V O L U M E 13
S C H O O L
O F
H EA LTH
A N D
M E D I CA L
S C I E N C E S
A tribute to the people and organizations who share in our bold ambitions
INS!GHTS
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Contents
magazine is published by the School of Health and Medical Sciences at Seton Hall University. Publisher Brian B. Shulman, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, BCS-CL, FASAHP, FNAP Dean Editor
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Grand Opening
Lori Riley, MA ’06
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The Greenfields Get and Give the GIST
Special Events
Director of Public Relations, Marketing and
Design and Production
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IPE at its Core
Anthony Liptak
Students are the Driving Force
Department of Public Relations and Marketing
The PA Way
Feature Photography
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The Degree is Just the Beginning
Zachary Barron
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A Volunteer on a Mission
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Role Models
Vikram N. Dayalu, PhD, CCC-SLP
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Research Grants
Vicci Hill-Lombardi, EdD, ATC
Executives in the Classroom
Ruth Segal, PhD, OTR
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Lorraine Joyce Seton Hall University
Fred Stucker
Contributing Writers Terrence F. Cahill, EdD, FACHE Taylor Cain, BS ’18 Christopher Hanifin, MS ’99, PA-C Kimberly Olson Doreen M. Stiskal, PT, PhD ’03 SCHOOL OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
Special Features
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Interprofessional Perspectives: Why I Give
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Faculty Achievements
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Collaborative Learning
Ning Jackie Zhang, PhD, MD, MPH
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Slick Moves
Assistant Dean for Graduate Enrollment
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A Compassionate Gift
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Personal and Professional Passion
Happenings
Assistant Dean for Dual Degree Programs
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Dean’s Message
Deborah Welling, AuD, CCC-A/FAAA
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What’s New at SHMS
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Working Together, Growing Together: New Faculty, Staff & Administrators
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Welcome to the Dean Team!
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Department News
Dean Brian B. Shulman, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, BCS-CL, FASAHP, FNAP Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
and Students Affairs Patrick McDermott, MA Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Education Vasiliki (Betty) Sgouras, MD
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School of Health and Medical Sciences Seton Hall University Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) Campus, Building 123 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110 www.shu.edu/health • (973) 542-6800
A Message from the Dean Dear SHMS Alumni, Students, Colleagues and Friends:
As I write this message to you, I am reflecting on the theme of this edition of INS!GHTS magazine, “Giving Back.” Now, perhaps more than ever before, is an incredibly meaningful time to acknowledge the many (many!) people who give back to the School of Health and Medical Sciences in many (many!) ways. The School of Health and Medical Sciences is engaged in a pioneering effort in health sciences education. As we move into our new home on a new branch campus of Seton Hall — the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) Campus — we are blazing new trails in what is becoming the new norm: interprofessional education (IPE). With our partners in the College of Nursing and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, we are moving together — not only physically, but academically and culturally — toward a future that is patient-centered and team-based in every sense. You, along with all the individuals and organizations featured throughout this issue of INS!GHTS , are the reason we are able to move forward with our bold ambitions. Your
connection to the School of Health and Medical Sciences is of paramount importance and has greatly influenced our vision. Every single person who is involved with our School plays a meaningful role in shaping who we are. We are grateful for the commitments that come in many shapes and sizes, some of which are highlighted in the pages that follow. While many of your efforts are extraordinary, please know that no gesture is too small. Telling a colleague about one of our programs, for example, or contributing to the Dean’s Scholarship Fund are simple ways to make a significant difference. Our future is very bright, and it is your contributions in time, talent and treasure that light the way. To all those who give back, I extend my sincere thanks. Thank you for helping us get to where we are today, and thank you for propelling us forward into the future. Go Pirates! Sincerely,
Brian B. Shulman, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, BCS-CL, FASAHP, FNAP Dean, School of Health and Medical Sciences Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University
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Why I G
INTERPROFESSIONALPERSPECTIVES
There are many reasons that people choose to give back to an organization or a cause — and many ways of doing so — but they all share in common the desire to make a difference. A few of the individuals who contribute to the School of Health and Medical Sciences tell us what motivates them to get involved.
There is no greater feeling than explaining a new concept to students and seeing that moment in which they “get it.” You know you’ve made an impact that will stay with them as they head out into clinical practice. Having sat in the chairs they currently occupy, I remember the professors who had an impact on me and whose lessons are part of my practice today. That is truly full circle in my book. — Brian Van Ness, BS ’00, MS ’02, PA-C Alumnus and Guest Lecturer Physician Assistant, Hackensack University Medical Center — Department of Surgical Critical Care and Trauma
I like what I do for a living and want others in this field to have a fulfilling experience. Plus, I enjoy the challenge of working with someone with a fresh perspective. They can help me see things differently. Matthew [Olton, MHA student intern] brought a very analytical and tech-savvy approach to organizing information related to an array of regulatory requirements for emergency management — I appreciate how he could articulate it in a very thoughtful way. — Philip J. Driscoll Jr., FACHE Internship Supervisor for Master of Healthcare Administration Program CEO, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation — Saddle Brook Campus
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GIVING BACK
Seton Hall has made a major imprint on who I am as a therapist. The professional knowledge I have is because of the time and effort the faculty gave in order to examine and develop an appropriate curriculum, and to ensure that we had amazing instructors. Giving back to SHMS is just a small way for me to say thank you for stretching me and pushing me to be proficient in my field. — Kenyani Shanai Henderson BA ’10, MS ’13, OTR Alumna and OT Advisory Council Member 2018 SHMS Many Are One Honoree Occupational Therapist at Trinitas Children’s Therapy Services and Therapy Tree LLC; Owner, Artistic Director and Instructor at Soul Xpressiion School of the Arts
I Gıve
I decided to give now because I felt like I could contribute in a meaningful way — I’m working at a boarding school I found through the Seton Hall network. The education I received put me ahead of many of my peers. My instructors were some of the best I’ve ever met, and I’m immensely grateful for their mentorship. — Shannon Drew, MS ’10, ATC Alumna and First-Time Donor to Seton Hall Fund Head Athletic Trainer, Cate School
I enjoy participating in ways to give back to Seton Hall because it motivates me to think positively about my students. Their enthusiasm becomes mine, and even a small donation makes that connection all the more steadfast. I like the ambassadors program because it reveals our shared mission at Seton Hall — to learn and grow together. — Glenn Beamer, PhD Faculty Ambassador, Seton Hall “Rise to the Challenge” Campaign Associate Professor, Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration
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At press time, the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) Campus in Nutley/Clifton, New Jersey, is nearing completion. The School of Health and Medical Sciences will begin holding classes on the new campus on July 1, 2018. Stay tuned for announcements about a grand opening celebration, tour opportunities and more as we begin this new chapter in our history. Welcome to our new home!
