Saturday, June 15, 2024

July 26, 2006 sees Congressional Record publish “TRIBUTE TO UTMB”

Volume 152, No. 100 covering the 2nd Session of the 109th Congress (2005 - 2006) was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“TRIBUTE TO UTMB” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1540 on July 26, 2006.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

TRIBUTE TO UTMB

______

HON. RON PAUL

of texas

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the University of Texas Medical Branch of Galveston (UTMB), Texas, which is in my congressional district, on being named by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation one of the best workplaces for commuters among colleges and universities. UTMB earned this recognition because of its efforts to improve both the environment and the quality of life for commuters. UTMB has also recently received Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need grant to support seven fellowships for nursing students who intend to teach nursing at the university level. UTMB only applied for funding for three nursing fellowships, but the Department of Education awarded UTMB funding for seven fellowships. I am sure I do not have to tell my colleagues how unusual it is for a college to be awarded more funding than they requested.

Working closely with UTMB as I do, I am not surprised that it is in the forefront of both nursing education and efforts to improve the lives of commuters. The people of UTMB are consistently working to improve the lives and health of Texans and all Americans.

UTMB is one of the major centers of medical research in Texas and in the Nation. UTMB features a multidisciplinary environment that enables scientists and clinicians to work on projects that often have immediate application to patient care. Among UTMB's areas of strength are neuroscience; pain management and stroke treatment; gastrointestinal health; environmental health and asthma; infectious diseases; vaccine development; cancer; molecular medicine; aging; and diabetes. Among its numerous activities, UTMB hosts summer science programs for middle school, high school, and undergraduate students to help encourage and develop the research work force of tomorrow.

A recent, and particularly noteworthy, UTMB program is Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, a key component in the efforts to protect the American people from the threat of bioterroism. Established in 2002, the center has two main objectives: (1) To reduce the vulnerability of the U.S. and other nations to the use of biological weapons for warfare and terrorism, and (2) to alleviate suffering from emerging and tropical infectious diseases through application of basic, applied, and field research, and education.

While UTMB's research program is impressive, many Texans primarily think of UTMB as a leading provider of quality health care. This is because UTMB offers services ranging from primary to specialized diagnostic care. Particularly impressive is UTMB's pioneering telemedicine programs. For example, UTMB has recently begun a new telemedicine program to bring medical services to the residents of Jamaica Beach, Texas. UTMB has established telemedicine connections for special-needs children in east Texas, for workers on offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, for employees of a Galveston-based insurance company, and for passengers of a cruise ship that will travel worldwide.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston being named one of the best workplaces for commuters and for receiving funding for seven nursing fellowships from the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need grant program. I also extend my gratitude, on behalf of all the people of my district, for all that the people of UTMB are doing in both the field of medical research and in delivering quality health care to the people of Texas.

____________________

SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 100