As we begin a new year, I want to thank each of you for the commitment, creativity, and resilience you bring to the Heersink School of Medicine. Our progress is driven not only by our research discoveries, clinical excellence, and educational mission, but by the people who make this work possible. As we look ahead to 2026, our guiding priority is clear: supporting our people and championing a culture that enables every member of our community to thrive.
This focus is deeply rooted in our values. When we invest in our faculty and staff—by supporting their professional growth, reducing friction in systems and processes, and fostering transparency and trust—we strengthen the foundation of everything we do.
Central to this commitment is sustained support for our faculty across all stages of their careers. Programs such as the Pittman Scholars exemplify our dedication to early-career investigators by providing protected time and resources to accelerate promising research.
We are also committed to supporting our faculty when unexpected challenges arise. Our new REFRESH Award is a short-term funding mechanism designed to support Heersink faculty whose research programs have experienced an unanticipated loss of funding. By providing up to $100,000 for one year, the REFRESH Award offers investigators the opportunity to pivot, refine, or redirect their work while generating the preliminary data needed for future extramural support.
At the university level, the Presidential Bridge Funding and Clinical Trialist Development programs, part of the Research Strategic Initiative, help investigators pursue new investigative avenues, navigate critical funding gaps, and build the skills needed to lead clinical trial studies. Together, these efforts reinforce our shared responsibility to nurture talent and sustain momentum in an increasingly competitive research environment.
Supporting our people also means giving them the systems, resources, and environments necessary to perform at their best. Tools such as myUABResearch represent an important step forward in streamlining workflows and improving access to information. Similarly, the development of programs like ARO-CT underscores our commitment to reducing administrative burden while maintaining the highest standards of oversight and accountability in clinical trials.
Ongoing construction and renovation projects will create upgraded spaces for excelling in all our mission areas. The Biomedical Research and Psychology Building will be a hub for interdisciplinary research, while the UAB Hospital Emergency Department expansion will alleviate overcrowding and improve patient care. The opening of the Volker Hall Atrium is the latest milestone in an ongoing renovation of our central medical education facility.
Finally, I am pleased that merit pay increases for UAB employees were approved effective January 1, 2026, and that a UAB Health System merit pool was also approved. I am grateful to Dr. Watts for strongly advocating for the merit pool and the extra paid holidays that were provided for our employees—two critical ways we recognize the value of our faculty and staff.
To learn more about these and other priorities, I invite you to join me at the State of the School address on Wednesday, February 4, from 12-1 p.m. My vision for 2026 is one in which people feel supported, valued, and empowered to contribute fully to our shared mission of advancing health through discovery, education, and patient care. I look forward to carrying our values and vision forward together in the new year.