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GIVING BACK
The Greenfields Get and Give the GIST
Two dedicated members of our SHMS community are active ambassadors for interprofessional education (IPE). Daniel P. Greenfield, MD, MPH, MS, a psychiatrist and adjunct faculty member, and his wife, Marguerite R. Greenfield, JD, MFA, a retired public service labor attorney, gave to SHMS a charitable gift of $56,750 to create the Greenfield Interprofessional Student Travel (GIST) Fund. The GIST Fund will provide financial support to SHMS graduate students in their pursuit of interprofessional enrichment, such as clinical experiences, immersion programs, research and shadowing opportunities. In recognition of Dr. Greenfield’s longstanding involvement with the Department of Physician Assistant, preference will be given to graduate students in the M.S. in Physician Assistant program. On behalf of the entire School, we extend our sincere thanks to the Greenfields for this wonderful gift! INS!GHTS
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WHAT’SNEWATSHMS OT
As part of Professional Formation IV course, second-year students in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program collaborate with community- dwelling older adults from culturally diverse backgrounds to promote engagement in meaningful occupations through the use of everyday technology. Participants identify tasks of interest and work with the occupational therapy students during a twoday experiential learning assignment. Tasks may include learning to modify features on their personal devices to enhance accessibility, using online platforms to interact with loved ones or downloading their favorite books.
IHSA
Faculty in the Master of Healthcare Administration program have created two new certificate programs: Population Health Management and Practice Management for Health Professionals. These 15-credit graduate certificates are designed to offer in-demand skills in rapidly evolving areas of healthcare management. The 89 dissertations published by
graduates of the PhD in Health Sciences program have been downloaded 70,630 times, including 16,687 times in the past year alone, by individuals around the world representing universities, government agencies, corporations and healthcare organizations.
SLP
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GIVING BACK
Community-based learning continues as a focus of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program’s clinical education. The program has expanded its collaborations with the Irvington School District, JCC and a host of local schools and hospitals. These experiential training opportunities (ETOs) provide students with an array of clinical skills that will positively impact their clinical practica experiences. For example, students visit the Adler Aphasia Center and evaluate individuals with aphasia, and observe and discuss a swallowing assessment at JFK Medical Center.
AT
To give students more exposure to problem-based learning situations, the curriculum of the Master of Science in Athletic Training program was revised. The Research Methods course was separated from Research Project; the former Therapeutic Exercise course was fused with the Extremities course to create a Targeted Applications of Treatment in the Extremities course; and the Sports Psychology course is transitioning to Psychosocial Issues in Athletic Training.
PA
The Department of Physician Assistant obtained a diagnostic ultrasound machine last summer. The faculty look forward to integrating
PT
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program prepares students to be innovative healthcare providers. A recent graduate, John Patrick Gloria, DPT ’17, received an APTANJ Student Scholarship for his video about the role of a physical therapist in the opioid crisis in New Jersey, in support of the American Physical Therapy Association’s #ChoosePT campaign that raises awareness about physical therapy as a safe alternative for chronic pain management. His award-winning video can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/igb_dXqx_N8.
this increasingly common technology into the curriculum. As point-of-care ultrasound becomes increasingly important in daily medical practice, the program is committed to ensuring that graduates will know the basics of ultrasound scanning.
FACULTYACHIEVEMENTS
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Mara Podvey, PhD, OTR, Associate Professor, has two articles in press (AOTA’s Special Interest Section Quarterly) describing occupational therapy’s role in the emerging practice area of maternal health. The Home and Community Health SIS will publish her article titled “Interprofessional Collaborations in Maternal Health,” about combining the expertise of OTs and other practitioners to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and their families. The Mental Health SIS will publish her article titled “Maternal Health and Occupational Therapy: A Good Fit,” which supports the inclusion of occupational therapy in interdisciplinary care for maternal mental health and highlights the holistic nature of occupational therapy during the perinatal period.
INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH SCIENCES AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION The Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education (CAHME) selected Nalin Johri, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, to present a national webinar on Master of Healthcare Administration program assessment strategies. Johri was one of only four faculty selected to share a nationally recognized evaluation protocol for graduate health education programs. Stephen Wagner, PhD, MS, FACMPE, FACHE, FAcEM, Assistant Professor, published a textbook titled Fundamentals of Medical Practice Management (Health Administration Press), one of the few graduate textbooks focusing on this topic. Genevieve Pinto Zipp, PT, EdD, Professor, and colleagues (S. Bhat, H. Upadhyay, P.G. Polos) published a paper titled “To Sleep, Perchance to Tweet: In-bed Electronic Social Media Use and its Associations with Insomnia, Daytime Sleepiness, Mood and Sleep Duration in Adults” in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation (2017).
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY Nina Capone Singleton, PhD, CCC-SLP, Associate Professor, and Brian B. Shulman, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, BCS-CL, FASAHP, FNAP, Dean and Professor, will publish the third edition of their textbook, titled Language Development: Foundations, Processes and Clinical Applications (Jones & Bartlett Learning), which is an accessible overview of language development covering the typical course of language development within the clinical context of language assessment and intervention. Deborah Welling, AuD, CCC-A/FAAA, Assistant Dean for Dual Degree Programs and Associate Professor, and a colleague (C. Ukstins) published the second edition of their textbook, titled Fundamentals of Audiology for the Speech-Language Pathologist (Jones & Bartlett Learning), which combines the theories and training of both disciplines in order to facilitate the practical application of foundational audiologic information into speech-language pathology practice.
