The Department of Family and Preventive Medicine is very pleased to announce the appointment of Bernadette Kiraly, MD and Jim VanDerslice, PhD as joint holders of the T. H. Morton MD Endowed Chair in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.
Thomas Fincher Harry Morton was a prominent Utah physician whose practice in Salt Lake City spanned from 1915 to 1950. The Morton Chair was endowed in his honor by his daughter, philanthropist Carmen Christensen, in 1993. The chair celebrates excellence in medical education and leadership and provides its holders with $49,000 yearly over a three-year period.
Dr. VanDerslice was a previous holder of the Morton Chair, being first appointed in September 2022. Dr. VanDerslice has served as the Chief of the Division of Public Health since 2023 and maintains rigorous research activities on top of his leadership and educational duties. His research focuses on evaluating human exposures to chemical and microbiological hazards in the environment, examining contaminants in drinking water and foods and their effects on infants and children.
Dr. Kiraly has served as the Division Chief of the Division of Family and Community Medicine since 2023 and oversaw the division’s rebranding and merger with the Community Physician’s Group in 2024. In addition to her leadership role, she is a family physician currently practicing at the Sugar House Health Center Family Medicine Clinic working with diverse Salt Lake City communities. She is succeeding Steven Lacey, PhD, in her appointment to the Morton Chair.
Please join us in congratulating these exemplary leaders on their prestigious appointments.