News from the School of Medicine-Kansas City and Wichita

Giulia Anna Bonaminio, PhD, director of preclinical training in the office of academic affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, has been named director of the medical education support unit at the School of Medicine, effective March 3. She will be responsible for the establishment and development of the medical education support unit. The unit will support the faculty education council and its curricular subcommittees in the development, implementation and evaluation of curriculum for all phases of medical education. The unit also will provide consultation to graduate medical education programs, continuing medical education programs, faculty development and the promotion and tenure committee for assessment of faculty performance. Bonaminio earned her bachelor's degree in biology summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1983 from Bowling Greening (Ohio) State University (OSU). She earned her master of science in genetics in 1985 and doctorate in molecular genetics in 1990 from Ohio State University, Columbus. While working on her doctorate, she was a teaching assistant in the department of molecular genetics at OSU. From 1990 to 1992, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of genetics at Stanford (Calif.) University. In 1992, she joined the University of Kentucky as an instructor of microbiology and immunology and biomedical curriculum specialist in the office of academic affairs. From 1993 to 1996, she was co-project director of a grant, "Preparing Physicians for the Future: A Program in Medical Education," funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kentucky medical curriculum office and University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Last year, she was named to her current position as director of preclinical training, and her responsibilities include coordinating and supervising curriculum section personnel; assisting the curriculum committee in the implementation, operation and review of curriculum; and directing faculty development activities.

News from the School of Medicine-Kansas City

The department of internal medicine and the division of cardiovascular diseases are sponsoring the Kansas City Echocardiography Society 1997 Lecture Series at North Kansas City (Mo.) Hospital. On Feb. 11 the topic will be "Novel Echocardiography Methods To Quantify Regional and Global Ventricular Function." On April 8 the topic will be "Advances in 3D and 4D Imaging." For more information, call continuing education, ext. 4488.

News from the School of Nursing

Iness Irvin, MSN, has been named an associate faculty fellow in the School of Nursing. She will work with Julie Hagemaster, PhD, ARNP, assistant professor and principal investigator of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention faculty development grant.

News from the School of Allied Health

Based on the results of the 1996 National Registry Examination, the health information management department is ranked 10th nationally out of 57 schools offering such a degree program. Ninety percent of the 1996 health information management graduating class passed the registry exam, with students scoring above the national mean in all the test categories.

Marilee Means, PhD, SCT (ASCP), chair of cytotechnology, will present a workshop, "Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance," at the April 11 American Society of Cytotechnologists meeting in Kansas City.

News from the Center on Aging

There are two upcoming Center on Aging Research Seminars. David Ekerdt, PhD, associate director of the Center on Aging, will discuss "Young vs. Old: Creating 'News' at the Kansas City Star" on Feb. 4 in 5030 Robinson. Stephanie Studenski, MD, director of the Center on Aging, will discuss "The Value of Performance Measures in the Clinical Setting: The PEP Study" Feb. 11 in 5026 Wescoe. Both seminars will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

The next Center on Aging Ethical Analysis Seminar will be from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 12 in 2004 Orr-Major. The topic will be "Mrs. Smith, This Will be My First Central Line."

News from the KU Endowment Association

A graduate of the KU School of Nursing and her husband have created a $25,000 trust to provide scholarships for KU nursing students. George and Marjie Westrup Holcomb of Bella Vista, Ark., established the trust at the KU Endowment Association. The trust will provide Marjie Holcomb with an income for the rest of her life and then will create the Leota Teats Westrup and Marjie Westrup Holcomb Scholarship Fund for outstanding students at the School of Nursing. George Holcomb died in 1996, shortly after the couple established the trust. Marjie Holcomb, who was raised in Hope, Ark., still lives in Bella Vista. She graduated from the KU School of Nursing in 1930. Nurses in the family and school friends who studied nursing in the 1920s inspired her to pursue her own nursing career. Her mother, Leota Teats Westrup, had been a practical nurse in Dickinson County, and a second cousin served as a missionary nurse in India. Shortly after graduation, she took a position in Butler, Mo., and eventually became the head nurse at Butler Hospital. Widowed twice, she married George R. Holcomb in 1990 in Bella Vista, where each had retired. George Holcomb taught mathematics at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville from 1968 until he retired in 1982. Through their gift, the Holcombs are charter members of the Elizabeth M. Watkins Society at the KU Endowment Association. The club recognizes those who have made a provision for KU in their estate plans.

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