ATHLETIC TRAINING Carolyn Goeckel, MA, ATC, Assistant Professor, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, titled “An Exploratory Study on Perceptions of IPE [interprofessional education] towards Interprofessional Practice in Athletic Training,” in June 2017. She continues her exploration of IPE in both the classroom and her research. Leslie Rippon, MS, ATC, Instructor, and Vicci Hill-Lombardi, EdD, ATC, Associate Professor and Chair, presented at the inaugural Educators Conference at the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Meeting in Boston on January 5, 2018. Their presentations shared a common theme regarding research, with Rippon focusing on clinical questions within the Seton Hall MSAT curriculum and Hill-Lombardi presenting the MSAT program’s research component.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT Laura Goshko, RPh, MS, Assistant Professor, and a colleague (R. LaFleur) co-authored a paper titled “The Uncertainty of CVD Risk Calculation — What is the Best Risk Model for the Individual?” which was accepted for publication in the Journal of Engineering and Science in Medical Diagnostics and Therapy. Kimberly Ann Miller, Director of Clinical Education, authored an article titled “Finding the Perfect Orthopedic Position for New PA Graduates,” which was published on the website of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
PHYSICAL THERAPY Kristiane George, PT, PhD, PCS, Assistant Professor, is participating as the department representative on the newly enhanced New Jersey State Interagency Coordinating Council that advises and assists New Jersey’s Early Intervention System in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C. Doreen M. Stiskal, PT, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair, was elected vice-chair of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). INS!GHTS
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Collaborative Learning Tami Pantiliano, an alumna of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, offers graduate students invaluable experience working with children who have special needs. While working as a physical therapist at CPNJ’s Horizon Elementary School, which serves children ages 3 to 13 who have multiple disabilities, alumna Tami Pantiliano, DPT ’07, PT, realized that physical therapy graduate students would benefit from spending time there, observing children and learning how professionals collaborate. So she worked with staff at the school in Livingston, New Jersey, to create two half-day, interprofessional, hands-on laboratory experiences for Seton Hall’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. “There’s nothing like real, live experience, which can be difficult to get in pediatrics,” says Kristiane W. George, PT, PhD, PCS, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Seton Hall. “For parents — who may already be having a hard time dealing with their children’s atypical-ness — to agree to letting graduate students interact with their children is an extraordinary thing.” The program that Pantiliano put together has received rave reviews from the DPT students, Seton Hall faculty and the children’s parents alike. “So much goes into it,” George says. “We’re so grateful to Tami for enhancing educational opportunities for our students.” Pantiliano shares her thoughts about the collaborative program: Why is CPNJ’s Horizon Elementary a great place for DPT students to learn? TP: The school’s program is interdisciplinary, which gives graduate students a feel for how they should be working with the other professions — such as speech-language pathology and occupational therapy — to 8
GIVING BACK
IPE come up with a comprehensive plan of care. Plus, by working hands-on with children who have multiple disabilities, the students can more fully understand their role as a therapist. You teach DPT students about adaptive equipment. What types? TP: We have equipment that you won’t find at all schools. One of the most interesting is the LiteGait, a bodyweight support gait-training system. We use it over the treadmill and on land. The DPT students also see the children drive power chairs, while some have manual wheelchairs. We also have various standers and can demonstrate why you would put Student A in a mobile stander, versus Student B, who needs more support, in a supine stander. What can happen in the real world that a graduate student might not anticipate? TP: This is a population with severe deficits, so some can’t follow your verbal instruction or answer back. You’re relying on your hands to teach their bodies what to do. Working directly with these kids, having to problem-solve, is the best way to understand what to do. Professors say, “I can see the [graduate] students getting it.” It’s not just words in a textbook anymore. You bring in other specialists to instruct as well. What is their role? TP: The speech-language pathologist and I give a lecture together. She gives a demo on different communication devices and programs that the children use, like our iPad voice output programs. An occupational therapist takes the DPT students to the sensory room, where they work through an individual case study and use the sensory vestibular equipment to treat a student. You run this program as a volunteer. What motivates you? TP: I credit my career to Seton Hall. It’s a pleasant way for me to give back to this school that I came from. — Kimberly Olson
at its Core
Since its establishment in 2014, the SHMS Center for Interprofessional Education (CIEHS) in the Health Sciences has been very active in developing a series of sustainable, co-curricular programming for students in the School’s clinical programs. These IPE Core Signature Experiences begin on the students’ first day on campus and build upon each other, creating an integrated set of experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for their future roles on patient-centered healthcare teams.
SHMS IPE CORE SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES
#1 New Student Orientation Empathy in Healthcare
#2 Interprofessional Perspectives Series Impact of Medical Errors and Team STEPPS
#3 Town Hall Discussion Fostering an Inclusive Athletics Environment for a Young Adult with Autism
#4 Collaborative Practice A Parental Perspective on the Therapeutic Process #5 Symposium Exploring Interprofessional Teamwork and Collaboration through a Community Partnership
Upon completion of each experience, students earn a digital badge, which they can display in their portfolios to demonstrate their competencies with regard to interprofessional practice (IPP). “When I was interviewing for jobs, I spoke with prospective employers about the benefits of interprofessional collaboration and why we, as healthcare providers, need to take a patient-centered approach. Because of the SHMS IPE core curriculum, I have a lot of confidence talking about IPP and, now, incorporating it into my practice,” says Benjamin Ayzenberg, PT, DPT ’17, Research Physical Therapist at the Narrows Institute for Biomedical Research. The CIEHS Faculty Advisory Board is piloting its second phase of IPE learning experiences: online asynchronous team-based learning modules. Students participate in four, semester-long modules over a two-year period. Each module focuses on a healthcare topic from an interprofessional perspective, such as Professionalism, Cultural Competency, Team Science and Health Issues and Trends. For more information on the CIEHS and its initiatives, visit www.shu.edu/ipe. INS!GHTS
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MOVES Athletic Training students learn a challenging procedure — on-ice spine boarding — in a workshop led by alumnus and clinical preceptor Stephen Spezio. When he was an athletic training graduate student, alumnus Stephen Spezio learned how to perform on-ice spine boarding — transferring an injured hockey player (or other athlete) from the ice playing-surface to a stabilizing spine-board. Spezio, MS ’08, ATC, CSCS, was instrumental in bringing that training back to SHMS, giving current students in the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program an experience that is otherwise hard to come by. 10
GIVING BACK
Spezio — an athletic trainer and health teacher at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and a clinical preceptor for the SHMS MSAT program — offered to train the MSAT students at an area ice rink. The faculty enthusiastically agreed. “We provide hands-on training that other universities aren’t able to, and spine-board training is another opportunity for students to work on a team in a simulated situation,” says Vicci Hill-Lombardi, EdD, ATC, Associate
Professor and Chair of the SHMS Department of Athletic Training. “The patient and students are on a slippery surface, so it’s an incredible skill-building opportunity.” “Athletic training students typically have two years of clinicals, and there’s not a lot of talk about hockey,” says Spezio, who works with the boys’ and girls’ ice hockey teams at Pingry, as well as numerous other sports programs. During the spine-boarding training, he also discusses hockey equipment, injury evaluations and how to walk on ice. As a preceptor, Spezio supervises the MSAT students on clinical rotations at Pingry, mentoring them through various real-world experiences. He also sits on the MSAT program’s advisory board, conducts CPR re-certifications for graduating students and has brought MSAT students to Pingry to conduct a research project.
