|
It is hard to believe the fall semester is almost over!
Our faculty, staff, and students have been busy since the beginning of the semester, meeting our
strategic priorities
. This edition of the newsletter highlights the diverse learning opportunities in which our students have engaged. In addition to these co-curricular events, there are excellent examples of scholarship that improve public health and well-being. Outside of the classroom, graduate students from five different programs completed a medical mission trip to Honduras; while other students improved health equity and services for people right in our local community. We have recently begun to spotlight faculty, staff, students, and alumni each month on our website. Please check out the spotlights on
www.wcupa.edu/chs
. You can also follow us on Twitter @chswcupa to stay connected!
Regards-
|
|
|
Scott Heinerichs, Dean (interim), College of Health Sciences
|
|
|
Sciences & Engineering Center About to Break Ground!
|
|
|
|
|
With the final approvals in place, the faculty and staff of the CHS look forward to the ground-breaking for the
new
Sciences & Engineering Center
and
The Commons.
The new building will be home to the CHS Nursing, Health and Nutrition departments.
Click the link below to learn about the new building opening in 2020:
|
|
|
CHS Participates in $1.6 Million HRSA Grant
|
|
Nadine Bean, Associate Professor of Graduate Social Work, and Primary Investigator, will work with faculty from the CHS on a four year project funded by the US Department of
Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) to provide Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training. Faculty from CHS include;
Patricia Davidson
(NUT),
Gopal Sankaran
(HEA),
and
Barbara Harrison
(NUR).
|
|
|
Graduate students from Communication Sciences & Disorders, Health, Nursing and Sports Medicine, accompanied by
Julie Nair (NUR) and
Patricia Swayze-Washington (CSD), participated in a medical mission trip to Honduras. The non-profit
Serving at the Crossroads located in La Entrada, Copan, Honduras hosted the trip. This organization founded the American medical clinic,
Manos Amigas 16 years ago and it continues to thrive through the generous contributions of many who reside and work in Chester County.
Manos Amigas provides medical and dental care to Honduran citizens, even if they cannot pay for their services. Faculty and students offered health care advice and treatment options related to their areas of expertise. They learned how to care for a population with very limited resources and how to best utilize the treatments that are available.
|
|
|
Center for Contemplative Studies
|
|
|
|
|
After spending time over the summer in Europe delivering workshops and keynote addresses on Mindfulness,
Don McCown (HEA), co-founder of the Center for Contemplative Studies (CCS) returned to WCU, and along with co-founder
Christine Moriconi (NUR), kicked off their Distinguished Speaker Series with acclaimed integrative health expert Dr. Wayne Jonas.
The Center continues to offer daily drop-in opportunities for yoga, and mindful meditation practice. See the daily schedule here:
|
|
|
Communication Sciences & Disorders (
CSD
)
|
|
|
NSSLA Officers f
rom Left to Right: Ben Stetler (
Secretary
), Alexis Harkins (
Historian
), Heidi Liebenberg (
President
), Becca Shoemaker (
Vice President
), and Megan Cartier (
Treasurer)
|
|
|
The National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA), the student branch of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), has chapters at approximately 300 academic institutions. Each year, selected chapters are honored with Gold Level Honors, Silver Level Honors, or Bronze Level Honors. In 2017, the WCU Chapter of NSSLHA, housed in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, earned
Gold Level Honors for the fourth consecutive year! This “four-peat” is a rarely-attained accomplishment and is a testament to the quantity and quality of effort invested into the ideals of NSSLHA by WCU students. The chapter far exceeded the minimum standards with their considerable involvement in monthly educational events and charitable service to the local community. WELL DONE!
|
|
|
|
In a collaboration with La Comunidad Hispana (LCH) in Kennett Square, MPH students work in the community to educate about dental health. Health Department faculty
Debra Bill and
Whitney Katirai, presented on these efforts with "
Creating Service Learning Opportunities for Graduate Public Health Student's" at the 9th Annual Latino Communities Conference.
|
|
|
|
|
Our own MPH Program Secretary
Stephanie Kienle
, had the honor, along with her sister Jessica, of awarding the 2nd Annual Denise Howe Kienle Memorial scholarship to Markesha Mayo. Markesha is a current B.S. Public Health student who will be continuing on to the MPH Fast Track program. The scholarship is awarded to a female from Chester County with a minimum 3.0 GPA and has community service involvement.
|
|
|
|
|
Undergraduate Public Health students, Linda Kusi and Alissa Schroeder, participated in the 2017 American Mock World Health Organization (AMWHO) Conference at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. The conference simulates the WHO Assembly with students writing a position paper and participating in debate and discussion as delegates representing either a country, non-profit agency, or the media. Linda and Alissa participated as delegates of Ghana and Algeria respectively. Delegates created resolutions on the theme “Climate Change: The Global Health Response,” and all resolution documents were passed on to the WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland for commentary.
