UPI in the first event for the Krugman Conference Hall. What a marvelous journey UPI has been on. I remember in 1990-1991 UPI had $48 million in collections and the School’s research portfolio was $66 million. This past year, UPI reported more than $600 million in revenues and the School’s research award portfolio is around $336 million. UPI again reported double-digit growth. I am deeply appreciative of stellar leadership of Jane Schumaker, UPI’s executive director, her all-star executive team and the school’s Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs Doug Jones, MD. Thank you to all the UPI members whose dedication and productivity provide such strong support for our School. 

Congratulations to Lawrence Hunter, PhD, professor of pharmacology, on receiving the 2015 Outstanding Contributions to the ISCB Award from the International Society for Computational Biology. The award recognizes a member of the society community each year who has exhibited exemplary leadership, education, service, or a combination of the three. 

The Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) has announced the CCTSI Pilot Grant Awardees for the 2015 Colorado Pilot, Center for Neurosciences Pilot, and Child and Maternal Health Pilot Programs. Congratulations to all of the award recipients. 

Finally, I mentioned in last week’s email the gala to raise money for the CU Cancer Center and I said it was an annual event organized by the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH). I received a reminder from the University’s First Lady Marcy Benson last Monday that the event was a collaboration between the University of Colorado and UCH. We succeed in these events and in all our endeavors by working together. 

I am Potential Juror #858 today in Denver Criminal Court today.  I hope not to see anyone I know there. 

Have a good week and happy Groundhog Day.

Richard D. Krugman, MD
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine

"What’s Going On Here" is an email news bulletin from Richard Krugman, MD, Dean of the CU School of Medicine, that is distributed to inform University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty members about issues pertaining to the School’s mission of education, research, clinical care and community service. See the UCH-Insider →

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