August 2010

With this issue of Focus, we say goodbye to our newsletter in a monthly format. Over the summer, the Office of Public Affairs and Publications is transitioning to a new way of gathering and distributing information that will allow us to spotlight more of the stories that make the UMass Medical School community so remarkable: the interesting people, the groundbreaking research, the innovative teaching and meaningful community engagement that happen here every day.

In the fall, the new Office of Communications will be unveiling a dynamic news Web site that will feature daily original content showcasing the breadth and depth of UMMS. It will be a portal through which both internal and external audiences can learn about UMMS and stay connected to the institution. We will also premiere a streamlined weekly version of Focus that will include important institutional messages and highlight the best of what we’re featuring on the UMMS news site. Look for these exciting communication vehicles in the fall and enjoy the rest of your summer. In the meantime, if you have story ideas or news that you’d like to share with the UMMS community, we’d love to talk to you! Send us an e-mail at UMMScommunications@umassmed.edu or give us a call at 508-856-2000.

The Focus staff
Public Affairs & Publications

CTSA grant places UMass Medical School among top research institutions

UMMS was awarded a prestigious Clinical and Translational Science Award--a $20 million grant that has the power to transform the institution, the community and the region. . . . Read full story >>

Construction update: digging deep at the Albert Sherman Center

Drilling, blasting and digging, in that order, continued into August as workers ready the site for the foundation of the Albert Sherman Center. The process involves drilling a matrix of deep holes to be loaded with an explosive charge. . . . Read full story >>

Inaugural class of School of Medicine Learning Community mentors named

Twenty faculty mentors, who will form the backbone of the new School of Medicine Learning Communities, met as a group for the first time in July to discuss their roles in the Learner-centered Integrated Curriculum (LInC), which will begin with the entering medical school class this month. . . . Read full story >>

Employee donations help Massachusetts children and youth living in foster care

Employees of UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine and its affiliates made the lives of Massachusetts children and youth living in foster care a little bit brighter by donating more than 2,000 items valued at approximately $10,000 to the Department of Children and Families during Foster Care Month. . . . Read full story >>

Team leaders get inspired for Walk to Cure Cancer

Walk to Cure Cancer team leaders heard inspirational stories from cancer survivors, veteran walkers and UMass Medical School cancer researchers at a kickoff breakfast in June. More than 15,000 people are expected to participate in the 12th annual Walk to Cure Cancer, which will be held on Sunday, Sept. 26, starting on the Medical School green. . . . Read full story >>