A new chapter is forming at The Alumni Association. It is the Student Chapter. This concept is fashioned after a similar one familiar to both the director of alumni relations, Derrick Miller and associate dean for alumni relations, C. Mark Chassay, M.D. ’92, through their work in Austin at Texas Exes. After several focus groups with students on UTHealth campus, Miller and Chassay were ready to get the process moving. Initially, the Association approved the concept at the August 15, 2014 board meeting.
On October 7, 2014, 25 students attended an interest meeting designed to outline The Alumni Association’s mission and goals along with its rich history and desire for further student involvement. Immediately after the meeting, the charter for an official campus organization was created and sent forward for approval. Erin McHugh has been the lead. “We hope to create a forum for student and alumni interaction beyond the hours in the classroom. We hope, that by engaging our alumni and students in conversation about their experiences in school and in practice, we will encourage our students to seek out additional mentorship and learning opportunities available to them as members of the UTHealth Houston community,” said, Erin McHugh, MSII, student chapter president.
The group will begin some new programs this spring. The first program will be Grand Sounds. This program brings our top alumni to campus for a lunch to discuss how the medical school aided in their accomplishments. The speakers will be able to interact with the chapter and other students either in person or via electronic means.
Stay tuned for more events and announcements as the group moves forward.