May 28, 2025

CHSU proudly honored its medical school and master’s program graduates at the CHSU Class of 2025 Commencement and Hooding Ceremony on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at the Save Mart Center at Fresno State.

CHSU made history with its second and largest cohorts totally 131 graduates to train and retain physicians to serve our local community.

Find more photos and videos online!

CHSU Research Day Award Winners Announced

The 2025 CHSU Research Day held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 had the largest attendance to date with 120 posters and 5 podium presentations. The conference was held on the CHSU-COM campus and was free to attend.

CHSU Research Day showcases the research and scholarly activities of students, faculty, and local researchers. Clinicians, resident physicians, pharmacists, resident pharmacists, scientists, and faculty leading local Residency and Fellowship programs are invited to participate. This collaborative event designed to advance research locally is hosted by the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in partnership with the CHSU College of Biosciences and Health Professions.

The Keynote Speaker (Nathan) Zev Minkoff, MD, Vice-chair of the Department of Medicine and Head of the Intestinal Rehabilitation Center at Valley Children’s Hospital presented his research titled, "New Insights into Pediatric Gastroenterology."

CHSU Research Day includes a competition for the best poster and podium presentation for Students, Faculty, and Resident Physicians and Pharmacists. Read the article for full details.

Student Doctor Likitha Aradhyula, as part of the American College of Physicians (ACP) National Council of Student Members, engaged in a two-day advocacy initiative in Washington DC aimed at influencing federal healthcare legislation.

She presented ACP’s priority policies directly to legislators and their staff, seeking support on behalf of internal medicine. The experience included high-level briefings from the White House officials and Congressional sources.

She met specifically with staff for California’s Senators and Northern California congressional representatives, culminating in an amazing interaction with Representative Nancy Pelosi, regrading vital ACP healthcare policy goals. 

United Health Centers recently shared the great news that its Internal Medicine Residency program for 15 residents is now accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Duc Chung, MD, MBA, Assistant Dean of Graduate Medical Education

Associate Professor of Medicine, was instrumental to the process and has been appointed to serve on United Health Centers GME Committee.

Over the last two years, Dr. Chung was an active part of the planning, grant application, ACGME site visit, overall execution, and now application reviews.

Congratulations to Dr. Chung and the UHC GME team on this important accomplishments that helps the Central Valley to potentially keep more physicians practicing locally. 

Each year AACOM’s Council of Student Government Presidents (COSGP) meets and elects their National Leadership for the upcoming school year.  

There are just a few positions that are elected (versus appointed). For the 2025-2026 Academic Year:

• Ikroop Miglani (Class of 2026) was elected National 1st Vice Chair 
• Peter Ciari (Class of 2027) was elected National Treasurer

According to Dr. John Graneto, it’s rare that a new school has any elected leader and also rare that a campus has two elected leaders.

Congratulations to Student Doctors Miglani and Ciari for this impressive achievement!  

CHSU Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) students and faculty proudly participated in the 46th Annual Central California Research Symposium held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at Fresno State University.

This prestigious event brought together researchers and scholars from across the region to showcase innovative scientific work and exchange ideas. Our students presented their research as posters at this symposium. The following are our MSBS poster titles and authors:

“Revolutionizing Diabetes Care: Innovations in Insulin Delivery, Glucose Monitoring, and AI-Driven Management”

Authors: Bryce Deniz, Charita Gedela, Alan Huynh, Jade Lam, Victoria Osorio, Subeg Singh, Sreenivasulu Pattipati, PhD

“Investigating the Role of Tumor Microenvironment in Drug Resistance: Implications for Targeted Therapy in Breast Cancer”

Authors: Cristiana Gonzalez, Diya Bhandari, Kuljit Dhami, Nicole Njike-Bobga, Josue Urias, Allen Keshishian, PharmD

“Exploring the Gut Microbiome in Type 1 Diabetes: Integrating Technology for Improved Diabetes Management”

Authors: Samantha Singh, Garapati Srikar, Hammond Crystal, Markarian Jenna, Ruiz Giovani, Koteswara Rao Nalamolu, PhD

Doody Enterprises, Inc. recently announced two new specialties for their Doody's Core Titles 2025: Health Humanities and Osteopathic Medicine!

