Physiology and Cell Biology graduate student, Caitlin Caperton, has been selected by the UAMS College of Medicine Scholarship Committee to receive the Dr. Michael and Paula Jennings Endowed Scholarship for the 2021-22 academic year.
Caitlin, an M.D./Ph.D. student, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “The dichotomous role of immune cells in thyroid cancer pathogenesis,” on May 17 and started her clinical rotations as a third-year medical student on June 1.
Dr. Jennings and his wife, Paula, established an endowed scholarship in 2018 for the benefit of medical students entering their third year in the College of Medicine. The recipient is chosen each academic year based on financial need and experience or an interest in medical or health-related research, as determined by the College of Medicine Scholarship Committee.
Dr. Jennings has earned countless accolades as a faculty leader, widely recognized researcher into the mechanisms of ion transport, and award-winning educator since joining the faculty as Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in 1995. He served as the College’s inaugural executive Associate Dean for basic sciences from 2014-2016.
During his more than twenty-five years at UAMS, he has been well known for helping departments advance their research and education programs and find opportunities for collaboration. Dr. Jennings continues to be an active member of the faculty since stepping down as Chair in 2020.