Students are the Driving Force Physician Assistant students organize an annual blood drive to save lives.
Erin Carannante pictured left.
A beloved teacher, he passionately guides students at both institutions. “As a preceptor, the first Seton Hall student I supervised [Erin Carannante, MS ’10, ATC] actually works as an athletic trainer at Pingry with me now,” he says. “She’s also a Seton Hall preceptor and advisory board member, and co-teaches the spineboarding and CPR classes.” Carannante is also Pingry’s assistant director of athletics and a health teacher. Both believe in hands-on experience. “You can learn all you want in a textbook, but it doesn’t always present that way,” Spezio says. “I had great clinical experiences when I was at Seton Hall, and I love giving students my own insights as we go along.” — Kimberly Olson
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. A person who is injured in a car accident might need as much as 1,000 pints. People who have cancer sometimes need blood during chemotherapy. Individuals with sickle cell anemia could need blood transfusions throughout their lives. Healthcare professionals are acutely aware of the need for banked blood. “It’s something that you order for patients, and when the right blood type isn’t there, patients can die,” says Jurga Marshall, MS, PA-C, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physician Assistant. “It can be a life-or-death situation, so it’s priceless to have the right kind of blood at all times.” Students in the Master of Science in Physician Assistant program are doing their part to help. In 2001, through a partnership with the New Jersey Blood Bank, the Physician Assistant Student Society of Seton Hall University (PASSSHU) launched an annual blood drive. “Our blood drive is one of the biggest on campus,” says Marshall, who is the PASSSHU advisor. “On average, we collect 50 liters of blood per drive.” Every aspect of the drive is spearheaded by students. Last fall, Kaitlyn Twomey and Leanna Vastoler led the charge, with help from classmates Colleen Carr, Erika Donohue, Bridget Gallagher, Mary Herc, Audrey Snyder, Martha Stanko and Gabrielle Wolfson, who collaborated on recruitment and promotion. “Students are the driving force,” Marshall says. “They have sign-ups at the University
Center, and they do a lot of one-on-one outreach to encourage other students to donate blood.” The blood drive not only benefits patients, but also the PA students. “They get the experience of organizing and being successful with it,” Marshall says. “Not to mention the satisfaction of contributing to society and the medical world.” — Kimberly Olson
The PA Way In addition to the annual blood drive, students in the M.S. in Physician Assistant program are giving back in other ways. • They fundraise for childhood cancer research and, in cooperation with other SHMS programs, participate in Relay for Life to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. • D uring PA Week in October, they educate the community about cancer and heart disease by offering health screenings, such as blood pressure checks. • Last spring, students organized and attended two weekend trainings on splinting techniques. Alumnus Daniel Vernik, MS ’10, PA-C, of Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute in Freehold, New Jersey, conducted the trainings on campus.
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Through her role with the Kinney Memorial Foundation, alumna Hope McGinn helped to create the PA Student Emergency Fund, which exists to support students through dire circumstances.
Hope McGinn was living in San Diego when she learned that a student in the SHMS Master of Science in Physician Assistant program — which she herself completed five years prior — had experienced a house fire that destroyed her textbooks and medical equipment. “I started to remember my days as a PA student and thought about what that would be like,” says McGinn (formerly Holloway), MS ’07, PA-C. “I had once experienced a house fire myself and felt compelled to help.” McGinn responded to an email from Christopher Hanifin, MS ’99, PA-C, Chair of the Department of Physician Assistant, who was reaching out to alumni to raise funds to help the student through these dire circumstances. As a trustee of the New York-based Kinney Memorial Foundation, an organization that McGinn’s family has been involved with since its beginnings, she was in a unique position 12
GIVING BACK
to provide support. “The Kinney family founded Kinney Shoe Corporation, and my grandfather was a lawyer who worked with Leroy Kinney [who created the Kinney family’s trust and foundation],” she says. Through her role in the foundation, McGinn helped to establish at Seton Hall the PA Student Emergency Fund with an initial gift of $6,000, followed by a $12,000 contribution. “Life as a grad student is difficult enough without these bumps in the road,” she says. “If we can help students through hardships, they can continue their student life.” The fund was established in memory of Jamie Brierly, one of McGinn’s PA classmates. “Jamie was a compassionate young lady with a big heart who’s no longer with us,” McGinn says. “It was important to me that we make these donations in her memory.” After meeting last fall with Brian B. Shulman,
PhD, Dean of SHMS, McGinn was again inspired to give back. In 2017, the Kinney Memorial Foundation donated $15,000 to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund for scholarships. “It was great to hear about the new [Interprofessional Health Sciences] campus and changes in the curriculum, such as the opportunity for students to do clinical rotations internationally,” McGinn says. “I want to help the School offer scholarships to students studying abroad.” McGinn says that giving keeps people connected — to their school, and to their community. “It’s part of the whole picture for good living,” she says. “We talk about prescriptions for diet and exercise, and it’s the same thing with giving. You have to make it part if your life and habits.” — Kimberly Olson
The Degree is Just the Beginning Graduates of the MHA program remain connected to Seton Hall while also helping the next generation of healthcare leaders. For many alumni of the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program, their involvement with Seton Hall extends well beyond the degree — it is a calling to give back. Several former students have reconvened on campus to lead an MHA Alumni Career Panel during the University’s Graduate Open House. By all accounts, their participation is very meaningful for everyone in attendance — including themselves. One of the panelists, Sajni Desai, BA ’14, MHA ’16, is a Deal Desk Quoting Analyst at Johnson & Johnson. She regularly meets up with other MHA alumni. “It’s great to see the different paths we’ve all taken with the same degree,” she says, “which just shows how many opportunities we have once we graduate from this program.” Desai, whose bachelor’s degree is also from Seton Hall, says the University is “very close to [her] heart” and that she was honored to serve on the career panel and share her experiences with prospective MHA students. Marlene Kalayilparampil, MHA ’15, and Moses Salami, MHA ’14, were on the panel in both 2017 and 2018. A Manager of Marketing and Public Relations for Holy Name Medical Center, Salami is not shy about proclaiming his love for this line of work. The proud alumnus
credits his former classmates and professors for inspiring him to give back. He enjoys discussing healthcare trends with the MHA faculty and being a mentor to those interested in this field. “Any way that I can lend myself as a resource gives me great joy,” he says. “Many people have helped me along this journey, and it is only right that I do same.” Kalayilparampil is a Project Director at the Medical Society of New Jersey. “I’ve had the privilege to work alongside my former professors from the MHA program, who are now serving as our academic partners in the newly launched New Jersey Healthcare Executive Leadership Academy,” she says (see page 17 for more on the NJHELA). Always an ambassador, Kalayilparampil gives an annual presentation on the MHA program at William Paterson University, where
she completed her bachelor’s degree. Several students have applied to Seton Hall after attending her talks. “My own career goal is to become a lobbyist for a healthcare organization, a system or a pharmaceutical company. I hope to be a voice for a patient population that truly needs it,” she says. This year, Carol Kisswany, MHA ’17, joined the career panel. As a Strategic Development Analyst for Hackensack Meridian Health, Kisswany emphasizes the importance of learning and mastering skills, such as the application of advanced analytics, navigating financial statements and investing in future technology to advance patient care. “As a recent graduate, it has been a great privilege to share my perspectives and answer questions in a relatable manner.” — Taylor Cain INS!GHTS
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“ I was a member of our SLP program’s first graduating class. I really learned so much, so I owe it to my program to give back, and to give the students as much as I can.” — Natalie Neubauer, MS ’01, CCC-SLP Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor Department of Speech-Language Pathology
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PASSION Kenya
Dominican Republic
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GIVING BACK
A Volunteer on a Mission Through service trips to Kenya and the Dominican Republic, recent PhD program graduate Quincy Chau helps his extended community improve their wellbeing.