Here is the link to the news update: 2025 Changes to Doody’s Core Titles

As a part of the announcement, Tim Butzen, COO at Doody, thanked a number of my "COOL" colleagues, along with Joanne Muellenbach, Kyle Robinson, and other co-authors of the article titled: “Textbook and Board Exam Prep Resource Trends in Academic Health Sciences Libraries Serving College of Osteopathic Medicine Programs" for sharing the attached list of osteopathic texts we compiled as a part of the article.

The study collected and analyzed data on the required and recommended textbooks and board exam prep resources in academic health sciences libraries that serve accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine (COM) programs in the United States.

CHSU MSBS Faculty Presented at the Reedley College STEM Conference On Saturday, April 26th.

Dr. Sree Pattipati, Dr. Koteswara Rao Nalamolu, and Dr. Allen Keshishian, delivered a workshop at the Reedley College STEM Conference titled, “Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences: A Pathway to Health Care Professional Schools and Careers.”

The informative session introduced students to the CHSU MSBS program and highlighted how it serves as a strong foundation for pursuing careers in health care or gaining admission into professional schools.

Presenters Dr. Pattipati, Dr. Nalamolu, and Dr. Keshishian shared key features of the program, including unique academic offerings, student accomplishments, and the program’s role in advancing biomedical science education.

The workshop was well-received by attendees interested in exploring future opportunities in health sciences. The Reedley College STEM Conference is an annual event that brings together STEM professionals and hundreds of students from middle school, high school, and college across the Central Valley. The conference features a variety of engaging, hands-on STEM activities and workshops designed to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and healthcare professionals.

During April, the PDC reviewed and recommended approval of a revised policy. The following policy was approved by President Dunn on March 9, 2025:

MSBS-Grading-System-and-Quality-Points-Policy

The Policy Development Committee (PDC) has recommended, and President Dunn has approved, a change to the Grading System and Quality Points Policy for the Master of Sciences Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) degree program. With the amendment to the policy, the category of “High Honors” is eliminated. Beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, all MSBS students who achieve a grade point average of 3.70 or greater will receive the designation of “Honors.” 

About the PDC

The Policy Development Committee (PDC) at CHSU is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on the University's official policies, including new policies and amendments or revisions to existing ones. The PDC meets regularly and forwards its recommendations to President Dunn for approval. Once approved, the new and revised Policies are posted on our CHSU website at: https://chsu.edu/policies/.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out directly to Josh Prober at jprober@chsu.edu or Lynette Carter, Executive Assistant at lcarter@chsu.edu.

On behalf of the CHSU Wellness Committee:

Congratulations to all 58 participants in our April Steps Challenge!

Together, we walked thousands of steps and proved that even a little friendly competition can lead to big results. Your efforts have not only contributed to your personal well-being but also helped foster a culture of health and camaraderie across CHSU. The April winners are:

Tied for 1^st place: 

• Maria Nguyen (COM Class of 2027)
• Crystal Hammond (MSBS 2025)

3^rd place: 

• Lupita Gonzalez (COM Class of 2027)

Once again, congratulations to everyone who took part. Keep up the great momentum and keep moving!

Congratulations to Student Doctor Pauline Tran for receiving the College of American Pathologists Distinguished Medical Student Award, a nationally recognized award. The award recognizes and honors medical students who demonstrate outstanding achievement, aptitude, or interest in pathology. It aims to encourage and recognize a student's initiative in learning about and participating in pathology-related activities.

Tran was selected for the award for her outstanding work that includes:

• Volunteered in the Surgical Pathology unit at UCSD Health during undergraduate - exposed to grossing, autopsy suite, and frozen sections.
• Worked in a Biorepository lab and did a research project focused on the use of autopsy specimens for genomic analysis - had an oral presentation for this project at UCSD Summer Research Conference 2021 and observed 3 hospital autopsies 
• Shadowed pathologists in a community hospital and private practice during my gap and pre-clinical years
• Was second author for a poster presentation on a mucosal melanoma case report at CHSU Research Day 2024.
• Assumed President position of Pathology Interest Group during OMS-II - hosted private pathology lab tours, shadowing opportunities with local pathologists, and a hematology-based cookie workshop
• Attended CAP 2024 as an OMS-II

The MSBS Class of 2025 took a well-deserved break to participate in the annual Spring Social before finals. Organized by the CBHP Student Affairs Office, the event featured refreshments, raffle prizes, and therapy dogs for stress relief and relaxation.

