Trainee & Alumni Affairs

Pickens Academic Tower
1400 Pressler FCT 7.5000
Houston, Texas  77030

Telephone: 713-792-2696
Fax: 713-792-7895

Office Hours:   Monday-Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm & Friday 8:00 am - 12:00 noon

Metrics

Trainee and Alumni Affairs (TAA) supports over 119 research and clinical programs by appointing over 4,000 trainees each year.

Functions

Trainee and Alumni Affairs provides leadership and support for training programs at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Our functions include:

• Providing programs that enhance the educational experience for all educational trainees
• Processing trainee personnel actions, e.g., appointments, re-appointments, stipend increases and terminations
• Providing certificates and verification of training for educational trainees
• Building Web sites and interactive databases to improve communication and to ensure accuracy and integrity of trainee records
• Ensuring that the educational programs are in compliance with federal and other outside agencies
• Offering an informal conflict resolution ombudsman function to ensure a safe place for educational trainees to bring concerns
• Communicating policy and operational changes to all department and program personnel

Department Staff

Trainee & Alumni Affairs Organization Chart (pdf) 

Toya Candelari, Dr.P.H.
713-792-2698
tcandela@mdanderson.org

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Director, Trainee and Alumni Affairs

Deborah Mouton
Associate Director, Finance and Operations
713-745-4181
dmouton@mdanderson.org

Fiscal oversight and management of departmental and educational trainee budgets.

Zia Anklesaria
Management Analyst
713-563-1095
zsankles@mdanderson.org

Overall project management and coordination of business user involvement for the DISCOVER system implementation; fiscal oversight of rotating and non-physician programs including interagency agreements and GSBS Student Travel Awards.

Ryan Braun
Senior Applications System Analyst
713-794-1872
rbraun@mdanderson.org

DISCOVER system programming and database development.

Gwendolyn Brown
Administrative Assistant
713-792-2696
gmbrown@mdanderson.org

Departmental support and reception desk coverage.

Jennifer Chen
Systems Analyst II
713-563-8852
jqchen@mdanderson.org

DISCOVER system programming and database development.

Ernie Gerardo
IT Project Manager
713-792-8218
egerardo@mdanderson.org

Design and development of new applications and databases for managing TAA information and automating processes. Technical assistance and maintenance for existing information systems within TAA.

Isabel Ip
Systems Analyst II
713-794-1785
iip@mdanderson.org

Coordination of the development, utilization and maintenance of the office database with PeopleSoft and other relevant systems.

Chauntelle Mathews
Systems Training Coordinator
713-563-9546
cmathews@mdanderson.org

Training support for the DISCOVER system; support for Grants and Fellowships and Internal Awards Database.

Student & Alumni Affairs

Sharon Pepper
Associate Director, Student and Alumni Affairs
713-563-9194
spepper@mdanderson.org

Development and management of programs, activities, and membership of M. D. Anderson Alumni & Faculty Association.  Development and management of programs and activities of the Student Affairs Office for the M. D. Anderson School of Health Professions and the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Charlotte Fuselier
Senior Administrative Assistant
713-563-1142
cfuselie@mdanderson.org

Administration of several institutional award programs.  Administrative support for the Alumni & Faculty Association Steering Committee.  Professional administrative support for general tasks and requirements of the associate director of Student and Alumni Affairs.

Jennifer Price
Program Coordinator
713-563-9667
jenmprice@mdanderson.org

Coordination and implementation of activities to promote diverse extra-curricular student development programs for students in the M. D. Anderson School of Health Professions and The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Non-Clinical, Rotating and Observer Programs

Jana Mills
Program Manager, Non-Clinical, Rotating and Observer Programs
713-563-4321
jmills@mdanderson.org

Oversight of non-physician programs, resident rotations and observer programs.

Sarah Broussard
Administrative Assistant
713-794-5814
sgbrouss@mdanderson.org

Back-up support to academic appointments for check-in of rotating students, residents and fellows; issuance of ID badges, ID numbers for computer access and dictating, parking contracts and meal tickets. Back-up support for the meetings of the GME Committee and its subcommittees.

Denise LaGrone
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-745-0939 dlagrone@mdanderson.org

Academic appointments for full-time clinical non-physician, check-in of rotating students, residents and fellows; issuance of ID badges, ID numbers for computer access and dictating, parking contracts.

Jakmica McKinney
Senior Administrative Assistant
713-792-0336
jmckinne@mdanderson.org

Professional administrative support for non-physician programs, resident rotations, observer programs; professional administrative support for Associate Vice President for Trainee & Alumni Affairs.

Graduate Medical Education

John Weinland
Associate Director
713-794-1953
jweinlan@mdanderson.org

Management of internal review process and accreditation for graduate medical education programs. Assurance of institutional compliance of accrediting body regulations.

Sharen Cason
Program Coordinator
713-792-4640
sacason@mdanderson.org

Support for GME associate director with review process and accreditation of graduate medical education programs; administrative support to the Graduate Medical Education Committee, its Executive Subcommittee, the Budget Subcommittee and the GME Curriculum Subcommittee.

Kamilla Guinn
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-745-5743
kguinn@mdanderson.org

Appointment of full-time residents and fellows; supports the internal review processes for GME programs.

Igdalia Miranda
Administrative Assistant
713-745-5730
imiranda@mdanderson.org

Support for the appointment process for full time, Anderson-based GME trainees. Assistance with verifications and the processing of certificates for full time GME trainees who have completed their programs.

Deborah Sifuentes
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-745-2701
dsifuent@mdanderson.org

Appointment of full-time residents and fellows; supports the internal review processes for GME programs.

Research Educational Programs

Martha Skender
Associate Director, Research Trainee Programs
713-563-1374
mskender@mdanderson.org

Oversight of research training programs.

Sara Becerra
Senior Secretary
713-794-5984
sbecerra@mdanderson.org

Administrative support for the research staff including but not limited to trainee appointments, issuance of trainee identification badges, resident tuition petitions, change in address information, check-ins and exit clearance.

Carolyn Goebel
Administrative Assistant
713-563-1361  cjgoebel@mdanderson.org

Administrative support to the Associate Director of Research Trainee Programs; responsible for check-ins, New Employee Orientation, postdoctoral meetings and events involving research staff and trainees.

Zera Harden
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-745-4343
zharden@mdanderson.org

Appointment of postdoctoral research trainees and graduate research assistants.

Alma Hernandez
Trainee Liaison
713-563-8859
achernan@mdanderson.org

Educational Program Agreement appointments; Odyssey Fellow appointments; Web editor.

Lydia Martinez
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-745-4034
lfmartin@mdanderson.org

Appointment of postdoctoral research trainees and graduate research assistants.

Patricia Norfleet
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-792-3578
pnorflee@mdanderson.org

Appointment of postdoctoral research trainees and graduate research assistants.

Marius (Mark) Reyes
Sr. Academic Coordinator
713-563-8916
mpreyes@mdanderson.org

Appointment of postdoctoral research trainees and graduate research assistants; H-1B visas; issuance of appointment verifications.