Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Schieltz (Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics) and her husband, Tim, on the birth of their new son! All are healthy and doing well.

Theodore James Schieltz was born 9/8/19 at 12:15 AM weighing 7 lbs 5 oz.

Congratulations to Dr. Diana Zepeda-Orozco (Nephrology), and her husband, on the birth of their new daughter, Lucia de la Pena, born 8/27/19!

Congratulations to Dr. Jessie Marks (General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine) for recently receiving a “You Make a Difference Award” for her excellent care to a patient and their family. Nominated by the patient’s mother, the text of the nomination is below.

Congratulations, Dr. Marks!

“Jessie was one of the doctors that was on the team for my son while in the hospital. She did his circumcision and did a great job all while explaining every step to us. She made sure we were well informed beforehand but ensured we understood the process and allowed us to be in the room throughout the procedure. She is extremely knowledgeable and personable with parents and excellent with newborns and I’m sure with all pediatrics. She also seemed like a great person to work with as a coworker ‐ she was very friendly with all the people she worked with.”

Dr. Donna D’Alessandro (General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine) was recently recognized by the Board of Directors of the Academic Pediatric Association for her contributions to the organization, both in the past and ongoing. The text of the letter received by the Department is below. Congratulations, Dr. D’Alessandro!

“Dear Dr. Eva Tsalikian,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Academic Pediatric Association (APA), I want to recognize the numerous contributions of Donna D’Alessandro to the Academic Pediatric Association:

• Communications Committee Member, provides thought leadership to the committee and assists in the implementation of communication and engagement strategies, 2017-present

• Educational Scholars Program, Chair and Cohort Leader, responsible for the entire 25-member cohort and faculty members, oversees curriculum, evaluation and the research committees, 2017-present

• Academic Pediatrics Journal, Reviewer

• Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting, annually reviews workshops and abstracts submissions, 1995-present

• Speed Mentoring Task Force, provided thought leadership for the program since its inception, participated as a mentor, 1995-2019

• National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics Task Force, provides thought leadership to the executive leadership committee in the development of the national academy, 2017-present

Your colleague is an extremely valued contributor to the Academic Pediatric Association. Her leadership has been instrumental.

In the current academic medicine environment, competing priorities place significant pressure and time constraints on faculty. We appreciate the time and expertise Dr. D’Alessandro has provided to the APA. As you may know, the APA is an organization dedicated to nurturing the academic success and career development of child health professionals to enhance the well-being of all children. It is only with the contributions of esteemed faculty like Dr. D’Alessandro that we can achieve this goal. Dr. D’Alessandro is an outstanding leader and a highly regarded colleague. We sincerely appreciate her contributions and support of the APA.”

s/paul chung, MD, president, academic pediatric association