Throughout the preceding week, students engaged in a lively egg hunt around the 120 building, searching for hidden eggs. Each egg contained a number corresponding to raffle opportunities at the social, adding an exciting twist to the festivities.

The MSBS Team is incredibly proud of the Class of 2025’s enthusiasm and dedication, and will be cheering them on beyond graduation.

We’re thrilled to share that our “Spring into Self-Care” Mental-Wellness Cooking Session was a great success! Hosted by the CHSU Wellness Committee in collaboration with Culinary Medicine instructor and nutrition expert Minerva Del Bosque, the event brought together faculty, students, and doctors for an engaging, hands-on experience that blended practical cooking with mindful self-care.

Attendees cooked together, connected, and walked away feeling empowered to lean into mental wellness through simple, nourishing meals that support both body and mind. The kitchen was alive with energy, laughter, and learning—showing just how powerful food can be in supporting a balanced lifestyle.

We’re so grateful to everyone who participated, and we look forward to welcoming even more of you next year. Stay tuned—and until then, keep cooking for your well-being!

Clovis has been recognized on Livability.com’s Top 100 Best Places to Live list, which highlights small to mid-sized cities across the country based on data-driven analysis.

The annual ranking, now in its 12th year, evaluates cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000 on factors including affordability, economy, health, education and amenities. Livability.com analyzed data from over 2,000 cities.

“Our ‘Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S.’ list is a data-driven collection of what we consider to be the best small to mid-sized places to live in,” wrote Amanda Ellis, Livability.com editor-in-chief. “It’s the only list out there truly honing in on affordability, lauding the amazing, accessible cities across the country other than our large U.S. metros, which often get more recognition.”

Clovis earned high grades for the economy, environment and amenities categories. The city ended up with a Quality of Life LivScore of 731 out of 1000.

Clovis has now been named to Livability.com’s top-100 rankings each of the last three years.

Duc Chung, MD, MBA, Assistant Dean of Graduate Medical Education, Associate Professor of Medicine, presented as Faculty Advisor to the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Interest Group at the CHSU-COM campus. He spoke about the field of PM&R and how to successfully navigate as a medical student in PM&R.

Dr. Chung is proud to have a very active PM&R Interest Group at CHSU!

The Health Sciences Library (HSL) conducted its annual User Satisfaction Survey in April, and they are pleased to announce that 132 students, faculty, and staff responded.

Congratulations to the recipients of the three raffle prizes below.

Thank you to those who took the time to provide the Library team with valuable feedback regarding resources, services, space, and much more. Survey findings will be shared soon! 

Sarmad Ghazi, MBChB, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Education, CHSU-COM

Nhu Duong, CHSU-COM Class of 2028

Brian Lee, CHSU-COM Class of 2028

The article titled, "Integrating PICO principles into generative artificial intelligence prompt engineering to enhance information retrieval for medical librarians," was published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA).

Congratulations to Kyle Robinson, MLIS, Librarian Manager, Systems and Technical Services, as the first author, and Karen Bontekoe, MLS, User Services Librarian, as the second author!

Upcoming Events and Observance Awareness

May: Mental Health Awareness Month, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Haitian Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, Speech and Hearing Awareness Month

Jun: LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, Caribbean-American Heritage Month, National Men’s Health Month

• Ascension of the Baha’u’llah (Baha’i) - May 29
• Ascension Day/40th Day of Easter (Orthodox Christian) - May 29
• Shavout (Judaism) - Jun 1-3
• World Environment Day - Jun 5
• Eid al-Adha (Islam) - Jun 6-7
• Loving Day - Jun 12
• Pulse Night of Remembrance - Jun 12
• World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - Jun 15
• Juneteenth Holiday (Campus Closed) - Jun 19
• World Refugee Day - Jun 20
• Islamic New Year | Hijri New Year | Arabic New Year - Jun 25
• LGBTQ+ Equality Day – Anniversary of the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S - Jun 26
• National HIV Testing Day - Jun 27
• Stonewall Riots Anniversary - Jun 28

Find information on our website about multicultural events and traditions, gender identity, religious and faith-based holidays and traditions, and awareness observances of diverse members of our campus community.

