Outstanding Young Alumna: Ana Unruh Cohen ‘96
Ana Unruh Cohen began work for the House of Representatives on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming created by Speaker Pelosi for this Congress and chaired by Rep. Ed Markey. She is the senior policy advisor and chief scientist for the committee.
Their mandate from the Speaker is to keep energy and climate policy issues front and center for the Congress and the public. In their committee hearings, they have started to explore the national security, environmental and economic implications of climate change, as well as some of the opportunities to create new jobs and industries. Dr. Cohen has been primarily responsible for most of the hearings so far.
In addition to their work in DC, they will also hold hearings around the country and explore international efforts. Dr. Cohen helped plan and staff a trip, with Speaker Pelosi, starting in Greenland and then continuing on to meet with European leaders, including an opportunity to brief the Speaker and other Members of Congress on the importance of Greenland as a record of climate change for the past 100,000 years.
In addition Dr. Cohen has been tracking and developing various pieces of energy and climate legislation and preparing Mr. Markey for speeches and meetings. As the number two on the committee, she also has some management responsibilities for other staff.
Spirit of Trinity: Erich Menger ‘66
When Erich Menger returned to San Antonio after serving in Vietnam, he returned to Trinity as a loyal and active alumnus. He serves as one of the founding directors of Chi Delta Tau Foundation and has been an unofficial mentor to the members of Chi Delta Tau Fraternity for many years. He is also an Honorary Member of the Fraternity, being only the sixth person in the organization's 43 year history to be recognized as such. Mr. Menger has been invaluable to the chapel program in orchestrating the annual Christmas Vespers service. He organizes the Chi Delta Tau fellows to serve as ushers: greeting folks, handing out bulletins and candles, and receiving the evening’s collection. He has employed hundreds of students in his catering operation over the years.
When thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina arrived by bus loads in San Antonio and the Red Cross and other agencies were overwhelmed, Mr. Menger coordinated men from the soccer team who went with him to Kelly and set up cots and bed throughout the night.
Mr. Menger makes frequent visits to veterans at BAMC takes food to the Fisher Houses. He has worked with young men who have been handicapped by injuries causing loss of limbs. He has recruited volunteers to help in sports programs at Warm Springs Rehab Center and organized programs that often take these men to special recreational sites.
Many of us know how often he has volunteered for alumni and campus events. While he was a member of the Alumni Board, he was loyal in attendance at meetings and reliable in attending to the business of the board, particularly as chair of the Student Affairs committee. Immediately after rolling off the board he agreed to represent alumni on the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan (or QEP) Committee.
Distinguished Alumnus: Mark Kline ‘79
Mark W. Kline is professor of pediatrics, chief of Retrovirology, director of the AIDS International Training and Research Program, and director of the Baylor-CDC Global AIDS Technical Assistance Project, all at Baylor College of Medicine. He also serves as President of the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, a global network of clinical centers modeled after two landmark HIV/AIDS care and treatment centers it constructed and opened in Romania and Botswana. The purpose of this network is to build critical infrastructure and human capacity to catalyze access of children worldwide to HIV/AIDS care and treatment. In partnership with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative also has established a Pediatric AIDS Corps that has dramatically increased human capacity at Network sites in five high prevalence countries, and has the potential to transform the care and treatment of HIV-infected children and families globally.
Dr. Kline trained in pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he also served as Chief Resident. He is board-certified in pediatrics and infectious diseases. He has served on the Executive Committee for Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and as chair of that organization's Committee on Pediatric AIDS. He is a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a member of the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Pediatric Society.
Dr. Kline is active in the education and training of medical students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows, and has been the recipient of several teaching awards. He has authored over 200 scientific papers and textbook chapters. He has given over 220 national and international presentations on topics in pediatric infectious diseases.