Quincy Chau’s favorite memory of the Dominican Republic isn’t lounging on a beach under a shady palm tree. It’s knocking down a building. “We turned an old brothel into a place where local women can learn trades like sewing,” says Chau, a recent graduate in the Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration (IHSA) who volunteers with the not-for-profit organization Foundation for Peace. During his four service trips abroad, Chau also has volunteered at medical clinics, where he offered support to people seeking treatment for diverse afflictions, such as large, untreated tumors and severe malnutrition.
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Natalie Neubauer is what one might call “a giver.” She goes above and beyond for her students, colleagues, community members and classmates — and her contributions intersect. By working collaboratively to implement innovative clinical education opportunities for students in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program, Neubauer is providing a top-notch education. Her efforts also benefit the individuals being served by the organizations where SLP students are on rotations. These experiences, in turn, empower Neubauer to be an active leader in the New Jersey Speech-LanguageHearing Association (NJSHA), and inspire her pursuit of a doctoral degree in education from Seton Hall’s College of Education and Human Services. A proud Pirate, this won’t be Neubauer’s first Seton Hall degree. She is an alumna of the same program in which she currently teaches. In fact, she was a member of the SLP program’s first graduating class. Some might say she has come full circle, but that could imply that her work is complete. However, in some respect, she is just getting warmed up. Neubauer is passionate about interprofessional education and has been instrumental in creating a partnership with P.G. Chambers School (PGCS) in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, which serves children and young adults who have disabilities. Through this partnership, the SLP graduate students spend a day following a designated PGCS student through the classroom, and through speech, occupational and physical therapy. “Our SLP students are developing knowledge and skills in cutting-edge, collaborative
With the Ironia, New Jersey-based foundation, Chau — who defended his dissertation in March and received his PhD in Health Sciences degree this spring — has been to Kenya and the Dominican Republic, experiences he finds deeply meaningful. Chau explains that the volunteers work “hand in hand” — the foundation’s motto — with local churches and communities to prioritize their greatest needs, like building schools. He spends time walking around the “slum” neighborhoods. “You get to know what the conditions are like, and the people are very genuine,” he says. “This is very faith-based. If you don’t believe in God, this experience will pull you closer to God.”
practices that promote maximal client outcomes,” Neubauer explains. “I learned how teachers, classroom aids, SLPs, physical therapists and OTs come together to help the students learn in their own way,” says SLP graduate student Sarah Walker. “That will be important once we get out into the field.” The PGCS visit is one of many experiential training opportunities (ETOs) that Neubauer and her colleagues are creating to provide SLP students with comprehensive clinical knowledge and experiences that complement their traditional internships. The ETOs place SLP students in real-world clinical settings for up to a full day at a time, allowing them to see first-hand the diversity of clinical environments that exist, and to learn the skills needed to practice within these populations. For example, they learn about techniques and technologies used for hearing-
Recent PhD graduate Quincy Chau volunteers with Foundation for Peace, a not-for-profit organization
impaired children, observe children with disabilities using augmentative equipment in aquatic therapy and visit adult facilities to learn aphasia and dysphagia evaluation protocols and interventions for trach and ventilator patients. The schools and clinics benefit, too. At the Richard F. Blake Children’s Center, for example, SLP students screen preschoolers. When they detect subtle disorders, the children are referred for early intervention. “There’s no other university in New Jersey — or in any state that I’m aware of — that has this [ETOs],” says Neubauer, a recipient of the School of Health and Medical Sciences’ 2017 Interprofessional Education Faculty Award. “It gives our students a rich, broadbased experience to prepare them to work in any setting.” — Kimberly Olson
In the PhD program, Chau has gained a deeper understanding of healthcare financial issues and healthcare systems management, which informs his volunteer work. While the conditions are challenging, the rewards are great, Chau says. During a mission to Kenya, he met a young boy named Michael with a tennis ball-sized lymphoma in his neck who was able to get chemotherapy at a medical clinic. Chau says, “He was jumping up and down, and he even sang a song to thank us.”
that partners with people in materially impoverished communities to provide educational support, healthcare access, economic opportunity and hope.
