More than fifty faculty members from the Department of Genetics participated in the first annual Winter Faculty Retreat on Wed., March 7.
Held at the Rizzo Conference Center, the retreat was focused on team building, reviewing the history and accomplishments of the department, learning about research centers and new programs, and developing strategies for continued growth of the department. Participants competed in the “Marshmallow Challenge” to work as teams to build the tallest tower from spaghetti, tape, string and a marshmallow. Dr. Fernando Pardo Manuel de Villena, Chair, presented an overview of the accomplishments of the department, highlighting the collaborative nature and national ranking, in addition to new and proposed policies. Presentations were given by Drs. Chuck Perou and Tim Elston (Computational Medicine Program), Dr. Jenny Ting (Center for Translational Immunology), Dr. Aravind Asokan (Gene Therapy), Dr. Tim Wiltshire (Center for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy), and Drs. Mark Heise, Will Valdar and Jeff Sekelsky (Virology Training Program, BCB Curriculum and GMB Curriculum, respectively). The afternoon session was focused on strategic vision and the participants completed Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) analyses on a variety of topics followed by reports from each table. These outcomes will be the basis for the departmental strategic plan. Thanks to all who participated in the retreat!
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