Reminder: President Kibbe’s Listening Tour
The entire School Community is invited to join us at 11:00 AM on Monday, March 2 for the Listening Tour with UTHealth Houston President Melina Kibbe, MD. This is both an in-person event (6th floor at 7000 Fannin Street) and virtual event (Zoom Webinar).
We look forward to seeing many of you at this special event.
GET PHIT Internship Opportunity
The Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT) program is accepting applications for summer 2026 Internships. This will be the final semester these beneficial placements will be offered.
Students with strong interest in public health informatics and technology are encouraged to apply. The GET PHIT internship is a 160-hour part-time paid internship relevant to public health informatics. Students will receive a stipend based on education and skill. Practicum credit for the internship is also an option for eligible students.
The deadline for students to apply is April 1. For program requirements and the application, visit https://www.uth.edu/get-phit/internship.htm. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email [email protected].
Save the Date – Professional Development Week
We invite the entire student community at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics to attend our first ever Professional Development Week from March 16 - 20, 2026. This new event will include multiple events, over the span of five days, that help our students prepare for entry into the workforce. The agenda will include various workshops, mock interview opportunities, an employer fair, and a full day of professional development led by UT Austin’s Senior Director of Career Success. You don’t want to miss out!
Students will be invited to join a Canvas course that includes registration links for all events. The course will launch next week so please visit our website for more highlights and stay tuned for the official invitation.
Job Search Information Session – March 2
At 5 PM on Monday, March 2, UTHealth Houston will host “Job Search 2.0: LinkedIn and ChatGPT Secrets Revealed” for all students. This is a virtual event being hosted via Zoom.
This session will explore how modern recruiters rely on AI keyword matching, LinkedIn recruiter tools, and automated screening systems. Attendees will learn how to identify career paths using AI-powered networking and alumni data, build LinkedIn profiles and resumes optimized for recruiter algorithms, and prepare for interviews by focusing on key neurological components rather than conventional advice.
Registration is now open. We encourage all interested students to attend. For more information, visit this website.
Go Texan Day and Chili Cook-Off – Friday, February 27
This Friday (February 27), we invite the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics community to attend the annual Chili Cook-Off as we celebrate Go Texan Day; an annual celebration in Houston that kicks off the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The Chili Cook-Off is from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM in our school space on the 6th floor of UCT. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to bring an entry for the cook-off or simply join in to try some delicious chili. If you need to borrow a crockpot for the cook-off, please contact Dr. Amy Franklin. In addition to joining us for great food, make sure you showcase your Texan pride by wearing cowboy attire, like your boots and hat.
Your Invitation to our Annual Commencement Ceremony
We invite the entire McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics community to attend our annual Commencement Ceremony on Tuesday, May 12. This is not a joint ceremony with other UTHealth Houston schools — only graduates from McWilliams will be honored during this event.
The ceremony will be held at NRG Arena at 6:00 PM and a live stream option will be offered for those unable to attend in-person. Our Commencement Speaker will be Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS. He serves as the David L. Cohen University Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Computer and Information Science, Pediatrics, and Science Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.
Visit https://sbmi.uth.edu/graduation/ for more information on the school’s annual ceremony.
Qualified Health is Now Available
Qualified Health is UTHealth Houston’s new, free HIPAA and FERPA compliant, enterprise-level AI platform, funded by The University of Texas System. To learn more about this secure platform visit this Inside University News story: https://inside.uth.edu/news/story?id=955122c2-d11a-4f1c-9002-1a4c05ca2d11.
Unique Events & Opportunities
Members of our school community are invited to participate in these upcoming events focused on data, analytics, AI, and the broader Microsoft Data Platform ecosystem:
- Ai-Lytics Saturday Houston 2026 (SQLSaturday #1137): April 25, 2026 https://sqlsaturday.com/2026-04-25-sqlsaturday1137/
- Houston Area SQL Server User Group (HASSUG) http://www.meetup.com/hassug
Call for Participation: Evaluate the Effects of Chat-GPT on Student’s IQ Test Performance
AI has been changing all aspects of our lives. In this study, researchers will evaluate whether and to what extent AI, as represented by Chat-GPT, can improve student’s problem-solving abilities in an educational setting.
Eligibility
- All students currently enrolled in UTHealth Houston.
- Willing to participate and provide informed consent.
Exclusion
- Previous experience with the specific IQ test being used.
- Inability to participate in a controlled testing environment.
Compensation
- Students will be paid $50 for their time spent on the study. Note that students on a Visa are not eligible to receive compensation for participation but are still encouraged to participate.
Contact Information
- Study description and registration: https://uthealth.questionpro.com/Human-AI-Collaboration.
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Xiaoqian Jiang ([email protected])
- IRB Number: HSC-SBMI-24-0942
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events Dates
| March 2 | President Melina Kibbe, MD Listening Tour 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM in McWilliams Classrooms and Zoom Webinar |
Important Dates
| March 9-13 | Spring Break – no classes will be held |
| March 20 | Deadline to apply for graduation or certificate completion for spring 2026 |
| March 27 | Last day to drop with a withdrawal grade of “W” with the appropriate form submitted by 5 PM CT (DocuSign) |
| March 27 | DHI/PhD - Last day to defend translational project/dissertation. Drafts must be sent to the Advising Committee for review 10 business days before the defense date. |
Visit our website for a full list of research seminar dates and access to recordings for past seminars.
Office of Academic Affairs
7000 Fannin, Ste. 650 Houston, TX
Phone: 713.500.3591
Email: [email protected]
7000 Fannin, Ste. 650 Houston, TX
Phone: 713.500.3591
Email: [email protected]