— Kimberly Olson INS!GHTS
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Life as a college student is full of exploration, with one’s career path being a main consideration. Fortunately for the Seton Hall undergrads in the dual degree programs, they can learn from the SHMS graduate students who are a few years ahead of them on this journey. Students in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program and Karen Hoover, OTD, OTR, Assistant Professor, organized a seminar for Seton Hall undergraduates in the occupational therapy dual degree track of the Social and Behavioral Sciences major (SOBT). By creating simulated activities, the MSOT students demonstrated what an occupational therapist might do with a client to support his or her functional goals. For example, Ashley Sarno, BA ’16, a third-year MSOT student, discussed upper-body strengthening and visual perceptual skills using a color-coded swing. “We talked with the students about the many 16
GIVING BACK
ways that occupational therapists can help people live life to the fullest,” she says. “They asked questions about the difference between occupational therapy, physical therapy and social work, and wanted to know more about an OT’s work with different populations of people, such as children, or adults with disabilities.” Sarno feels proud that she and her classmates advocated for their profession through this workshop and imparted knowledge about occupational therapy’s role within a larger healthcare context. “We have been in their shoes,” Sarno says, recalling her own career exploration. “These are our future colleagues. We want them to have
a fulfilling and productive educational experience, so that they go into graduate school and out into the field with confidence.” Third-year MSOT student Meghan Murphy, BA ’16, continued to field questions from the SOBT majors even after the event. She offered advice on observation hours (“I recommended searching for a site near their home and completing their observation hours during the summer, when they won’t have to worry about being in classes at the same time.”) and choosing an undergraduate minor (“I explained why I chose social work and how it affected my graduate studies. For example, an undergraduate course regarding substance abuse helped prepare me for my mental health fieldwork placement.”) Plus, organizing the seminar was an opportunity for the MSOT students to hone their leadership and teaching skills, which will help them in their own careers. — Lori Riley, MA ’06
RESEARCHGRANTS Constantly in pursuit of new knowledge, our faculty are sought-after experts in a variety of disciplines. Highlighted here are examples of the grant-funded research that some of them are currently working on. Project Write to Learn: Preparation of Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists to Improve Written Expression in Children with Specific Learning Disabilities • U.S. Department of Education – Personnel Preparation Grant: $1,230,342 • Vikram Dayalu, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Ruth Segal, PhD, OTR (co-PIs); Karen Hoover, OTD, OTR, and Anthony Koutsoftas, PhD, CCC-SLP (key personnel) Pulmonary Vascular Dysfunction after Deployment-Related Exposures • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: $1,100,000 • Ning Jackie Zhang, PhD, MD, MPH (co-investigator) Evaluating the Role of Baroreceptor Sensitivity in the Post-Concussive Symptomatic Milieu • New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research: $526,549 • Michael LaFountaine, EdD, ATC Recovery of Affective Prosody after Stroke • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: $260,500 (subcontract to Seton Hall University from a $3.2 million award to Johns Hopkins University) • Sona Patel, PhD Development of a Cognitive Reassurance Training Program and its Impact on Physical Therapist and Patient Outcomes • NIH National REACT (Rehabilitation Research Resource to Enhance Clinical Trials) Center – Pilot Studies Program: $40,000 • Angela Lis, PT, PhD, CEU (co-investigator)
Executives in the Classroom When the Medical Society of New Jersey, New Jersey Hospital Association and New Jersey Association of Health Plans joined together to define a new era of healthcare leadership across the state, they turned to Seton Hall University to provide the knowledge and direction. The partnership resulted in the inaugural New Jersey Healthcare Executive Leadership Academy (NJHELA), which graduated its first cohort in 2017. Here’s a glimpse into this one-of-a-kind initiative that calls upon interprofessional education and practice (IPE and IPP) to tackle the most pressing healthcare issues in our state.
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Faculty members from Seton Hall’s Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration (IHSA) developed and taught the five-month curriculum, which emphasized collaborative leadership through the lens of improving end-of-life healthcare delivery
Mobilizing Physician Assistants: Educational and Professional Outreach to Underserved Urban Communities • nccPA Health Foundation – Be the CHANGE Grant: $1,000 • Mirela Bruza-Augatis, MS, PA-C, and Vanessa Rodriguez, MS, PA-C
The following projects each received a Digital Humanities Seed Grant ($500) from the Seton Hall Center for Faculty Development: MeaningCloud Analysis of Caregiver-Child-Clinician Transcripts from Clinical Swallowing and Feeding Evaluations • Nina Capone Singleton, PhD, CCC-SLP The MHA Interactive Writing Project: Using Twine to Develop Effective Professional Reports • Anne Hewitt, PhD IT-HEAD: Incorporation of Tableau in Healthcare Experimental Analytics and Data • Nalin Johri, PhD, MPH
The faculty members listed are principal investigators (PIs) unless otherwise indicated. This listing references the SHMS faculty members who are personnel on these grants; for space reasons, it does not include their collaborators. Please contact the individual faculty members for more information. This listing is not a comprehensive representation of all grant-funded research involving SHMS faculty.
Executives and physicians representing the three pillars of healthcare in New Jersey — hospitals, post-acute providers and health plans — were fellows of NJHELA’s inaugural cohort in 2017
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Intensive retreats took place at the beginning and closing of the program
Additional hours during four in-person sessions
Virtual intersessions full of lively discussions
Group projects developed, culminating in public presentations of action plans to target strategic areas such as telehealth, referrals, emergency room procedures, home-based care and fellowships for palliative medicine
The IHSA faculty are again serving as the academic partner for NJHELA, and the 2018 cohort is currently underway. For more information, contact Terrence Cahill, EdD, FACHE, IHSA Department Chair, at (973) 275-2449 or terrence.cahill@shu.edu, and visit www.msnj.org/njhela. INS!GHTS
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Working Together, Growing Together 1
New faculty, staff and administrators in the School of Health and Medical Sciences
FAC U LTY
1. Laura Goshko, RPh, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physician Assistant. She is a licensed pharmacist and previously worked as a Diabetes Education Coordinator at Canton-Potsdam Hospital and a Preventive Health Coordinator for the St. Lawrence County Health Initiative. Prior to joining SHMS in 2017, she was on the faculty for a new PA program at Clarkson
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University. Goshko received a BS in pharmacy and an MS in physiology and neurobiology from the University of Connecticut.
2. Caryn Grabowski, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Director of Clinical Education in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology. A graduate of Northeastern University, she joined the SHMS faculty in April 2018 following nine years of clinical practice at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Grabowski is experienced in acquired disorders of communication and swallowing, with advanced training in evaluation and treatment of dysphagia. She also has helped develop educational models and clinical protocols for Kessler, ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation and Select Medical Corporation.
A DM I N ISTR ATO R S
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3. Chris Farrell, BA, is the Director of Major Gifts for the School of Health and Medical Sciences. He has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare and higher education sectors. Chris has served in senior development roles at West Bergen Mental Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center Foundation, The Valley Hospital Foundation, Iona Preparatory School, Essex and Bergen Catholic high schools and New York Law School. He graduated from Fordham University with a communications degree.
