Category: Public Service


Forty Years of Fortitude: Dr. James Dale’s Journey to Develop a Life-Saving Strep Vaccine

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When the phone call came, Dr. James Dale’s first thought wasn’t gratitude or pride. It was confusion. “Why in the world are they giving this award to me?” the professor emeritus recalled thinking. “Where are all the young, innovative people?” Yet after four decades of research on a vaccine that could save nearly half a… Read More


New Chief of Staff Strengthens College of Medicine’s Tennessee Mission

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Brittany Sheehy's headshot

Brittany Sheehy, PhD, recently joined the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as the chief of staff for Executive Dean Michael Hocker, MD. As chief of staff, Dr. Sheehy manages internal operations for the executive dean’s office. “Brittany brings exactly the kind of strategic thinking and operational excellence we need… Read More


From Patient Care to Advocacy, Dr. Emilee Dobish Is a Champion for Children

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Portrait of Dr. Emilee Dobish

Ever since Emilee Dobish, MD, was old enough to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” she has known the answer. Born with a diaphragmatic hernia, she spent her first days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. “I was on… Read More


Tennessee Health Leaders Visit UT Health Sciences for ‘Conversation Among Partners’

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“It is good to be here and partner with you,” Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dunn, DVM, PhD, said during a visit to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Memphis campus Thursday, Dec. 11. Commissioner Dunn and members of his leadership team came to Memphis to officially present three rural health grants to… Read More


Impact Awards Commend UT Health Science Excellence Across State

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The winner holding his award and posing against the UTHSC Impact Awards backdrop

“The energy yesterday and the energy today makes me feel like if I come in tomorrow and then Sunday, those days will also have some great energy happening around here,” Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, said Dec. 12 of recent celebratory events, opening the 2025 Impact Awards at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Attendees… Read More


Prioritizing Partnership and Progress, Dr. Karen Derefinko Guides Faculty Senate Forward

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Dr. Karen Derefinko speaking at the podium at a Faculty Senate meeting

When Karen Derefinko, PhD, talks about her work, there is a theme that comes up again and again: people working together can solve almost anything. This principle is what first drew her into clinical psychology, what motivates her research today, and what shapes her goals as president of the Faculty Senate at the University of… Read More


Director Selected to Lead Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence

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Photo of Matt McDaniel

Matt McDaniel, MPH, MPA, has been named the director of the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence. McDaniel brings strong experience in public health and public service to his leadership role in the new, statewide initiative housed at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He joined the Center of Excellence as director on… Read More


Fall 2025 Pharmacy Magazine Highlights College’s Legacy of Drug Discovery

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College of Pharmacy Magazine Cover

As one of the nation’s top pharmacy schools, the College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is leading the way in advancing pharmaceutical research while training the next generation of pharmacy professionals. The fall 2025 issue of Pharmacy Magazine demonstrates how the college continues to transform lives through excellence in pharmacy… Read More