Chiwoneso Tinago
served as their faculty adviser at the conference
|
|
|
|
|
2006 WCU Respiratory Care Graduate Morgan Eppenstein
received the GEM (Genuine Excellence Moment) Award at Bryn Mawr Hospital. The GEM award is given to those who display excellence in their work, always go the extra mile, and always contribute to a superior patient experience. Nominations come from staff, patients, visitors, physicians and patients’ family members. In nominating Eppenstein, a co-worker stated: “Morgan is extremely competent, energetic, kind and compassionate in all of his interactions with patients and families. He goes above and beyond – answering all call bells, assisting with daily living activities – always a team player and always contributing to the superior patient experience.” Congratulations, Morgan!
|
|
|
Right2Breathe® hosted an Asthma screening event at the NHRA Dodge Nationals held in Reading, PA at Maple Grove Raceway. The event spanned three days and nearly 60,000 fans attended. Respiratory Care students from WCU provided free spirometry exams and spoke with patients and caregivers about pulmonary disease. Students pictured: Amanda Trotter, Ashley Brown, Jordan Taylor, Christie Garrity.
|
|
|
|
|
Jessica Quittner a WCU graduate student in the MS in Exercise and Sport Physiology program, conducted a field study examining metabolic stress related to physical exertion pre and post four days of rookie school training with the Sea Isle City (NJ) Beach Patrol this summer. She was assisted by research affiliates Shannon Grady, MS, an Exercise Physiologist, Jessa Stearne Adiletto, BSN, RN, a Wilmington University Nursing Graduate, and
David Stearne, Kinesiology Faculty and Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Lieutenant. Similar protocols have been used in professional and collegiate athletics and several branches of military service, however, this is the first study to examine lifeguard training and the demands of extreme physical output in challenging environmental conditions.
|
|
|
|
|
Four WCU alum from the Health & PE Teacher Certification, and the Adapted PE program, came back for 2 hours to talk with Kinesiology students in
Assessment and Programming in Adapted Physical Activity
class. The former students discussed their jobs and their challenges, before participating in break out groups where each current student was paired with an alum to make adaptations to physical activities and motor skill acquisition.
|
|
|
|
|
Twenty-five WCU students volunteered to coach 28 children and young adults with intellectual disabilities for 90 minutes each. They took the team to the Area M invitational and the East Stroudsburg University Sectional Tournament this fall already! Way to go Rams!
|
|
|
|
|
Just as they have for the past several years, senior nursing students, as well as RN to BSN students, administered flu shots to students and employees on multiple days and times throughout October. Thanks for the campus service!
|
|
|
|
|
As part of the research on development of a
thrifty meal plan
for athletes, based on the USDA’s “thrifty” meal pattern, players from the Delaware 87ers came to campus for a practice and cooking lessons in the foods lab.
Shown here:
Eugene Burroughs, Head Coach, Delaware 87ers, Nutrition Faculty
Jeanie Subach
, and Mario Mascioli, WCU Alum and Head Athletic Trainer.
|
|
|
|
|
The Lifestyle Nutrition group met with about 25 international students. They conducted a presentation on a general healthy diet using My Plate and provided healthy snacks. The students sampled dips of hummus and peanut butter with fresh vegetables; something most have never had. Then students from the Lifestyle Nutrition group paired up with international students to discuss their concerns about eating on campus and adjusting to our food culture. The students exchanged phone numbers and they plan to work together on their eating concerns through one-on-one meetings, e-mail, text and eating out together. It was a real win-win for both groups!
|
|
|
|
|
Nutrition Department faculty
Joanne Christaldi, Jeanie Subach, Amir Golmohamadi, and Christine Karpinski,
Patricia Davidson (
not pictured) attended the
Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) event in Chicago and presented research with current and former nutrition
students. Research projects included:
Relationship Between the Level of Nutrition Education and Opinions Regarding Elective Gluten-Free Diets, and Identification of Children's Preference for Raw Versus Cooked Vegetables.
|
|
|
Students from William Tennent High School (WTHS), in Warminster, PA, spent a day at WCU to learn about a career in athletic training. The students learned from Sports Medicine faculty members
Daniel Baer,
Lindsey Keenen, and
Katherine Morrison. Highlights included activities in WCU Athletic Training Room, Cadaver Laboratory, and Athletic Training Skills Laboratory. At each stop, current WCU Athletic Training students were available to engage with and challenge WTHS students.
|
|
|
|
Click the link below to review the abstracts from poster and oral sessions by CHS faculty and students for Research Day at WCU!
|
|
|
John Helion,
Professor, Kinesiology
Dr. Helion was chosen as the 2017 University Teacher of the Year
by the Pennsylvania Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, (PSAHPERD). He will receive the award at the PSAHPERD Annual Conference in November.
Monica Lepore,
Professor, Kinesiology
Dr. Lepore and WCU alumni Lauren Leiberman were named 2017 PSAHPERD's Outstanding Recreation Educators of the Year!
|
|
|
Tammy James, Professor, Public Health
Dr. Tammy James was honored with the University's annual
Civility Award! Tammy was nominated by her peers and acknowledged for her commitment to student success and as the coordinator for academic support services for student athletes.
Allison Casola, MPH
, Community Health Track Alumna
MPH graduate Allison is officially a PhD Candidate! She passed her comprehensives in late August and will be defending her proposal in January. She is also set to become the next Chair-Elect of APHA's Student Assembly! This will be a 3-year term as Chair-Elect, Chair, and Immediate Past-Chair. Allison is pursuing the PhD program in Epidemiology at Temple University, where she is also a Research Assistant in the College of Public Health and an Instructor of Record in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
|
|
|
College of Health Sciences | West Chester University | 610-432-2825 | www.wcupa.edu/chs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