4. Niyala Shaw, BA, was recently promoted to SHMS Director of Public Relations, Marketing, and Special Events. She previously worked as a Special Events Associate for Community Healthcare Network, a nonprofit organization in New York City, where she worked on fundraisers, health fairs and conferences. Shaw also volunteers in her own community and has helped plan events such
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as summer festivals and awareness walks. She graduated from Howard University with a degree in interior design.
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O F F I C E O F TH E D E A N
2. Patrick McDermott, MA, is the Assistant Dean for
Welcome to the Dean Team! Often hailed as a key to the long-term health of an organization, the phrase “growth from within” is much more than a buzzword for the School of Health and Medical Sciences. Newly appointed members of the Office of the Dean are familiar faces:
1. Ning Jackie Zhang, PhD, MD, MPH, is the new Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. He has been a Professor in the Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration since 2014. An accomplished scholar, Zhang is a health services and policy researcher, a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management and an NIH and CDC grant panel reviewer.
Graduate Enrollment and Student Affairs. He worked in Seton Hall Undergraduate Admissions prior to joining SHMS in 2013 as the Director of Graduate Admissions. McDermott has overseen progressively larger admissions to SHMS’ 11 degree and certificate programs, while successfully redesigning administrative processes and applicant communications as well as leveraging new technologies.
3. Vasiliki (Betty) Sgouras, MD, is the Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Education. She joined SHMS in 2015 as an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of the Department of Physician Assistant. Her leadership in the areas of academic curricular development and evaluation, curriculum mapping and program assessment contributed to the MS in Physician Assistant program’s successful reaccreditation in 2017.
4. Deborah R. Welling, AuD, CCC-A/FAAA, is the Assistant Dean for Dual Degree Programs. She has been an Associate Professor in the Department of SpeechLanguage Pathology since 2005, most recently serving as a Director of Clinical Education. Welling is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and the co-author of a textbook, Fundamentals of Audiology for the Speech-Language Pathologist.
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DEPARTMENT NEWS Messages for our alumni, from the chairs of each department. Top row: Vicci Hill-Lombardi Terrence Cahill Ruth Segal Bottom row:
Doreen M. Stiskal Christopher Hanifin Vikram N. Dayalu
Athletic Training (AT) Chair: Vicci Hill-Lombardi, EdD, ATC This past year has been another one of change and growth. While we graduated 19 new AT practitioners in May 2017, we advanced 18 to the second-year of study and welcomed an incoming class of 27 last summer. For the fourth year running, the recent graduates (Class of 2017) joined their predecessors (Classes of 2016, 2015 and 2014) in achieving a 100 percent first-attempt passing rate on the Board of Certification exam. Another area of change is the MSAT curriculum. Throughout the 2016-17 academic year, the curriculum was revised to create a greater emphasis on foundational knowledge of athletic training in the first year, followed by greater prospects for application and problem-solving in the second year. The revisions were put into place as of July 1, 2017. As well as providing an exceptional educational opportunity for the students, the revisions also address the proposed new standards from the CAATE. The entire faculty continues its involvement in scholarship. First and foremost, Carolyn Goeckel, MA, ATC, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in June 2017. Professors Leslie Rippon, MS, ATC, and Dawn Maffucci, MA, ATC, are aggressively pursuing their terminal degrees. 20
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Richard (RJ) Boergers, PhD, ATC, presented at the NATA annual meeting in Houston, and Professor Rippon and I presented at the EATA Educators Conference in Boston. As well, all students in the Class of 2017 were accepted via the NATA Research and Education Foundation’s Free Communications call for research, and presented either posters or platforms at the NATA meeting in Houston. We are currently involved in our CAATE selfstudy, which runs from July 1, 2017, through July 1, 2018, with a site visit to occur in the 2018-19 academic year. We will be asking for your help in the process as we proceed.
Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administraion (IHSA) Chair: Terrence Cahill, EdD, FACHE Many successes to report for the MHA program. In May, the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) awarded our program the accreditation maximum of seven years. Also, for the first time in the program’s 20-year history, more than 150 students are enrolled. MHA faculty explored the topic of cultural competency with students, alumni and faculty, and their work — “Cultural Competence Writ Large: Modeling Inclusion throughout the
Student Learning Experience” — was published in the Journal of Health Administration Education Experience. Additionally, two MHA students received national awards: Cassandra Germana received the Bugbee Falk Book Award from AUPHA, and Daniel Dwyer received an ACHE-sponsored Foster G. McGaw Graduate Student Scholarship. When the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Medical Society of New Jersey and the New Jersey Association of Health Plans sought an academic partner to provide faculty for their inaugural New Jersey Healthcare Executive Leadership Academy (NJHELA), who did they select? Seton Hall’s IHSA faculty from the PhD and MHA programs. Utilizing a shared leadership model that brought together payer and provider perspectives, IHSA faculty worked with the Academy’s fellows — senior executives and clinicians — on the development of plans to transform the state’s healthcare delivery system concerning end-of-life services. Based on the pilot program’s success, a Cohort II is underway. See page 17 for more information concerning NJHELA. Our IHSA faculty member, Fortunato Battaglia, MD, PhD, was named Seton Hall University Co-Researcher of the Year in recognition of his numerous publications during the 2016-17 academic year.
Occupational Therapy (OT) Chair: Ruth Segal, PhD, OTR Supporting Growth and Change: The Occupational Therapy Advisory Council — Improving curriculum delivery and fieldwork experiences by actively listening to the voices of key stakeholders is an ongoing departmental goal and supports best practice. To address this need, a dynamic group of 22 alumni, fieldwork preceptors, supervisors, employers, interprofessional colleagues and consumer volunteers meet quarterly to provide critical advice and focused input to the Department of Occupational Therapy as we advance the mission of the program. This wealth of technical and clinical experience is adding insights that can inform changes and priorities to benefit the program and students. Those individuals who adjunct in our department, supervise our students in the clinic, hire our students postgraduation and share the interprofessional landscape, as well as those who receive OT services, can best identify the opportunities, facilitators and barriers in the current practice environment.
