This Week@WesternU, April 14-18, 2014

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

Former COMP Dean Mitchell Kasovac, DO, dies

Mitchell Kasovac, DO, a former dean and professor at Western University of Health Sciences, died April 5, 2014 after a lifetime serving the community as a family physician, educator, mentor and friend.

Dr. Kasovac began working at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific as an adjunct clinical faculty in 1980. Throughout his time at COMP he was involved in several committees, including the Student Conduct Committee and the Institutional Strategic Planning Committee, and he chaired the Curriculum Committee for four years.

“Mitch Kasovac was one of the earliest supporters of the concept of our osteopathic college,” said WesternU Founding President Philip Pumerantz, PhD. “And he was a very smart, dedicated osteopathic physician who became a part of my early leadership team. We will all miss him very much.”

Click here to view the full story.

Kudos on accomplishments

Professor Ray Hruby, DO, FAAO, MS, received the 2014 Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy (FAAO) Distinguished Service Award.
Click here for more information.

Richard A. Sugerman, PhD, Professor of Anatomy, Emeritus, was awarded a Community Outreach Action Team (COAT) Award on March 19 by the California Teachers Association (CTA), Associated Pomona Teachers Chapter in supporting the Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) through his efforts to provide eye glasses for PUSD students. This is a joint effort between PUSD, the College of Optometry, and the Pomona Host Lions Club. Dr. Sugerman as the Director of Service Learning Projects has also supported PUSD by helping to send first-year medical and second-year optometry students to teach PUSD students at their schools, as well keeping our colleges informed so they can send students and faculty to provide clinical services at the Nancy McCracken Learning Expo. This award is given out annually by each CTA chapter to one community person who has made a difference in their district.

Fourth-year COMP student Matthew Varallo was named the California Academy of Family Physicians Member of the Month for April. Click here to read a story from CAFP.

Associate Professor of Physiology Li Zhong, PhD, and his collaborators recently published a research manuscript in the journal of Molecular Cancer: Lowe FJ, Shen W, Zu J, Li J, Wang H, Zhang X, Zhong L. A novel autoantibody test for the detection of pre-neoplastic lung lesions. Mol Cancer. 2014 Apr 5;13(1):78. This sensitive serologic test could be used as a tool for early diagnosis or screening for early stage of lung cancer.

ShaDO Week

On April 7-8, the Office of University Recruitment and Strategic Enrollment Management, in collaboration with COMP Admissions and second-year COMP student Elizabeth Pines, DO 2016, Class President-Pomona, hosted 46 pre-med students for National ShaDO Week. Typically held nationally April 14-18, WesternU hosted pre-med students from all over California, including UC Riverside, UCLA, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, Cal State San Bernardino, and Cerritos College. This event allowed the pre-med students to shadow first-year WesternU DO students throughout each day, providing them an opportunity to get exposure to lectures, the OMM Lab and a presentation in the Anatomy Lab. It was a very successful event and WesternU looks forward to participating in this national event in the future.

From the College of Pharmacy:

Ray Symposium

Please join us for the 8th annual Ray Symposium at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, 2014. This year, our speaker is Eileen Crimmins, PhD, the AARP Chair in Gerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology and director of the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health. A recent Institute of Medicine report compares American’s health to other high-income countries. The report finds that Americans have a significant health disadvantage resulting from a combination of factors including individual behaviors, environment, social and economic disparities, and public health policies. Dr. Crimmins will be addressing these and other findings in her presentation, “Shorter Lives, Poorer Health.” Click here for more information. Click here to view a flier.

WesternU faculty member and wife welcome triplets

College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration Micah Hata, PharmD ‘07, and his wife, Kristi, recently gave birth to triplets.

Trent, Cole and Mackenzie Hata were born on Monday, Feb. 10, 2014 at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. The two boys and one girl join the Hatas’ first child, 2-year-old sister Kierra. Click here to read the full story.

From the College of Graduate Nursing:

Kudos on accomplishments

Assistant Professor Donna Emanuele, DNP, FNP, FAANP, Assistant Professor Ivy Tuason, FNP, MSN, and Professor Quannetta T. Edwards, PhD, FNP, WHNP, FAANP, recently published: HFE-associated hereditary hemochromatosis: Overview of genetics and clinical implications for nurse practitioners in primary care settings. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2014 Mar;26(3):113-22. doi: 10.1002/2327-6924.12106. Epub 2014 Feb 5.

Dr. Quannetta T. Edwards was recently selected as “Content Expert in Advanced Genetics Nursing” for the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Dr. Edwards is one of eight members selected nationwide based upon her knowledge and expertise in genetics/genomics to assist in an upcoming portfolio certification for qualified nurses as an “advanced genetics nurse.”

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments

Dr. Malika Kachani, a member of WHO STAG (World Health Organization Strategic and Technical Advisory Group) is attending, by invitation, a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, today. The group advises the WHO Director General on Neglected Tropical Diseases and Neglected Zoonotic Diseases.

Dr. Babak Faramarzi has been notified that his paper, “Morphological and Biomechanical Properties of Equine Laminar Junction,” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Equine Veterinary Sciences and is publication DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2013.12.007. Dr. Faramarzi explains that laminitis is the most common cause of lameness and disability of horses and is a crippling disease of horses and a major concern for the equine industry as well as the horse owner. Unfortunately the cause of laminitis is unknown. This paper focused on biomechanical properties of the laminae and how they respond to applied stress and pathological changes.

Dr. Faramarzi was a recent invited podium presenter at the Annual Health Professions Conference held at Mt. SAC in Walnut, Calif. The title of his presentation was “Equine Sport Medicine.” He was also an invited lecturer at Cal Poly Pomona, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, on “Emerging Technologies in Equine Sport Medicine: The Need for Collaboration Between Engineers and Veterinarians.”

From the College of Optometry:

The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) donated optical aids to Western University of Health Sciences April 10, 2014. Seven members of FOE District 23, Sires and Arabella Unit 2, a branch of past FOE presidents, visited WesternU’s Eye Care Care Center in Pomona, Calif.

FOE donated about $6,700 in optical aids for children who do not otherwise have the means to pay for them. Click here to read the full story.

From University Advancement:

The Spring 2014 edition of the WesternU View is now available. The latest edition features Western University of Health Sciences and the Pomona Unified School District’s long history of collaboration with the Pomona Health Career Ladder and various community outreach efforts. Plus there are many more articles from across campus. Check out the PDF version online here:

From the Patient Care Center:

Western University of Health Sciences is providing free oral cancer screenings to promote Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April. Screenings are available from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2014 at the WesternU Dental Center in the Patient Care Center, 795 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif. 91766. Call 909-706-3910 for more information. Click here to read the full story.

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