Dec. 2021
Office of the President
Dear Burrell College Family, 

The holiday break is fast approaching! Very soon, another year in our College's history will be behind us and the next chapter just around the corner. 

I am full of gratitude for all that we have accomplished in 2021; especially given the challenges that we have had to face and overcome. Across our seven regional academic centers and our main campus here in Las Cruces, our students, faculty, clinical physicians, and staff have worked hard to continue giving back to their communities while creating moments of inspiration and camaraderie.

To our students, thank you for another year of commitment to the College, the community, and to the profession of osteopathic medicine. I look forward to seeing all the ways you will make the College proud in 2022. 

To each member of our faculty and staff, I sincerely thank you for your dedication all year long. It is through your continued efforts and support that the College has successfully navigated another year of uncertainty brought upon us by the pandemic. 

On behalf of myself and the executive leadership, I wish you a very happy holiday season full of good health and celebration. 
Office of the Dean
  • The latest update on the search for our Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs position: The search committee, chaired by Dr. Karen Vaillant, interviewed three finalists on campus. A big thank-you to all who participated in the various conversations and presentations, as well as to the search committee for identifying three highly qualified candidates. We are gathering your feedback about the candidates and will be proceeding with the next steps soon. We will continue to keep the Burrell community apprised.

  • Burrell College leadership appeared before the virtual COCA meeting on December 2nd to discuss our applications for our class size increase and our additional location on Florida Tech’s campus in Melbourne, FL. We await official word from the Commission and expect good news soon.

  • I cannot believe the holiday season and year’s end are upon us, but here we are. I hope everyone celebrating the holidays has a joyous season and a safe and restful break!
Institutional Advancement
At the December Towne Hall, we revealed the second installment in the Regional Academic Center (RAC) series, focused on our Eastern New Mexico location. The Eastern New Mexico RAC includes the cities of Hobbs, Lovington, Roswell, and Artesia. This region of New Mexico is officially designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration as a medically underserved area and their hospital providers have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for our third and fourth-year medical students who are rotating within their systems. Click here to watch the video!
Administration & Operations (HR, IT and Finance)
A cross-departmental data integrity project designed to improve data security and access through enhanced integration of administrative systems and processes is underway, which will ultimately positively impact all College departments.

Finance: The Finance office is preparing for the calendar year-end, which will start the budget cycle for the fiscal year July 1st, 2022, through June 30th, 2023. The Finance Office would like to welcome our new Accountant, Lori Villareal. Please welcome Lori if you are in the Finance/HR suite.
                                                                                                                                             
HR: The HR Office has been completing the benefits enrollment changes on behalf of employees.

IT/Facilities: The IT department has been working on a series of IT security, data management, and documentation projects. The Facilities department continues to oversee the expansion of the campus and related remodeling of existing space. The IT department welcomes our new IT Client Support Specialist, Jesus Aranda. Please welcome Jesus to the Burrell team!
Research Office
  • The Office of Research has completed the review and updating of all Standard Operating Procedures.  Please refer to the updated SOPs as needed.

  • We are pleased to announce that the following students have been admitted into the Distinction in Research pathway: Gina Gilderman, Akhil Gupta, Kathryn Hall, Dillon Haughton, Anissa Johnson, Erica Kozorosky, Cristina Lee, Jessica Lee, Jacob, McClellan, Ilana Pyatetsky, and Anna Subonj. 

  • The AOA 2022 research grant application cycle is now open. Research funding is available to DO and Ph.D. researchers conducting studies that address one of four Request for Applications (RFAs) in areas approved by the AOA Board of Trustees. Grants are also available for new investigators, residents, and medical students.  For more information, visit the AOA website 
  • Application Submission Timeline
  • November 29, 2021: Application submission opens
  • January 31, 2022: Application Deadline
  • June 2022: Awards announced

  • We wish you a joyous holiday season!  
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
  • Professor Kristopher Vaudrey was recognized by SOMA as a "Thankful Thursday" recipient for Thursday, November 18th. According to the SOMA Facebook post, he was recognized for "being very supportive and kind to all students;" for his informative and entertaining lectures; and for always knowing how to put a smile on students’ faces.

  • The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology held an all-day working retreat on Friday, November 19th. Departmental faculty discussed and shared thoughts regarding teaching and curricular development in the anatomical sciences and identified a collaborative medical education research initiative to undertake in the near future.
Department of Biomedical Sciences
  • Second-year students Erica Kozorosky, Valeria Nunez-Martinez, Leandra Padayachee, Cristina Lee, and Jessica Lee mentored by Dr. Stauss earned the first prize in this year’s national SOMA research conference in the clinical research category.

