UTHealth Houston couple pays it forward for students in microbiology
Students in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics can now look forward to increased educational support thanks to longstanding members of the UTHealth Houston family, Steven “Steve” J. Norris, PhD, and Deborah “Debbie” Norris.
With decades of combined service at UTHealth Houston, the couple has created the UTHealth Houston Microbiology Education Fund, which will provide support for students and fellows in microbiology to pursue academic activities like presenting at scientific conferences, conducting summer research, and leading outreach events that inspire school children to take an interest in science.
“We believe the most important mission at UTHealth Houston is education,” Steve said. “We wanted to ensure that our students have the opportunity to develop the research, presentation, and teaching skills that will make them tomorrow’s health leaders.”
(Photo by Dwight C. Andrews Office of Communications)
Debbie served in the human resources department at UTHealth Houston for 30 years, until her retirement in 2019. A distinguished microbiologist, Steve has been faculty at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston since 1982. Although based in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, he has been heavily involved in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Graduate Program since their inception. During his tenure, Steve’s commitment to education inspired a microbiology training grant and summer undergraduate research program that continue to this day.
Through the new endowment, the couple will build on this legacy to provide flexible educational resources for microbiology students and fellows in perpetuity. They also took advantage of the UTHealth Houston Champions Match Program, which provides a one-to-one match on all qualifying endowed gifts from faculty, staff, and alumni.
Theresa M. Koehler, PhD, was named the initial administrator of the UTHealth Houston Microbiology Education Fund. She also serves as chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and the Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Chair in Biomedical Science.
“We are deeply grateful to Steve and Debbie for their many contributions to the department over the years and for this generous gift to our current and future trainees,” Koehler said. “Steve’s dedication to training for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is an inspiration for us all, and it is an honor to carry forward the Norris legacy through this endowment.”
“We hope that this endowment serves as a model for philanthropy in other education areas,” Steve said. “Through the combined effort of our community, we can help grow the next generation of scientists and health care workers in all fields.”
Everyone is welcome to contribute to the UTHealth Houston Microbiology Education Fund. If you would like to join Steve and Debbie’s efforts, please visit giving.uth.edu/microbiology-education-fund and enter “microbiology” in the Search Funds Here box.
As Steve said, “The more the merrier!”