Priorities identified at the first meeting last June resulted in council member participation in one of five subcommittees: Alumni Relations, Professionalism in Practice, Program Evaluation, Practice Preparation and Servant-Leadership/ Community Partnership. The subcommittees are analyzing program documents, identifying practice-area changes and suggesting new community connections and programmatic enhancements, as well as envisioning ways to increase alumni participation. The anticipated change in the entry-level degree to an OTD by 2027 further highlights the need and benefits inherent in the advisory council. We are grateful to all of those talented individuals donating their valuable time and energy to our department.
Physical Therapy (PT) Chair: Doreen M. Stiskal, PT, PhD ’03 Alumni are the keys to the DPT program’s continued success. As we celebrated our 14th graduating class last December 2017, we recognize how more and more alumni give back to support our program growth. It is staggering to count the extensive number of you that have participated in the classroom, in the clinic, and in advisory capacities to provide the day-to-day perspective of physical therapy care across the continuum of care settings. This year’s White Coat Ceremony keynote speaker was Elvira Pichardo, PT, BS ’04, DPT ’07, Supervisor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Hackensack University Medical Center. For our hands-on labs, we have relied on both advanced practitioners and emerging intermediate-level clinicians for your shared insights about contemporary practice. Within our new curriculum model, we have engaged Joseph Biland, BS ’03, DPT ’06, as an adjunct instructor to frame the musculoskeletal systemfocused courses within the context of an acute-care hospital, and Claudia Acosta, BS ’08, DPT ’11, for the cardiopulmonary systems in subacute rehab settings. Supporting the pediatric course is Angela Tonon, BS ’13, DPT ’16. MaryAn Wicker, BS ’11, DPT ’14, participates as an integral member of our human anatomy course. Katrina Carter, DPT ’12, provides support to our open lab sessions as students practice clinical skills and develop case studies. With our new kinesiology course series, several alumni — Ashleigh McAdam, BS ’12, DPT ’15; Kate Zatta, DPT ’14; and Kelsey VanderGroef, BS ’13, DPT ’16 — participate in fostering student development of movement foundations.
Student learning occurs beyond our campus walls. We are excited each year to have our alumni employed at clinical partners, such as Kessler Rehabilitation, Horizon School, Genesis Rehab and JFK Medical Center, when we do our integrated clinical visits linked to courses. Our directors of clinical education continue to look to alumni to support this portion of our academic program. We appreciate those who have opened their clinic doors for our student interns. Acting as clinical mentors in different practice areas this past semester, alumni Brady Blaszka, BS ’02, DPT ’05, from our first graduating class, to Jennifer Walker, BS ’11, DPT ’14, and Michael Zaorski, DPT ’15, recent graduates, prepared our students in developing patient/client management skills. To ensure good communication, clinical adjuncts include Rachel DeLoreto, BS ’06, DPT ’09; Meg Wessel, BS ’09, DPT ’12; and Haider Rizvi, BS ’06, DPT ’09, who visit students during internships. We thank each of you! Let us know if you are interested in giving back by facilitating the learning process and supporting the DPT program to drive the profession to the highest levels of service and quality of care.
Physician Assistant (PA) Chair: Christopher Hanifin, MS ’99, PA-C The 2017-18 academic year marks an important milestone for the PA profession: We have just turned 50 years old. The next 50 years are going to be a time of increasing responsibility for PAs, and the program will be well positioned to ensure that our graduates can meet the increasingly complex demands of working in the healthcare setting. Another important anniversary is also approaching. Right around the time you receive this issue of Insights, our program will be turning 20 years old. Congratulations to the pioneering students who graduated in 1998 from the Seton Hall/UMDNJ PA Program. Over the past 20 years, we have seen increasing numbers of alumni coming back to lecture, serve as clinical preceptors and to help the program in other capacities. We could not do it without you! The program was pleased to welcome the appointment of Mirela Bruza-Augatis, MS, PA-C, as assistant chair in January. Mirela brings tremendous energy to the role, and the program will need it as we prepare for the transition to Seton Hall’s new Interprofessional Health Sciences Campus. The program’s academics have always been solid, and we are happy to report that the Class of 2017 had a 100 percent pass rate on
the PANCE. We are looking forward to the opportunity to incorporate new technology into our curriculum to make an even better experience for our students. Please keep an eye out for further communications from us — we are looking for feedback from alumni to help improve all aspects of the program. And we hope to see you visit our new facility sometime soon!
Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Chair: Vikram N. Dayalu, PhD, CCC-SLP These are exciting times for the department and the school. We will be moving this summer to our new home in Nutley/Clifton, and we are very excited to leverage the advanced teaching and research resources to realize our vision of becoming a nationally recognized department. The department’s Master of Science in SpeechLanguage Pathology program enrolled its largest cohort of 50 students in fall 2017. Students in the MS-SLP program continue to receive a strong and well-rounded program with diverse academic and clinical offerings and a strategic focus on research to clinical practice. Over the last academic term, students from the MS-SLP and the doctoral program collectively presented more than 10 poster presentations, one platform presentation and one publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The department’s continued success is on account of the hardworking faculty members who continue to excel in all domains. From restructuring coursework to publishing their research to authoring textbooks to submitting more than $1.5 million in funding applications, the faculty have strived to advance the mission and vision of the department. I am certain that you will share my excitement about all of the wonderful things happening, and I urge you visit us at our new home. As a program, we are always on the lookout for highly trained and accomplished clinicians who can mentor our students during clinical practica and provide hands-on clinical training on campus. Who better than Seton Hall alumni to fit this role? Please email me if you are interested in participating in the department’s clinical education program as a clinical adjunct faculty. Wishing you all the very best and looking forward to hearing from you.
Seton Hall University Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) Campus, Building 123 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110
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Are You True Blue for SHMS Do Your Part. Play a Role.
Go Blue. Give Green.
Attend our annual “SHMS Celebration of Success” in December, become a clinical education supervisor for our current students, or give a talk to a class or student organization meeting.
Make a donation — in any dollar amount — to the SHMS Dean’s Scholarship Fund. Your gift will support student opportunities, such as travel, research and clinical education.
Stay Current. Keep in Touch.
Let Your Blue Shine Through.
Email alumni@shu.edu to ensure we have your contact information, and go to facebook.com/ shu.shms to say hello!
Tell your colleagues, relatives and friends about your quality SHMS education, and help us recruit the next generation of Pirates — your future healthcare colleagues.
TRU E B LU E recognizes alumni,
students, parents and friends who love Seton Hall and are active and engaged with the University each year.
B ECOME TR U E B LU E
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by supporting the School of Health and Medical Sciences.