  • Half of our second-year students participated in two-part virtual interprofessional education (IPE) activities (directed by Dr. Scott Ochs) with pharmacy students Chapman University School of Pharmacy this past November.

  • Members of the department participated in the Winter Revelry festivities.

  • The Department of Biomedical Sciences department would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays.
Department of Clinical Medicine
Welcome, Faculty Arrivals 

  • We are proud to announce the arrival of Mary Lacaze, MD, our new Pediatric Hematologist/ Oncologist. She is bilingual and brings years of experience in administration, teaching, and as an advocate of the southwest. She is an avid horseman and welcomes all of the students, staff, and administration to stop by and say hello.\

  • Muhammad Khan, MD is joining the Clinical Medicine team. He arrives with experience in inpatient medicine, administration, and teaching. He previously was a core faculty at the University of Indiana. Please welcome him when he arrives in January.
 
Transitioning

  • Adela Lente MD, Surgery is departing Burrell after several dedicated years. Her leadership, dedication, and advocacy for the underserved and underrepresented will be missed. A farewell will be announced.

  • Dick Darrow, DO, Internal Medicine, has announced his retirement from teaching. He has been living in Florida with his family, and kindly remained with Burrell the last two years, traveling to and from New Mexico. He has been a vital linchpin in delivering quality teaching as a MACP (Master in the American College of Physicians). He also will be dearly missed. Please join us in a farewell TBA.
 
Events

  • The preclinical medical students have organized and completed another successful medical screening day at city hall. Special thanks to Megan and Dr.’s Goldsteen, Cyrus, Tano for volunteering to make this successful. Many medical students dedicated their time to this productive event, providing health screenings, flu shots, COVID vaccines, diabetic eye screens, as well as health literacy resources.
Department of Clinical Education
In partnership with Faculty Affairs, we are launching a series of faculty development sessions: PPDP: Preceptor Professional Development Program. This series will help our Preceptors gain knowledge of the student’s curriculum and logistics of completing medical school and matching into Residency. The session that just took place covered the following:

  • Honors in 3rd year Core Clerkship Rotations by Irina Zhorzholiani, Director of Clinical Education
  • Process for Letters of Recommendation by Michelle Devora, Career Counselor
  • SLOE by Traci Groening, DO FACOOG FACOG, Assistant Professor, Clerkship Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • MSPE (Deans Letter) by Michelle Devora, Career Counselor & Vanessa Richardson, Executive Director of Student Services

We had a successful Preceptor attendance via Zoom on our 12/8 session!

The Class of 2024 has submitted their preferences and will be notified about their 3rd-year RAC assignments before winter break.

The Class of 2023 is completing their last rotation and has started to set up their 4th-year rotations. Winter Break is from December 18th to January 2nd.

The Class of 2022 has completed their interview season and will continue rotations.
Department of Physiology and Pathology
We have had two recent visitors:
  • Dr. Nancy Pandhi from the UNM Department of Family and Community Medicine was our Distinguished Researcher; and
  • Dr. Alvaro Pinto was our candidate for the faculty position in Pathology.

Thanks to everyone (students, staff, and faculty) who met with them and attended their seminars – this has been a very busy time of year and we know your time is valuable.

Senior Advisors to the Advisory Colleges – Drs. Woods and Gosselink, along with Drs. Bramblett and De La Rosa – have been approved to host a focus session at the 2022 IAMSE meeting in Denver.

Much appreciation to Dr. Kania for organizing the recent Advisory College Fair, and to those who participated. Despite the questionable weather, it appears much fun was had by all!

From our department to you and your loved ones – a very happy holiday and best wishes for a productive 2022!
Diversity and Inclusion
The Month of December marks a time in the academic year when we have a break to come together, explore, and visit with friends and family.


  • The Diversity Council welcomes and appreciates faculty and staff involvement in the MLK, Jr. Day of Diversity and Service event. If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please contact Justin McHorse at jmchorse@burrell.edu.
  • Date: Monday, January 17th, 2022
  • Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
  • Where: Burrell Main Campus, 1st Floor
Office of Enrollment Services
The Office of Enrollment Services welcomes a new Administrative Coordinator. Please join us in welcoming Stephanie Caballero to the position. The Office of Admissions is currently interviewing candidates to seat the Class of 2026. Faculty, please take a moment to sign-up to interview candidates for the Spring term. We are also asking faculty to submit potential questions to be used in future interviews. Please contact Courtney Lewis or Natalie Davis for more information.  Commencement is right around the corner. The name that appears in your CAMS student portal is the name that will appear on your diploma. If you would like to request a legal name change to your student record, please reach out to the Office of the Registrar. Enrolled students may be eligible for a one-time grant from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Please visit https://burrell.edu/students/office-of-financial-aid/heerf/ for more information. 
Student Affairs
Major Events to Come in the New Year!

