Endowed lectureship honors Kirklin

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the James K. Kirlin, M.D., Endowed Lectureship in Cardiothoracic Surgical Sciences during its meeting Nov. 8, 2013. 

The University of Alabama Health Services Foundation made a $75,000 contribution to the Department of Surgery in the UAB School of Medicine to fund the lectureship. Kirklin is the director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery; he began his career at UAB in 1979 and performed the first heart transplant at UAB in 1981.

The board also approved the following faculty appointments:

• Yogesh Dwivedi, Ph.D., was named the inaugural holder of the Elesabeth Ridgely Shook Endowed Chair in the UAB Department of Psychiatry. Dwivedi was recruited to UAB in August as professor and director of the UAB Mood Disorders Program in the School of Medicine. He is internationally known for his contributions to the understanding of mood disorders, stress-related pathology and suicidal behavior.
• Christine Skibola, Ph.D, was named the inaugural holder of the Caldwell Marks Endowed Chair in Cancer Oncology in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Skibola was recruited to UAB in 2012 as professor of epidemiology. She has published more than 66 peer-reviewed articles and four book chapters.
• Gorman Robinson Jones, III, M.D., was named the holder of the Eleanor E. Kidd Endowed Chair in Primary Care Medicine in the School of Medicine. Jones first taught accounting at UAB and earned his medical degree while teaching. He completed his residency at UAB and received the Ben Friedman Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Resident. 
• N. Patrick Huggins,Ph.D., was named professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in the School of Medicine. Higgins joined the UAB faculty in 1983; he was co-director of the Heflin Center for Human Genetics and director of the Biochemistry Fermentation Facility. 
• Alan Randich, Ph.D., was named professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology. Randich directed of the Behavioral Neurosciences Doctoral Training Program and held a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Anesthesiology. He won the Dean’s Excellence in Mentorship Award in 2013. 
• Douglas Carroll Tilt, M.D., was named professor emeritus in the Department of Medicine. Tilt completed his internship and residency at UAB and holds certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine.