Letter from the Chair

It’s been almost a year since our last newsletter. I am grateful to our process improvement manager Carson Allen (standing, far right) for taking the lead in reviving Psychiatry Connection after our previous editors moved on to other duties at UMMC. This photo is from January 4, 2023, a day of celebrating Barbara Jones (seated, right) as she transitioned from department business administrator (DBA) to her new role as associate CFO of budget and finance. Also featured in the photo are the Department’s business and education staff: Jessica Brownlow, Mary Galicki, Amber Brown, Cathy Randall, Sylvia Greer, Jenna Mitchell, Teresa Graves, Brynna Rhoden, Doris Whittington, Cameron Kenney, Tara Brock; not pictured is Kristy Herbison.

I am pleased to introduce Holly Turner-Jones as our new DBA. Ms. Turner-Jones joined us in April. She comes to UMMC from MD Anderson in Houston. She is featured in a separate article in this newsletter. Welcome, Holly!

These are exciting times for the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior. We are currently in the process of a national search for a new chair. I expect that the new chair will be greeting you in the next newsletter. It has been an honor for me to serve as the Department’s interim chair over the past year.