COM Office of Admissions Events

• COM Interview Day (invite only) - May 27
• Financial Aid Presentation - May 29
• COM Open House - May 31
• COM Interview Day (invite only) - Jun 3
• Housing Happy Hour for Accepted Students - Jun 4
• Health Insurance Presentation for Accepted Students - Jun 6
• COM Annual Retreat - Jun 10
• COM Campus Tour - Jun 13
• COM Interview Day (invite only) - Jun 17
• COS Jumpstart Campus Visit - Jun 18
• Immunizations Chat with Accepted Students - Jun 18
• COM Interview Day (invite only) - Jun 24
• ChooseDO Virtual Event - Jun 25
• Financial Aid Presentation - Jun 26
• COM Campus Tour - Jun 27
• UCSF LCOE Aspire Program Campus Visit - Jun 27
• SJV-MedBridge Presentation - Jul 1
• UCSF OHCP Doctor's Academu Campus Visit - Jul 7
• COM Welcome Day for Accepted Students (Formerly "Pick Up Day") - Jul 11
• COM Orientation - Jul 15
• COM Campus Tour - Jul 18

• MSBS Faculty Retreat - Jun 3
• MSBS Interview Day - Jun 12
• CHSU Scholarship Application Deadline for MSBS - Jun 16

Health and Wellness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month is observed every May to promote the importance of mental health and to spread awareness about mental illness. The relationship between nutrition and mental health is significant, as the food we eat can affect our mood, cognitive functioning, and overall mental well-being.

The best way to promote better mental health through food is by cultivating a healthy diet. Certain foods have been shown to promote mental health by providing nutrients that support brain function.

Examples of food to help with depression and anxiety include:

• Fatty fish such as salmon
• Leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale
• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds and pumpkin seeds
• Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kimchi
• Dark chocolate, which contains antioxidants and can improve mood by increasing serotonin levels

Incorporating these foods into a healthy and balanced diet can support mental health and overall well-being. 

Participating in regular physical activity also is beneficial for managing stress.

As little as five minutes of exercise per day can be beneficial. A registered dietitian nutritionist can help you establish an individualized healthy eating plan that includes specific food preferences and goals for physical activity.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, and any time of the year, remember that a healthy diet and physical activity can be powerful tools for bettering your mental health!

Column courtesy of Maria Torres, MS, RDN; Culinary Medicine Instructor, Biomedical Education (COM).

The CHSYou Wow Program gives you the opportunity to show your appreciation for employees, students, and colleagues and acknowledge them for their hard work.

Dr. Ed Merino

We would like to thank Dr. Merino for his generous donation to the AMWA donation drive for the Marjaree Mason Center. He went above and beyond in donating three full bags of toiletries, which will go towards housing and supporting survivors of domestic violence.

Submitted by CHSU AMWA Board

Dr. Rosemary Sanchez and Mikaela Garces

A huge shoutout to Rosemary and Mikaela for creating an absolutely delightful Springtime Social Hour for the MSBS students! Your creativity, effort, and attention to detail brought the season to life. Everything was beautifully done and appreciated, from the thoughtful prizes to the refreshing treats.

Thank you for creating a warm and welcoming space for MSBS students to relax, connect, and celebrate spring. You went above and beyond — fantastic job!

Submitted by Dr. Allen Keshishian

Student Doctor Emily Yan

Emily has been a fantastic resource to our students and hosting open sessions. Her explanations are engaging, and her drawings are fantastic! I am so thankful for the support she is providing to our Student Doctors!

Submitted by Cat Rosales

OSA Staff members (Danielle, Cat, Rigo, Megan, Tianna, and Lisa)

Thank you all for your help in ensuring the CHSU Fest event is successful. You help with setting up the tables, games, and make sure participants check-in, manning different stations, answering questions, and cleaning up after the event. Your support and teamwork are appreciated!

Submitted by Tom Thao

Student Doctors Peter Ciari, Paramveer Brar, Timothy and other Grill Masters

I want to wow Peter, Paramveer, Timothy, and the other students who helped grill and cook the hot dogs and hamburgers for the CHSU Fest. Especially, Peter, for bringing your grills, setting up the BBQ area, and cooking the food. Thank you for going above and beyond to help ensure the event is successful.

Submitted by Tom Thao

SGA Social Committee Members

I want to WOW the SGA Social Committee Chair and its members for their effort and energy in making the CHSU Fest event a success, from planning the games and stations, purchasing the food and supplies, setting up, and cleaning up after the event. THANK YOU!

