The late Charles Cowles Jr., MD, wanted to cultivate Texas Medical Association leaders in Harris County. Awarded with a stipend in his name, a trio of physicians are fulfilling that legacy, already serving on at least one TMA committee, council, or House of Delegates delegation.
The three received Cowles Young Physician Scholarships to support their TMA Leadership College journeys, continuing the association’s effort to ensure strong and sustainable physician leadership within organized medicine.
“It just really says a lot that TMA offers to give this,” said Chantal Mendes, MD, a Houston anesthesiologist who received one of this year’s three scholarships. “It's even more special that it’s, in a sense, a gift to thank you for committing your time … I'm very grateful for it.”
Named for the late Houston anesthesiologist, the Cowles Young Physician Scholarship Endowment was made possible when the Houston Academy of Medicine gave $50,000 to the TMA Special Funds Foundation in 2023 to honor Dr. Cowles – commemorating him by supporting TMA leadership education avenues for young Harris County physicians.
Dr. Cowles was chair of TMA’s Council on Medical Education, as well as an expert in operating room fire safety, integrating his career path intersections as a clinician, paramedic, and firefighter. He died in a car accident in 2020 at age 52.
The three recipients of his namesake award each received a $1,700 scholarship, functioning as a stipend toward their Leadership College participation. This is the second consecutive year that TMA has awarded the scholarships, with two physicians receiving the initial foundation awards.
Chantal Mendes, MD
- Specialty: Anesthesiology
- Leadership role: Harris County Medical Society delegate, TMA House of Delegates, and vice chair, Harris County Medical Society’s Women Physicians Section
- She says: “Learning from all the seasoned officers within TMA, it’s really special and an honor to be around them, learning from them and seeing how they grow and how they make change within the medical community, not only in Texas, but nationwide.”
- Inspiration: TMA President-Elect Kimberly E. Monday, who she describes as a “powerhouse.”
Olaniyi Olayinka, MD
- Specialty: Addiction psychiatry
- Leadership role: Member, TMA’s Committee on Medicaid, CHIP, and the Uninsured
- He says: “I see [the scholarship] as a recognition of not only what I do, but also the importance of addiction psychiatry, public sector behavioral health, and physician leadership, in addressing some of the gaps in access to care.”
- Inspiration: Asking himself, “How do I get involved in policies that will affect the way I provide care for my patients?”
Shangir Siddique, MD
- Specialty: Internal medicine
- Leadership role: Member, TMA’s Council on Health Promotion; chair-elect, TMA Young Physician Section
- He says: “Understanding the importance of organized medicine was pretty clear to me all the way back in medical school.”
- Inspiration: Participating in the House of Delegates and becoming more involved in crafting resolutions and committee work with physicians statewide
Meet the TMA Leadership College Class of 2026, and look for stories about their capstone projects in forthcoming editions of Texas Medicine Today.
Last Updated On
August 21, 2026
Originally Published On
August 21, 2026
Phil West
Associate Editor
(512) 370-1394
phil.west[at]texmed[dot]org
Phil West is a writer and editor whose publications include the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Austin American-Statesman, and San Antonio Express-News. He earned a BA in journalism from the University of Washington and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers. He lives in Austin with his wife, children, and a trio of free-spirited dogs.