May 4, 2022 | Volume IV, Issue 9

Larner Celebrates Professionalism with 2022 Awards Ceremony

“Going above and beyond” and consistently demonstrating kindness, compassion and respect were common accolades in the nomination letters for the 2022 Dean’s Awards for Professionalism recipients. On May 3, the Larner College of Medicine marked the third anniversary of the formal introduction and celebration of the College’s Statement on Professionalism at a virtual awards presentation ceremony.

“Professionalism isn't defined by how you look or where you're from . . . it's how you treat others,” said Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., in his opening remarks at the event.

Nominations Review Committee Chair Jennifer Gilwee, M.D., a past Faculty Award recipient and associate professor of medicine, told attendees that there were significantly more nominations this year than last year - and that she expected nominations would increase in the years to follow.

Awards and their respective recipients recognized at the event included:

• Medical Student Award: Richard Brach, Class of 2022
• Graduate Student Award: Trevor Wolf, Ph.D. Candidate, Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Sciences
• Staff Award: Mindy Bean, Administrator, Department of Pediatrics
• Faculty Award: Nathalie Feldman, M.D., Director of the Learning Environment, Interim Associate Dean for Admissions, and Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences

Read the full article about the Professionalism Awards event, including a list of all nominees.

Pictured above (left to right): Trevor Wolf, Mindy Bean, Richard Brach, and Dr. Feldman.

Inaugural UVM Research Week Features Larner Faculty and Trainee Investigators

In celebration of its standing as a top 100 public research university, the University of Vermont held its first “Research Week” April 18 to 22 to showcase the work of faculty, student and trainee investigators. The week’s events included a Research Resource Fair, UVM Innovations’ annual Invention to Venture (I2V) Conference, a two-day Student Research Conference, and a Postdoctoral Research Conference.

An impressive list of Larner faculty inventors received recognition for patents and licenses at I2V, which took place April 20 at Hula, a technology-driven co-working campus in Burlington’s South End.

The university’s annual Student Research Conference, launched in 2007, also took place during Research Week in a hybrid format, with posters available for viewing online and in-person oral presentations in the Davis Center.

The week’s events concluded with UVM’s inaugural Postdoctoral Research Conference, a showcase of postdoctoral research presented by the UVM Postdoctoral Association and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Postdoctoral Association co-chair Brandon Bensel, Ph.D., postdoc working with David Warshaw, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics, said the event’s two-fold goal was to provide opportunities for peer-to-peer professional networking and a chance for the UVM community to view the type and quality of research done by postdocs.

Read the full “Inaugural Research Week Features Larner Faculty and Trainee Investigation & Innovation” article.

Dixon Named 2022-23 University Scholar

Anne Dixon, M.A., BM BCh, professor of medicine, has been named one of four 2022-2023 University Scholars. The University Scholars program recognizes distinguished University of Vermont faculty members for sustained excellence in research, scholarship, and creative arts. In addition to Dr. Dixon, Emily Bernard, Ph.D., professor of English, Jan Fook, Ph.D., professor and chair of social work, and Beverly Wemple, Ph.D., professor and chair of geography, were named as 2022-23 University Scholars.

Dr. Dixon, who joined the UVM faculty in 2001, has served as director of the Vermont Lung Center since 2019 and is chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

A fellow of the American Thoracic Society (ATS), Dr. Dixon has a notable national and international reputation for her clinical and research expertise in the areas of asthma and lung disease related to obesity and metabolic dysfunction. At UVM, she was recognized as the Senior Investigator of the Year in 2016 by the University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group, and was honored as Research Laureate during the 2021 Larner College of Medicine Dean’s Excellence in Research Celebration.

Read more about Dr. Dixon.

Pictured above: Dr. Dixon

Mindy Bean, Department of Pediatrics Administrator

Compassion, integrity, cultural humility, kindness, respect: These words describe both Mindy Bean’s character and the traits that propel her colleagues to seek out her assistance and support. These qualities, along with her teamwork, inclusivity, caring attitude and leadership skills, earned Bean the 2022 Larner College of Medicine Dean’s Professionalism Staff Award.

Bean, who is a UVM undergraduate alum, joined the Department of Pediatrics in 2015 as a business/accounting specialist after working for several local nonprofit organizations. In 2020, she was promoted to department administrator, gaining responsibility for the department’s finances, grants management, and human resources. She enjoys interacting with her suite co-workers and collaborating with colleagues in other Larner departments.

“I really appreciate and love being able to reach out to someone in a different area and learn from them," said Bean, adding, “We all have different strengths and can give each other tips and tricks.”

Bean eagerly accepts challenges at work and takes initiative to complete projects says Chair of Pediatrics Lewis First, M.D., who nominated her for the award.

In his nomination, Dr. First wrote: “This past year was challenging for our department and … our Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) due to the retirement of its two senior leaders last summer. Ms. Bean eagerly stepped in and oversaw the program administratively until the new director started in February, and in doing so was able to help advance VCHIP’s mission by making sure grants, contracts, and other administrative duties of that program were attended to. She did this while running every other aspect of our department from recruitments to personnel issues to budgets and while still finding time for team building wellness activities that she orchestrates regularly for staff and faculty.”

UVM Staff Council also applauded Bean’s professionalism in 2020-21 with a Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Forward Looking (LEAF) Award, recognizing her excellent service to the university community and broad-minded, collaborative attitude.

Outside of work, Bean enjoys spending time with her newlywed spouse (they married in November) and their dog, Bartley, who she describes as “the best pooch in the whole wide world.” She likes reading about food, watching cooking shows, eating, and having dinner with friends and family.

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