p e o p l e a n d
Faculty milestones
p l a c e s
Bridge builder
Anthony Speights has taken on major
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roles – associate dean of Interdisciplinary
Kerwyn Flowers is the new director of rural medical
Medical Sciences and director of the
education. Most recently she was an assistant professor in
College of Medicine’s Bridge Program.
the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health.
The one-year master’s program provides
She succeeds Anthony Speights, who can now devote
promising but disadvantaged students
full attention to his other roles, including director of the
with a bridge to medical school or
Bridge Program and (here’s a promotion) associate dean
Flowers
another career in health care. In August,
of Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. He succeeds Helen
Bridge was honored by INSIGHT Into
Livingston (story, page 9).
Diversity magazine as a 2019 Inspiring
Program in STEM.
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“This award is being presented as a
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Foster
Liz Foster is the new assistant dean of the Interdisciplinary tribute to people and programs that
Medical Sciences program. Most recently she was director of encourage and inspire a new generation
IMS pre-health academic programming. of young people to consider careers in
science, technology, engineering, and
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math,” wrote Lenore Pearlstein, publisher
of INSIGHT Into Diversity. “Your award-
Eric Laywell is the new assistant dean for admissions. He’s
winning program continues to make a
also an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical
significant difference through mentoring
Sciences and director of the anatomy lab. He succeeds
and teaching, research, and other efforts
Graham Patrick, who is approaching retirement but is
worthy of this national recognition.”
continuing to teach this fall.
Laywell
Speights, who grew up in a small town
and whose parents never got to college,
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relates to these students.
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Joan Meek is the new dean of the Orlando Regional
“In high school and through
Campus. She also serves as associate dean for graduate undergrad,” he said, “everything is about
medical education. She succeeds Michael Muszynski, who ‘Every man for himself.’ You have to be
is now a Professor Emeritus and is featured on page 7. the best in order to succeed – or you just
get left behind. So we bring them into
Bridge and the first thing I say is: ‘OK,
everything that you think you know
Meek
about the education process, you have
to forget now. Because this is all about
Anthony Speights
with then-medical
student Martine
Sainvilus (M.D., ’19).
She got her start
in medical school
through the Bridge
program and is now
in her first year with
the Orlando Health
Pediatrics Residency
Program.
learning how to work together … to
depend on each other … to trust each
other … to be vulnerable – and to be all
right being wrong in front of each other.
“Because medicine really is one of those
careers where it is impossible to know
everything that there is to know.”
Speights said the Bridge staff goes to
great lengths to ensure that it admits
students who fit the program – “because
we are going to put forth every effort
8
to make sure that we bring everybody
along…. I love this group. I love what this
program does. And I feel like I’m home.”