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McNeese named distinguished alumna

Dr. Margaret McNeese

Dr. Margaret McNeese has been selected as the 2008 Distinguished Alumna of the Kinkaid School.

McNeese, the associate dean for student affairs and admissions and professor of pediatrics, graduated from the Kinkaid School in 1963.

Established in 1990, the award is given annually to “one who has attended Kinkaid and represents achievement and excellence in his/her life.” McNeese was nominated by a peer and selected for the award by a committee from the Kinkaid Alumni Association Board.

“Margaret’s specialization as a pediatrician and her inherent empathy for the vulnerable – both man and beast – led her to become one of the foremost experts in this nation on child physical and sexual abuse and on methods of providing medical care for the underserved, most particularly Mexican-American children in our community and beyond,” said Mary Nell Lovett, a former classmate.

McNeese said her first reaction to winning the award was disbelief.

“On reflection, I can appreciate all that Kinkaid gave me  – an outstanding education, awareness of community and lifelong friendships – all conducted in a supportive and nurturing environment,” McNeese said. “Kinkaid equipped me to breeze through college and medical school – never once did I feel that there was anything that I could not accomplish – this notion was fostered at Kinkaid.”

Established in 1906, the Kinkaid School is a non-sectarian college preparatory day school in Houston that enrolls 1,280 students, from prekindergarten to twelfth grade.

McNeese received her award at the Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner at the Houston Country Club April 8, along with Gene Festa, distinguished honorary alumnus, and Marc Sumerlin, distinguished young alumnus.

Previous winners of the Kinkaid Distinguished Alumnus Award include Beth Robertson, Jack Mayfield, Wilhelmina Robertson Smith, and David Underwood, all of whom have served the UT Health Science Center on various boards and in support of development efforts.

-D. Brown

Class of 2011 sets service project

The Medical School Class of 2011’s is taking on the renovation of the Burress House as its spring service project. The Burress House is a shelter for women who are HIV positive and would be homeless without this shelter. The mission of the shelter is to help its residents handle their illness and become independent, and they are required to work, volunteer, or enroll in school full time. In addition, each resident is responsible for rent at the shelter; however, those who cannot pay are still accepted.

The students plan to paint the lobby and hallways of their indoor facility, garden/landscape, add a grill and awnings to the patio area of the facility, help restore a damaged driveway, and overall create a more inviting outside activities area for the residents to enjoy.

The official date for this year's event is 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Lunch will be provided, and the day will be divided into two shifts, 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. All members of the UT Health Science Center community and friends are invited to help spread the word and sign up to participate. To volunteer, Brad Walker at bradley.a.walker@uth.tmc.edu and to make a donation, contact Michelle Tang at michelle.q.tang@uth.tmc.edu.

Bar association looking for medical volunteers

Medical School clinical faculty are invited to participate in the Interprofessional Drug Education Alliance (IDEA), a cooperative drug awareness and prevention program developed as a vehicle for children to talk with physicians and attorneys about the effects of illegal drug use, both medically and legally.

Since its inception in 1992, the IDEA program has impacted over 27,000 students. This program gives physicians and attorneys the opportunity to present a unified front to the community, while discussing the consequences of illegal drug use.

During the sessions, fifth-grade students in Harris County schools learn about the medical ramifications of using illicit drugs. The attorneys provide the legal implications of illegal substance abuse.  These two elements are vital in a truly successful drug awareness program.

The IDEA program is seeking physicians to volunteer 8:30 – 11 a.m. May 6. Contact Lucy Fisher at the Houston Bar Association for more information: 713.759.1133, or lucyf@hba.org.