Winter 2014 / Issue Two the pulse your lifeline to the College of Health Sciences IN THIS ISSUE CHS Celebrates National Allied Health Professionals Week College of Health Sciences students and faculty celebrated Allied Health Week Nov. 3-9. This annual event honors more than 3 million health professionals. Allied Health Week in Review In honor of Allied Health Week, the CHS Student Government Association planned a week full of events that included a breakfast with poster presentations, an allied health trivia treasure hunt, a photo contest, a diversity lunch and learn, and an ice cream social and awards ceremony. NIFA Grant IOTA OT of the Year Student Accomplishes First Publication The winners from each contest were awarded lunch in Room 500 with David C. Shelledy, PhD, dean of the College of Health Sciences, and Thomas A. Deutsch, MD, provost of Rush University. ASHA in Chicago Below and on page 3 are some of the contest entries for Allied Health Week. HSM Honors Excellence Awards Faculty Spotlight WINNERS: Poster Presentation Occupational Therapy Trivia Treasure Hunt Physician Assistant Studies Photo Contest Occupational Therapy Keep us posted on your news and updates at chs_admissions@rush.edu College of Health Sciences 600 S. Paulina St. Suite 1001 AAC Chicago, IL 60612 www.rushu.rush.edu/health
CHS ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Audiology (AuD) Clinical Nutrition (MS) and the Combined MS/Dietetic Internship Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD) Kudos Health Sciences (BS) Health Systems Management (MS) Imaging Sciences (BS) Medical Laboratory Science (BS or MS) Medical Physics (Residency) National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grant Occupational Therapy (MS) Perfusion Technology (BS or MS) Physician Assistant Studies (MS) Research Administration (MS) Respiratory Care (BS or MS) Heather Rasmussen, PhD, RD, LDN, assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Nutrition, has received a grant toward her clinical trial. The grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, supports a three-year clinical trial designed to test a synbiotic combination of a bacteria (the Bifidobacterium adolescentis strain) and a nondigestible food ingredient that stimulates beneficial bacteria growth in the digestive system (galactooligosaccharide) on markers of gut health. The trial will shed light on how dietary factors may affect gut health and allow for further investigation into their link to metabolic health. IOTA Occupational Therapist of the Year Beverly Myers, MHPE, OTR/L, CHT, has been named the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association s Occupational Therapist of the Year. Myers is an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Program and has been an occupational therapist for more than 40 years. During those 40 years, Myers has provided clinical service to patients in many physical disability settings and has taught entry-level occupational therapy students. She consistently demonstrates excellence in all her endeavors and is a role model of professionalism. Myers was also awarded the Rush College of Health Sciences 2013 Award for Teaching Excellence. Throughout her career, Myers has not only increased the quality of life for her clients, but also has made a positive impact on the quality of the profession. First of Many Megan Harley has published her first journal article in the American Society for Clinical Pathology Lab Medicine, Current Treatments and Prospective Therapies to Manage Sickle Cell Disease. Harley is an MS student in the Clinical Laboratory Management Program and is completing a specialist in blood bank certificate. ASHA in Chicago In November the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention was held in Chicago. More than 35 faculty and students in the Rush Communication Disorders and Sciences Program (CDS) provided presentations and poster sessions during the convention. In addition, CDS had a booth at the graduate fair and hosted an open house at the Hilton Chicago hotel. Emily Wang, PhD, with speechlanguage pathology students at ASHA
Specialist in Blood Bank Certificate and Clinical Laboratory Management Program (MS) Speech-Language Pathology (MS) Vascular Ultrasound (BS) Health Systems Management Students Achievements Second-year Rachel Mills received a $10,000 Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois fellowship from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Katie Feldman, MS 13, presented the results of her master s project at the American Heart Association Quality of Care and Outcomes Research meeting. Nina Parikh, MS 13, received second place in the John E. Ware Patient Experience Research Award for her poster, Improving Patient Satisfaction Scores in Academic Medical Centers, at the 2013 Rush University Forum for Research and Clinical Investigation. Stefanie Hassel, MS 13, passed her Healthcare Financial Management Association certification. Sveinn Sigurdsson, MS 13; Katelyn Hunter, MS 13; and Renée Durack, MS 13, placed third in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health Administration Case Competition. Additional Recognition 2013 CHS Award for Teaching Excellence Beverly Myers, MHPE, OTR/L, CHT 2013 CHS Award for Research Excellence Christy Tangney, PhD, FACN, CNS 2013 CHS Award for Service Excellence Diane Howard, PhD, MPH Sveinn Sigurdsson, MS 13; Will Ferniany, PhD; Renée Durack, MS 13; and Katelyn Hunter, MS 13 2013 Association of Schools of Allied Health Professionals (ASAHP) Scholarship of Excellence Monica Bojko, second-year Clinical Nutrition student A Special Thank-You to All CHS Students Who Participated in Allied Health Week! HONORABLE MENTIONS: Poster Presentation Perfusion Technology Trivia Treasure Hunt Occupational Therapy Photo Contest Imaging Sciences Photos (from left to right): First-year students in the Physician Assistant Studies Program, Imaging Sciences student Shaunice Davis, and Vascular Ultrasound students Dan Maloy and Emily Walder
Faculty Spotlight In this issue of The Pulse, we would like to spotlight Thomas E. Wilson, MBA, senior research administrator, administrative director of the Rush Translational Sciences Consortium and assistant vice president at Rush University Medical Center. Wilson earned a bachelor of science from Rutgers University and a master of business administration from the University of Arizona. He started his career in research administration at the Arizona Health Sciences Center in 1978. Before joining Rush in 2007, he was the director of the Office of Sponsored Projects at Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope. He also held leadership positions at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Wilson is an active member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), which serves its members and advances the field of research administration through education and professional development programs, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and by fostering a professional, collegial and respected community. He has published many articles, some of which appeared in NCURA Magazine, including Issues With Industry Sponsored Research: The Rush Solution, Biomedical Research and the Obama Administration, A Delicate Balancing Act: Healthcare Reform Versus Biomedical Research, Haiti Diaries: Compassion and Service, and Graduate Degree: Why Me? He also has published peer-reviewed articles in the journals published by NCURA, the Society of Research Administrators International (SRA) and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA). Wilson has lectured and taught workshops at NCURA, SRA and SoCRA annual meetings. He also has lectured at annual meetings of the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators. He is now adjunct faculty and associate program director for the Master of Science in Research Administration (MSRA) program at Rush University. With Wilson s guidance, the College of Health Sciences developed the Research Administration Program and accepted its first cohort in fall 2012. The program prepares research administrators to plan, develop and deliver high-quality, costeffective research administration services. Students in the program are prepared to assume leadership roles as administrators and educators. The program provides a unique online graduate education experience for current and future research management professionals in all areas of research administration. Students learn research methods, data analysis and descriptive and inferential statistics in order to develop an understanding of how principal investigators design and perform research. Through the Master of Science in Research Administration program in the College of Health Sciences, we are educating the future leaders in research administration, says Wilson. Our graduates will be challenged to forge the future pathway for the profession of research administration within the United States and throughout the world. Kudos to Wilson for all of his accomplishments thus far! For additional information about the Master of Science in Research Administration visit www.rushu.rush.edu/msra.