PARKER A. SMALL, JR., M.D.

pasmall@college.med.ufl.edu
P.O. Box 100275
Gainesville, Florida 32610
Phone: (352) 392-0686
Fax: (352) 392-3324

Background

Parker A. Small, Jr., M.D. attended Tufts University, received his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1957, and interned at Pennsylvania Hospital. From 1958-60, Dr. Small was a Research Associate at the National Institutes of Health. Following a year in London with Professor Rodney Porter, he returned to a staff position at NIH. In 1966, he became Professor and Chairman of the Department of Immunology and Medical Microbiology at the University of Florida. Currently, Dr. Small is in the Department of Pathology and jointly appointed in Pediatrics.

While at the University of Florida, Dr. Small has received the Teacher of the Year award (1978), the President's Medallion (1987), the Teacher Scholar Award (1987), and the President's Humanitarian Award (1996). He has also received the 1993 AOA National Outstanding Basic Science Teacher Award and Pennsylvania Hospital's Outstanding House Officer award (1995).

Dr. Small is married to Natalie S. Small, Ph.D. They have 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

Research Focus

Medical Education Research Projects

• Peer teaching and peer evaluation
• Rote vs. meaningful learning
• Professional/ethical development of medical students
• Open computer exams
• Multi-college teaching and service relative to substance abuse

Middle and High School Education Projects for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Team Packs (interactive instructional materials) and related videotapes for pregnancy, herpes, gonorrhea, and AIDS. Had ~300,000 student uses in Florida thus far. Used in ~1/2 Florida's 67 counties. Two studies show program leads to reported behavioral changes.
• Celebrate Immunization 2 Team Packs + related videos being distributed throughout U.S. 54,000 posters sent to classrooms throughout U.S. Field Trial with 29 teachers from 17 states with 1300 students showed program is effective and well received. Funded by the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, Wyethe Lederle, and Children's Miracle Network.
• Celebrate growth team packs for boys and girls dealing with puberty

Laboratory Research Projects

• Influenza pathogenesis and host defense
• Vaccine Development, replication deficient vaccinia vectored, orally administered influenza vaccine shown in our mouse model to work (PNAS 94). Currently testing on horses.

Selected Publications

1. Small, P.A., Jr., Stevens, C.B., and Duerson, M.C. Issues in Medical Education: Basic Problems and Potential Solutions. Academic Medicine 68(10):S89-S98, 1993.
   
2. Regan-Smith, M.G., Obenshain, S.S., Woodward, C., Richards, B., Zeitz, H., and Small, P.A., Jr. Rote learning in traditional and problem-based curricula. JAMA 272:1380-1381, 1994.
   
3. Small, P.A., Jr. Influenza: Pathogenesis and Host Defense. Hosp. Pract. Nov. 1990, pp. 51-62.
   
4. Renegar, Kathryn B. and Small, P.A., Jr. Immunoglobulin A mediationof murine nasal anti-influenza virus immunity. J. of Virology, 65:2146-2148, 1991.
   
5. Meitin, C.A., Bender, B.S., and Small, P.A., Jr. Enteric immunization of mice against influenza with recombinant vaccinia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:11187-11191, 1994.
   
6. Small, P.A. Jr., and Small, N.S. Mankind's Magnificent Milestone, The American Biology Teacher, 58: 264-271, 1995.