  • March 18th, 2022, at 9 am; Class of 2022 Match Day Celebration at New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum

  • May 5th, 2022, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm; Class of 2022 Pre-Commencement Reception at New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum

  • May 6th, 2022, at 10:00 am; Class of 2022 Commencement at NMSU Pan American Center
Accreditation and Compliance
November Revised Policies
·       B7570 Staff Tuition Reimbursement
·       B4000 Facilities
·       B3011 Fiscal Management
Updated Standard Operating Procedures
·       FIN.002 Audited Annual Report
·       FIN.003 Budgeted Development Control Process
·       FIN.008 Financial Human Resource System Access Control
·       FIN.009 Fixed Asset Administration
·       FIN.012 Investment of Funds
·       FIN 010 Fraud Awareness Reporting
·       FIN.016 Purchasing Process
·       FIN.019 Board of Trustee Expense Reimbursement
·       GA.007 Exposure and Containment Plan
·       HR.003 Drug and Alcohol Screening
·       HR.005 Onboarding and Separation
·       HR.008 Sick Leave
·       HR.010 Fraud Awareness Reporting
·       HR.022 Performance Evaluation
·       PCE.013 Course Evaluation Procedure
·       RSP. 012 Product Safety Data Sheet Access and Submission
·       RSP.007 BSRL Personal Electronic Device Use
·       RSP.002 BCOM Chemical Hygiene Plan
·       RSP.008 Research Account Purchasing
·       RSP.003 Medical Student Travel
·       RSP.007 BSRL Personal Electronic Device Use
·       SA.009 Health Insurance 
·       SA.010 Mental and Physical Health Referrals
·       SA.003 Career Counseling

As part of an annual review process, departments reviewed all Standard Operating Procedures in their department, and if needed, made revisions. The SOP’s listed were revised as part of the annual review process.

The mask mandate was extended in New Mexico through January 7th, please continue to wear a mask indoors per the mask mandate. You can continue to monitor the number of active COVID cases on our campus on our COVID-19 webpage.
Faculty Affairs
  • Faculty Affairs welcomes Lahri Singh as the new administrative assistant.

  • We have initiated a new program entitled “PPDP: Preceptor Professional Development Program”. The first session was held on December 8th including presentations by Irina Zhorzholiani, Michelle Devora, Dr. Traci Groening, and Vanessa Richardson. Many thanks to the Department of Clinical Education for the contribution to the event’s success.
Library Services
Interested in a good read over the break? If so, please stop by the library and peruse our medical humanities collection. We have popular titles such as Demon in the Freezer, When Breath Becomes Air, Apollo’s Arrow, The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, and many others just waiting for you to take them home. We also have “self-help” books on such topics as difficult conversations, emotional intelligence, financial management, and leadership. But if these titles don’t wiggle your inner bookworm, we would be happy to point you to titles available at the NMSU Library. Beyond a leisure read, check out our updated “Featured Books” carousel on our homepage highlighting some valuable board study titles. We hope to see you, virtually or otherwise!   
 
The library will have reduced hours beginning December 15th and resuming regular hours on January 4th. Updated library hours are always available at https://library.bcomnm.org/home.
Faculty Council
Faculty Council is pleased to announce the winners of the Halloween Trunk-or-Treat costume competition:
 
      Faculty Award: Erin Palazzolo          Staff Award: Irina Zhorzholiani     Student Award: Calvin Memmot
Thank you to all who participated! Faculty Council also held its second meeting of the term on December 8th. 
Staff Council
The Staff Council would like to warmly welcome two new staff members to the Burrell College community: Jesus Aranda and Lori Villarreal. Jesus has joined the IT department as an IT Client Support Specialist and Lori has joined the Finance department as an Accountant. Welcome!
 
As the new year approaches, the Staff Council is planning additional engagement opportunities between the staff and Burrell Leadership. Please join us on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022, from 8:30 am to 9:00 am for coffee and donuts in the Bear Den. A calendar invite will be sent as the date draws near.
 
On behalf of the Staff Council, we would like to wish everyone a very Happy Holidays! Stay warm, be safe, and have fun. We'll see you next year!"
Inspire Your Day
Kindness is like snow—it beautifies everything it covers.
Kahlil Gibran

What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year. 
Vern McLellan

Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold.
Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

 To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.
Aristotle

Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings.
Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Laughter Can be the Best Medicine
What did one snowman say to the other snowman? Can you smell carrot?

What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? An abdominal snowman.

What do you call a penguin in the Sahara desert? Lost.

What do you call a reindeer with no eyes? I have no eye deer.

What does a gingerbread man put on his bed? A cookie sheet!

BEAR:
Building Expectations of Alliance and Respect


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