Submitted by Tom Thao

Student Doctor Ariana Vivian

Not only has Student Doctor Vivian been a wonderful OPP Scholar during her first rotation, she has received the OCA Conference Scholarship! This will be one of many achievements for Ariana. Congrats!

Submitted by OPP Department

Dr. Duc Chung and COM Awards Committee; Dr. Allen Keshishian and MSBS Awards Committee

Thank you to the COM And MSBS Awards committees for creating and executing the Graduate awards process for the class of 2025. Your thoughtful awards included an equitable nomination and voting process. Your time in preparing the Award certificates, Awards Dinner scripts, and PPT made for a wonderful Graduate Dinner! Dr. Chung and Mikaela Garces did a great job as emcees at the Dinner!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

COM Student Ambassadors Andrew Nguyen, Armen Ter-Oganesyan, Brooke Guenther, David Torres, Natalie Ban, Philip Pham, Tanya Dhiman, and Tom Kim

Thank you so much for all your incredible help at graduation! Your promptness, professionalism, and kindness were truly appreciated and made a significant impact. You were an integral part of making the event a success—not only by supporting the faculty and staff, but also by helping our guests and families feel welcomed and honored. Thanks to your efforts, we once again created the kind of environment where CHSU students lift each other up and ensure we all succeed. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you again for everything!

Submitted by COM Student Affairs

Mia Munoz

A huge thank you to Mia for helping to plan and execute a very well-organized Commencement Ceremony, Grad Awards Dinner, and Military Ceremony. It takes months of planning, logistics, coordination of vendors and helpers, content collecting, proofreading, etc. and you were a great lead in the process!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Monique Islas

Monique did an excellent job preparing all the artwork for Commencement Ceremony, Grad Awards Dinner, and Military Ceremony, including Save the Date invitations, Invitations, Agendas, Printed Programs, Signs, Digital ads, etc. Thank you for working ahead, being patient with the many revisions, and providing beautiful mementos for our graduates. Also appreciate your helping at the events!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Mikayla Saelee

Mikayla did a wonderful job helping with Graduation and Grad Week related social media, photography, videography, PPT for the Graduate Awards Dinner and Commencement, and helping at the events! The CHSU social media is performing better than ever with your great content and willingness to cover nearly all the events! Great job!!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Krystal Mendoza

While finishing her own college semester and working through finals, Krystal balanced her schedule to assist with as many CHSU Graduation events as she could. She is a strong support in our social media success and has provided analytics reporting to help us refine our strategies! Thank you for your great work!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Dr. John Graneto, Dr. Sree Pattipati, Dr. Allen Keshishian, Mia Munoz, Dr. Rosemary Sanchez, Danielle Quiroga, Jessie Hernandez, Tom Thao, Mikaela Garces, Hope Weber, Jessica McCune, Jiehan Chen

Thank you to my fellow Graduation planning committee members for helping to give our graduates a well-organized and memorable Commencement Ceremony, Graduate Dinner and Awards, and COM Military Ceremony! The Student Affairs teams worked very closely with us on the logistics, content collection, and details. Hope was always there in a pinch and helped take the supplies back to CHSU! We keep improving the process every year!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Desiree Landano and Chandler Jameson

Thank you for helping support the VIP Seating at Commencement! Your friendly greetings and guiding our VIPs provided for a special experience!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Catherine Rosales, Jacob Moon, Jennette Munn, Tiana Taylor, Jonathon Vargas, Lisa James, Megan Zaninovich, Rigo Ceja

Thank you to our wonderful CHSU helpers at Commencement! Your time and attention to detail were instrumental in helping our graduates, faculty, staff, trustees, and guests get to the proper places at the right time! We couldn't have done it without you!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Matt Basgall, Dennis Reed, Tim Merrill

Matt, thank you for helping plan improved entrance and security protocols for Graduation. You also did a great job helping our VIPs get to their section. We appreciate you and your team them for extra support and security!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Jiehan Chen

Thank you to Jiehan for helping to support the Faculty Regalia rentals! You were a tremendous help in getting information collected for the orders, distributing regalia, collecting regalia, and returning it to Jostens. I appreciate you taking on this time-consuming process!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser