RICHMOND, VA. - Five Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) and a leading Virginia community college
are partnering with the University of Nebraska and Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU) to create a special program to
provide a multitude of academic and research opportunities for
minority undergraduate students and faculty.
Called the Virginia-Nebraska Alliance, the ultimate goal of
the unique partnership is to increase the number of minority
health professionals and researchers nationwide, with the hope
of promoting better health outcomes for underrepresented
minorities. The impetus for this partnership is the national
need recognized by all of the institutions to reduce
disparities in access to quality health care based on racial
and ethnic status, economic and social circumstances. Though
racial diversity in the United States is increasing, there is a significant lack of racial diversity in health care policy,
administration, researchers and health practitioners.
New affiliations include:
Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Va.
Hampton University, Hampton, Va.
Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va.
St. Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Va.
Virginia State University,Petersburg, Va.
Virginia Union University,
Richmond J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond
New opportunities for African-Americans
Virginia State Sen. Benjamin Lambert III, a key player in
bringing together Virginia and Nebraska for the partnership,
is thrilled with the alliance. "This opens up opportunities
for African-Americans to attend professional school. This is
something we really need," he said. "The numbers of
African-Americans pursuing health careers has dropped. This
will really enhance the opportunities for students to become
doctors, dentists and other health professionals."
Alliance is national model
Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., chairman of the President's Advisory
Committee on HBCUs, echoed Sen. Lambert's feelings about the
alliance. "This really has the potential for being a model
that can be used in many places," he said. "This is a model
that deserves the careful scrutiny of all 106 HBCUs." Dr. Sullivan is president emeritus of Morehouse School of
Medicine in Atlanta and served as secretary of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services under President George
H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993. He intends to cite the
Virginia-Nebraska Alliance at the annual meeting of the
President's Advisory Council on HBCUs, which begins Sept. 12
in Washington, D.C. He is chairman of the council. In
addition, he will allude to the alliance when he makes a
presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on
Sept. 20, as part of his duties as chairman of the Sullivan
Commission, an organization that looks at the status of health
professionals in terms of diversity.
Key areas of the agreement
The agreement focuses on four key areas: student exchanges to
cultivate undergraduate students' interest in pursuing
graduate education in health and basic sciences; research and
clinician faculty exchanges; faculty research collaboration;
and institutional collaboration for funding opportunities.
Signing ceremony participants
Participants at the Sept. 8 signing ceremony included:
Sen. Lambert;
Dr. Sullivan;
Sidney A. McNairy Jr., Ph.D., D.Sc., National Institutes
of Health;
Harold M. Maurer, M.D., chancellor, University of
Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.;
Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., president, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Va.;
Jay Noren, M.D., executive vice president and provost of
the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.;
William R. Harvey, Ph.D., president, Hampton University,
Hampton, Va.;
Alvin Schexnider, Ph.D., acting president and executive
vice president, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va.;
John Waddell, Ph.D., president of St. Paul's College,
Lawrenceville, Va.;
Eddie N. Moore, Jr., Ph.D., president of Virginia State
University, Petersburg, Va.;
Belinda C. Anderson, Ed.D., president, Virginia Union
University, Richmond;
Gary Rhodes, Ed.D., president, J. Sargeant Reynolds
Community College, Richmond.
Virginia, Nebraska governors praise alliance
"I'm always interested in initiatives that encourage more
minority students to enter into the health professions as
careers, and this initiative helps further that goal," said
Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner.
"I am very pleased to see the university is taking the lead in
expanding opportunities for minority students to study and
perform research here," Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns said.
"Creating opportunities for undergraduates to make connections with faculty at one of the country's leading medical research
programs is an important part of this exchange."
Improving diversity, eliminating health disparities
"The partnership is important for the medical center," Dr.
Maurer said. "Our faculty and staff are committed to mentoring and encouraging these bright and energetic students to choose
and succeed in the health professions. This also will enable
faculty from all involved institutions to further develop
their interests in an invigorating setting, whether they be
research or clinical endeavors. Eliminating or at least
reducing health disparities is crucial. This is a unique
opportunity to improve diversity on our campus and in the
health professions, not only in Nebraska, but beyond." Dr. Maurer spent 25 years at the VCU School of Medicine in
Richmond, 17 of which were spent serving as professor and
chair of the department of pediatrics.
Alliance provides "unprecedented opportunity"
"The Virginia-Nebraska Alliance provides an unprecedented
opportunity for two major medical centers to work in concert
with five historically black colleges and universities and a
community college on behalf of providing not only access to
first-rate graduate and professional programs, but to
collaborative research opportunities as well," said Dr. Trani.
