?Leadership, Planning and Evaluation The Mays Cancer Center (MCC) is led by Director, Ruben A. Mesa, M.D. Dr. Mesa is assisted in this role by the MCC Senior Leadership, comprised of a Deputy Director and five Associate Directors, each of who has expertise in their area of responsibility. They are: Tim H-M. Huang, Ph.D., Deputy Director; Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., D.Sc., Associate Director (AD) for Clinical Research; Robin Leach, Ph.D., AD for Education; Susan Padalecki, Ph.D., AD for Research Administration; Amelie Ramirez, Dr. P.H., AD for Community Outreach and Engagement; and LuZhe Sun, Ph.D., AD for Basic Research. Members of the Senior Leadership provide counsel and recommendations to the Director with final authority for decisions on behalf of the MCC residing with the Director. The Senior Leadership meets on a monthly basis that also includes the Senior Leaders from the MCC cancer service line, allowing for integration between the two groups. The Senior Leadership also meets with the Program Leaders as the Research Executive Committee (REC) bi-weekly. Senior Leadership works directly with the Program Leaders, Shared Resource Directors, and other MCC committees to build consensus on MCC priorities that span the breadth of the mission (research, cancer care and education), strategic planning and implementation, and allocation of resources. The Senior Leaders ensure consistency in the mission, vision, and goals of the MCC and develop synergistic interactions among the basic, translational, educational and clinical elements of the Center. They provide feedback on the growth and the needs of the MCC in their area of responsibility. They also plan and implement proactive, integrative approaches for development of the research base, resources, and the MCC Strategic Plan. Planning and continual evaluation have been critical for the development of the MCC and its research infrastructure, and alignment of clinical infrastructure to support our research goals. The Center uses both internal and external sources for review and evaluation, soliciting input from Cancer Center experts. The MCC External Advisory Board (EAB) is the primary external mechanism for review and advice on the MCC and its progress in both clinical and basic research. MCC has also utilized smaller ad hoc advisory groups for Cancer Center Administration, Shared Resources and Programs. Internal mechanisms for planning and evaluation center around the Senior Leadership Committee (SLC), REC, as well as the MCC Internal Advisory Board (IAB) and the MCC Shared Resources Oversight Committee (SROC). The IAB includes Senior Leaders from UT Health San Antonio (UT Health SA) who meet annually to provide feedback on the MCC's progress in clinical and research arenas at the UT Health SA. The SROC aids the Center through annual evaluation of the MCC Shared Resources as well as by making recommendations related to the Shared Resources. A key part of the MCC planning and evaluation process has been the development of a MCC Strategic Plan. A number of groups including those mentioned above have had a role in the strategic planning process. A critical element of the MCC Strategic Plan is building further on the historical focus of the Center on serving its community and region (catchment area) and understanding cancer in our predominantly Hispanic population. Other areas of focus include expansion of team science at the MCC, outreach to other institutions of higher education in the area through cancer research career enhancement, and targeted recruitment of faculty to build the clinical and research enterprise of the MCC.
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