And the winner is...

Match Day pairs UT med students with the next phase of their training

"Teaching people about music and about their health is very similar," saysformer high school band director Judson Merritt, 33.
Photo by Steven Thomson
Jessica Morse, 29, a former ballerina, knew from the time she was in elementaryschool that she wanted to be a doctor. She is shown here with her husband anddaughter
Photo by Steven Thomson
Some 240 seniors in the medical school at The University of Texas Health ScienceCenter at Houston participate in "envelope day," when they receive letters ofacceptance for residency programs.
Photo by Steven Thomson

Tension was high on Thursday at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Weber Plaza. Having finished almost four years of medical school, the class of 240 seniors stood trembling as their names were called out at random. Each received a sealed envelope containing a single piece of paper indicating where the next phase of their medical training — the residency — will take place.

The students were instructed to wait until the last envelope was handed out, after which they tore into the packages en masse. Hands reached for the sky; the courtyard rang with squealing aspiring physicians. Within minutes, the pop of bottles of bubbly overrode the quiet tears of those students who weren't assigned their preferred hospital.

It was a scene that took place at every medical school in the nation at around the same time, according to a national computerized process that pairs students with programs based on their ranked preferences.

Among the celebration of what is known as Match Day were two UTHealth students with arts backgrounds.

A creative at heart, Judson Merritt's past in the world of music included a stint in a London production of the Broadway musical Blast!, as well as two years as band director at The Woodlands High School. But the Houston native doesn't see his medical pursuits as so different from his brief career in music education.

"I think they're very similar. The content is not the same, but teaching a student about music and teaching somebody about their body and health — it's all about getting them to understand what's going on in their body and their mind," he says.

Merritt, 33, is headed to University of California, San Diego for his residency, where he'll focus on emergency medicine. Ever the risk taker, he's jumping headfirst into the SoCal scene with no prior contacts in the city.

"I visited there to interview and it's the most beautiful city on earth," he says. "The weather's gorgeous. The climate's wonderful."

He'll be enrolled in a four-year residency that includes the chance to practice in-flight and disaster medicine. And if he has any free time, he hopes to return to practicing the horn.

Also celebrating in Weber Plaza was one-time ballerina Jessica Mason. The 29-year-old Dallas-native explained to CultureMap, "I always wanted to be a doctor, but first I wanted to be able to dance."

After fulfilling pre-med requirements and earning a degree in dance from Texas Christian University, Mason made her way to New York to pursue a career onstage. After segueing into an internship at New York's Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, she came to UTHealth.

From here, she'll be headed to a residency at the UT Southwestern - Austin Family Medicine Program, working towards the goal of becoming a pediatrician with a speciality in sports medicine.

She's enjoyed taking a few dance classes at Houston Ballet while enrolled at UTHealth, but is eager to explore the Austin arts scene.

"It's a great city for culture," she says.

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the search is on

Game-changing leader of Houston Parks Board to retire after 10 years

Houston Parks Board CEO Beth White stands at a podium at the Captain Herod Memorial, Houston Mayor John Whitmire is seated nearby.

Photo by Melissa Taylor

Beth White speaking at the Captain Herod Memorial on January 28,2025

It's the end of an era at the Houston Parks Board (HPB). CEO Beth White announced Wednesday, May 21 that she will be retiring on January 1, 2026.

"As I reflect on my career, one of the most rewarding decisions I have made was coming to Houston," White said in a statement. "The entrepreneurial drive in this city is very powerful, our public-private partnership model is second to none, and the creativity at play is a model for the nation."

White began her stewardship of the HPB in 2016. Before coming to Houston, she oversaw Chicago's Trust for Public Land, guiding the development of the city's famous elevated trailway, the 606. Her experience made her perfect to lead the HPB as Houston dedicated itself to a radical improvement of its park spaces. With HPB responsible for 3,300 acres across 250 parks, as well as coordinating access to another 14,000 acres, it was an executive position for an area physically larger than many cities.

White proved herself a competent and visionary general of Houston's greenspaces. During her time, she led the revitalization of 30 Houston parks, mostly in marginalized and underserved communities. Her work netted her an appointment to the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2021, where she helped federal agencies make long-term plans about public space usage.

Perhaps her greatest accomplishment as CEO of HPB is the Bayou Greenway project, a bold re-imagining of Houston's waterways. The project has built 150 miles worth of trails that hug the various bayous and creeks meandering through Houston, turning what were often foot traffic barriers into an artery system of green trails connecting various park spaces across the city. Isolated pockets of community space are now linked through easy to use trail systems, making foot traffic across Houston simpler and more beautiful to experience.

“It is very gratifying to see that Houstonians are embracing parks and greenspace as an essential part of the region’s infrastructure. I am proud to have played a part in Houston’s green renaissance and look forward to continued progress thanks to the talented and dedicated staff and board at Houston Parks Board,” said White.

Cory King, president and CEO, and Ben Feit, principal, at Kittleman and Associates, are leading the search for suitable candidates to fill White's very big shoes. In the meantime, White will continue to lead the organization for the rest of the year.

"Houston Parks Board would not be in the position it is today without the guidance and leadership of Beth White. As we commemorate her throughout this year, we are grateful that Beth’s vision has helped transform our organization into a regional and national leader for parks and greenspace,” said Houston Parks Board chair Cullen Geiselman Muse. “We are also excited to begin the search for her successor. Houston is a unique region that offers different opportunities to maximize available space and create multi-purpose greenspaces that make real, lasting impacts on our communities. We look forward to sharing more information as the search progresses."

parks houston parks board beth white