Honoring leadership and service

MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) faculty members Swathi Arur, PhD, and Rachel Miller, PhD, were named recipients of the 2025 D. Dudley and Judy White Oldham Faculty Award during the annual Fall Faculty Meeting on September 25. 

Established in 2018 by D. Dudley and Judy White Oldham, the award recognizes faculty who demonstrate excellence in leadership, service, and mentorship. Each recipient receives a commemorative plaque and a $4,000 honorarium. 

“This recognition is a powerful affirmation of the GSBS mission to cultivate both scientific excellence and the well-being of our students as we shape the next generation of biomedical research leaders. I am honored to walk a path paved by dedicated colleagues whose commitment to education and service continues to inspire me. I deeply appreciate this honor and thank all who have placed their trust in my efforts,” Arur expressed. 

About Swathi Arur, PhD 

At MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Arur is Blanche Bender Professor in Cancer Research, Division of Discovery Science and Professor and Deputy Department Chair in the Department of Genetics. She has held many leadership roles within the GSBS, including Co-Director of the Genes and Development graduate program, Course Director for GSBS core course Foundations in Biomedical Sciences, member of the GSBS Admissions, Curriculum and Membership standing committees, participation in the MDACC Graduate Education Committee, including co-chair of the sub-committee on student wellness and served on dozens of MS and PhD Advisory, including chairing numerous exam committees. 

As Arur Lab principal investigator, Arur works with students to explore the cellular principles of female fertility and how these processes influence tumor progression and metastasis.

Arur Lab day out at Houston Rodeo 2025!

“I am grateful to be among the amazing faculty who have received this award — incredibly appreciative of Francesca Cole, PhD, Richard Behringer, PhD, and Llaran Turner for nominating me, and of the past and present trainees from my lab for taking the time to provide letters of support,” added Miller. 

About Rachel Miller, PhD 

Miller is an Associate Professor at the Pediatric Research Center, McGovern Medical School, and chairs McGovern’s Pediatric Research Committee. Her leadership roles at the GSBS include serving as the Director of the Genetics and Epigenetics graduate program, former Chair of the medical school Graduate Student Education Committee, a member of the GSBS Membership and Graduate Student Success and Wellness committees, and a participant in numerous MS and PhD student advisory and exam committees. Furthermore, she is Co-Director of the Networking Core for the new Houston Area Incubator for Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic (HAI-KUH) Research Training Program. Miller also serves as an Instructor at Cold Spring Harbor’s international Cell & Developmental Biology of Xenopus: Gene Discovery & Disease course. 

As principal investigator of the Miller Lab, Miller's team studies how cells communicate through Wnt signaling to coordinate kidney development and how disruptions in this process contribute to congenital kidney defects, cystic diseases, and cancers.

Miller Lab members outside the lab.

Celebrating faculty excellence 

The Oldham Faculty Award highlights the strength of mentorship and leadership that defines the Graduate School. Through their research, teaching, and dedication to students, Arur and Miller exemplify the values of collaboration, discovery, and education that continue to shape the Graduate School’s impact on biomedical science. 

Congratulations to both, and thank you for your outstanding leadership, scholarship, and commitment to the next generation of scientists!