"I hope that once this alliance has proven to be successful,
and mutually beneficial to all of the institutions involved,
it will become a model for other similar collaborations to
develop across the country."
J.B. Milliken, J.D., president of the University of Nebraska,
said: "I am excited about the opportunities for collaboration
among all campuses of the University of Nebraska and the
participating Virginia universities, and I compliment
Chancellor Maurer and UNMC for leading the way. This
affiliation can be an effective way of providing educational
and research opportunities in addressing the disparities that
exist in our health system."
Existing affiliation agreements
UNMC currently has academic affiliation agreements with
Dillard University in New Orleans, Fort Lewis College in
Durango, Colo., and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
In addition, agreements are being negotiated with Morehouse
College and Spelman College, both in Atlanta, Bennett College
in Greensboro, N.C., and Tennessee State University in
Memphis. VCU has a long history of working with Virginia's
HBCUs as well as other of the nation's prestigious HBCUs.
Educational, research opportunities
Rubens Pamies, M.D., UNMC vice chancellor for academic
affairs, said the joint partnership is an effort to help HBCUs meet their objectives in educating underrepresented minorities
and providing research opportunities.
"Research is the driving force that can address minority
health disparities and access issues," Dr. Pamies said. "The
bottom line is that students and faculty at UNMC and each
institution will benefit. We want their students to have these
opportunities.to get diverse experiences across the country.
"Our partners have made a commitment to facilitate
collaboration at their institutions so talented students can
get the knowledge and skills to flourish in their chosen
fields of science. We are working hard with other minority
institutions across the country. We have a track record. We
need to address the growing problems in the minority community
of diabetes, cancer, stroke and asthma."
He said potentially more funding opportunities are available
for the collaborating universities. "There are grants we can
garner together that we can't alone. We all bring a lot to the
table. The potential for funding is huge," Dr. Pamies said.
NIH official praises alliance
Activities will include student research opportunities during the summer, faculty exchanges, seminars and presentations, and
collaborative grant applications. Students participating in
summer research spend at least two summers at UNMC and are
typically supported by stipends and possibly supplemental
funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other
federal agencies and private foundations.
The Institutional Development Award Program (IDeA) and the
Research Facilities Program that are administered by the
Division of Research Infrastructure, National Center for
Research Resources, NIH, already provide substantial resources
to the University of Nebraska for the development of their
research infrastructure.
"This alliance is an excellent way to emulate the long-range
objectives for the IDeA program," said Dr. McNairy, a division director for the NIH. "I am pleased and excited about the fact that the University of Nebraska is taking such a bold step to
facilitate the inclusion of HBCUs more fully in the nation's
biomedical research agenda."
Student experiences
In the past three years, UNMC has provided summer research
experience for 40 minority undergraduate students, 26 of whom are from HCBUs. Twenty-two of these students were awarded NIH
minority undergraduate stipends.
Tyrone Cherry, who participated in a UNMC summer research
internship in 2004 as a student at Virginia State University,
appreciated the time UNMC physician/researchers spent with
him.
"Coming in I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult
because I hadn't taken organic chemistry yet," Cherry said.
"But it was a very nice experience. My primary investigator
was real patient with me and my lab mates taught me organic
chemistry during our breaks, so I actually learned a whole
lot.
"My experience was very rewarding as far exposing me to the
process of medical research in the lab. It gave me a head
start as well as some confidence. Most importantly, the
program allowed me to make lifelong friendships with other
minorities from all around the country who are on the same
path as me. It also has provided valuable lessons about
school, as well as life."
Nebraska ties
Besides UNMC Chancellor Maurer's tie to Virginia, two VCU
administrators have ties to Nebraska. Dr. Trani served as
assistant vice president for academic affairs at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) from 1976 to 1980. Marsha
Torr, Ph.D., vice president for research at VCU, served as
vice chancellor for research at UNL from 1999 to 2001.
Honoring HBCUs
Sept. 12-18 has been designated as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. President Bush is scheduled to
issue a proclamation that week honoring America's HBCUs.
Tom O'Connor, Senior Associate Director
University of Nebraska Medical Center Public Affairs Department
985230 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5230
Work Phone: (402) 559-4690; Fax: (402) 559-4103; Pager: (402) 888-1438
Home Phone: (402) 895-3307; Cell Phone: (402) 650-7063;
E-mail: toconnor@unmc.edu; Web site: www.unmc.edu
