President's Committee for Women in Health Sciences
Annual Report 2010
Dear Faculty in Health Sciences:
Welcome to Dr. Ted Mitchell, the eighth President of the Health Sciences Center. Dr. Mitchell joined the HSC in 2010, and the Committee looks forward to working with him. Please read his welcome statement at http://www.ttuhsc.edu/president/.
Membership
Here listed are the members of the President’s Committee for Women in Health Sciences:
- Dr. Barbara Sawyer, Chair (SOAHS)
- Dr. Alyce Ashcraft (SON)
- Dr. Cornelia de Riese (SOM)
- Dr. Gail Cornwall (GSBS/SOM)
- Dr. Janie Robles (SOP)
- Dr. Kendra Rumbaugh, Liaison to AWIS
Annual Meeting with the HSC President
Dr. Mitchell met with Committee chair Barbara Sawyer in July 2010 to affirm his support of the Committee. He showed strong interest in the ongoing childcare issue and pledged to discuss funding of a center with some specific donors who indicated their interest as well.
Recruitment and Retention
- Nursing Mothers' Lounge
By far the proudest accomplishment of the WIHS to date, the Nursing Mothers' Lounge in 3A 167 has been an important and crucial addition to TTUHSC. At the suggestion of Kendra Rumbaugh, the Committee approached Dr. Rial Rolfe with the idea of turning one of the restroom/lounge spaces at the east end of the 3A hallway into a lounge for nursing moms. The lounge took shape over several months in late 2009 and early 2010. Finally, in summer 2010, the lounge opened. Comments have been incredibly positive. A Medela breast pump has also been purchased and is waiting to be installed. Go by and visit! - Resource Guide
The Committee edited and updated the first TTUHSC Women Faculty Resource Guide with the 2nd edition published in September 2010. The Guide was originally developed to enhance the experiences of all HSC faculty by providing information regarding mentoring, goal-setting, research support, and other important general information. If you need a copy or several copies, please contact your School’s Committee representative! This is a great resource. - Candidate Review for Faculty and Administrative Positions
Dr. Mitchell expressed his interest in having a WIHS committee representative sit in on search committee meetings. Dr. Sawyer sent him all pertinent information from meetings held with the previous HSC President. At this time, no action has been taken on this issue.
Plans for the Future
With recent budget cuts at the forefront, the Committee has had to reconsider its future. We would still like to present an annual “Women in Health Sciences Excellence Award” for a woman faculty member who meets specific criteria for excellence in research, teaching, or service. This award would be presented at the same time the President's Awards for Excellence. We are also focusing on specific issues such as having the HSC named an official "family friendly" institution, WIHS representation on search committees, and as always, childcare.
Dr. Barbara Sawyer, chair of the Committee, will be officially resigning the chair post and position as SOAHS representative in March 2011. She has served as member and chair since 2005. Her SOAHS replacement will be Dr. Lori Rice-Spearman. Please welcome Lori and wish her all the best as the newest member of the WIHS.
As always, your input is invited and encouraged. Thank you all for your support!