Pediatrics honors, September 2026

Professor and Division Chief, General Academic Pediatrics, Sandy McKay, MD, FAAP, was honored with a 2025 AAP Special Achievement Awards from the Texas Pediatric Society (external link) (TPS), the Texas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. McKay has also been selected as TPS president-elect. Her term as president-elect will begin this September, then her term as president will begin September 2027.

Assistant Professor, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Vershanna Morris, MD, and Professor and Division Chief, Nephrology and Hypertension, Joshua Samuels, MD, have been selected to serve on the inaugural McGovern Medical School Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee (DFAC). The DFAC will provide input and recommendations to the Dean on matters related to academic affairs and the general academic welfare of the medical school as well as help inform policy decisions and strategic planning through the perspectives and experiences of our faculty.

Assistant Professor, General Academic Pediatrics, Michael Petrus-Jones, DO, MEd, MPH, MS, was awarded first place for his research poster in the Medical Education Initiative category by the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS). Dr. Petrus-Jones’ poster, Confidence in Color: Preparing pediatric residents for LGBTQ+ care with a novel interactive workshop, will be posted online (external link) and displayed in the main foyer throughout this year’s annual meeting.

 

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