This Week@WesternU, Aug. 13-17, 2012
WesternU among nation’s best colleges to work for
Western University of Health Sciences is rated among the nation’s best universities to work for, according to a survey released by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The survey, Great Colleges To Work For 2012, is based on responses from nearly 47,000 people at 294 institutions: 221 four-year colleges and universities, and 73 two-year colleges, according to the Chronicle’s website. The survey identifies 103 outstanding institutions across the country. WesternU is on the Great Colleges list for the first time.
Click here to view the full story.
Pumerantz Lectureship
The fourth annual Dr. Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship at WesternU will feature a guest speaker with more than 30 years of health care experience.
Keynote speaker Cliff Holland is Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Government Affairs & Policy for Johnson & Johnson, with responsibility for all federal, state, and international government affairs and policy. He is also a member of the Corporate Group Operating Committee. Holland’s topic will be “Fast Forward: Health Care in the 21st Century.”
The Pumerantz Lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 in HEC Lecture Hall I. Click here to read the full story.
FACE educational video project
Faculty for Autism Collaboration & Education (FACE) is an interdisciplinary team on the WesternU campus that is committed to a collaborative treatment approach to autism spectrum disorders. Members of the FACE team have a unique opportunity to create an educational video. As a result we are seeking your support in recruiting children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum to participate in this educational video project. Below are the details:
Eligibility: Previously diagnosed with Autism Spectrum, Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, or other spectrum diagnoses. Age range: 12 months to 16 years. Permission from parent or guardian to participate, including signed image release form.
What will be provided: An interactive session modeling typical therapies used in treating children with autism spectrum disorders. Therapies are derived from standard physical therapy and standard optometric visual therapy procedures. The duration of the therapy and the types of therapies provided will be tailored to the individual child’s needs and abilities. The therapy sessions will be videotaped and edited for educational purposes. The therapy sessions will be provided in a safe, enclosed, indoor environment in a single child setting by practitioners who are experienced in providing care for children with autism.
Purpose: The project is solely for the education of health professions students and practitioners, and individuals interested in autism.
This is NOT: a research project, an experimental program or a complete therapy session/program – just a demonstration of therapeutic techniques.
There will be NO: diagnostic, therapeutic, or prognostic procedures performed; referrals for treatment; financial or other form of compensation provided.
To participate in this project please contact Monique Tessier at mtessier@westernu.edu.
For further information contact one of the members of the FACE team:
Mary Hudson-McKinney mhudson@westernu.edu
Denise Schilling dschilling@westernu.edu
Kristy Remick-Waltman kremick@westernu.edu
Elizabeth Hoppe ehoppe@westernu.edu
Thank you for your interest and support of this project!
Preview Day
Registration is open for WesternU Preview Day on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., which highlights health education opportunities offered at Western University of Health Sciences.
Preview Day, held in and around WesternU’s Health Education Center (HEC), 701 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif., will provide potential students the opportunity to get more information about a health profession program of interest, hear about the admissions process, learn about financial aid, see curriculum firsthand, discover how to become a competitive applicant, and meet current students and faculty.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in learning more about any of our degree programs offered, please feel free to encourage them to visit our prospective student website for more information or to register for our Preview Day.
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
COMP-Northwest welcomes second class
Oregon’s newest medical students are embarking on a path that will one day lead them to becoming integral parts of their patients’ daily lives, said the keynote speakers at COMP-Northwest’s second annual Convocation and white coat ceremony.
Click here to read the full story and to view the slideshows.
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Brian Kraatz recently gave an oral presentation in Vienna, Austria at the World Lagomorph Conference titled “The Luck of a Rabbit Foot: the Mosaic Evolution of a Complex Ankle Joint.” He was also elected as the vice-secretary of the World Lagomorph Society.
Nicholas Bumacod, MSMS ’12, DMD ’16, gave a poster presentation at the World Lagomorph Conference titled “Lagomorph Cranial Evolution: A Morphometric Study” in which he presented his research conducted in WesternU’s MSMS program.
From the College of Allied Health Professions:
Department of Physical Therapy Education News
Professor David Selkowitz, PT, PhD, OCS, DAAPM, has an abstract that was accepted for the California Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference in Santa Clara next month. Dr. Selkowitz will be giving a podium presentation on his research, “Comparison Among Different Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction Positions for Maximizing EMG Activity of Selected Hip Muscles.”
From the College of Pharmacy:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Cynthia Jackevicius has been invited to serve as a peer reviewer for the American Heart Association’s Outcomes/Qualitative Research & Therapeutic Clinical Trials/Population Peer Review Committee for grants from the Western States and National levels.
Dr. Olivia Phung received funds from Merck to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis entitled “Early Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus,” which compares initial combination therapy to stepwise therapy in diabetic patients who are newly diagnosed or treatment-naïve. This award is $30,000 for six months. This is the second award for Dr. Phung through Merck.
Dr. Sheryl Chow has been invited to serve as a member of the 2012-13 American Heart Association Clinical Pharmacology Committee. This committee helps to develop AHA guidelines, advisory statements, and clinical Scientific Sessions programming as they relate to cardiovascular pharmacology.
Dr. Eric Gupta has effectively led Kappa Psi Epsilon Gamma Chapter at WesternU for many years now and here are this year’s results at Kappa Psi National for 2011-12. WesternU was well-represented among the winners:
Top Ten Grand Council Deputy (Chapter Advisor) – Eric Gupta
Kappa Psi Foundation Scholarship Winner (only 10 given out nationally) – Stephanie Shieh, PharmD ’14.
The WesternU chapter was named the No. 1 Chapter in its region (Province IX) the No. 2 chapter in the nation and the No. 7 Graduate Chapter in the Nation- Los Angeles Grad.
Congratulations to Dr. Fadi Khasawneh’s lab on their most recent publications, both in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Co-authors on these papers include two of Dr. Khasawneh’s former students, John Murad and Harold Ting, and his postdoctoral fellow Dr. Enma (Veronica) Espinosa:
Murad JP, Espinosa EV, Ting HJ, Khasawneh FT. Characterization of the in vivo antiplatelet activity of the antihypertensive agent losartan.J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Sep;17(3):308-14. Click here to view the full article
Ting HJ, Murad JP, Espinosa EV, Khasawneh FT. Thromboxane A2 Receptor: Biology and Function of a Peculiar Receptor that Remains Resistant for Therapeutic Targeting. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Sep;17(3):248-59. Click here to view the full article.
From the College of Graduate Nursing:
Kudos on accomplishments
The College of Graduate Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program continues to achieve new milestones and garner national support.
The DNP program, which began in January 2008, received a five-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in June, the maximum accreditation length possible for a new program.
The College has been awarded a fourth year of support for the national Nursing Faculty Loan Payment (NFLP) program by the Health Resource and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions.
Click here to read the full story.
Dr. Boller, Dr. Magladry, Dean Hanford and fellow Cohort V classmates WUDNP-A participated in the 11th Annual Back-2-School Blast hosted by the Covina Assembly at Covina Park. They had a great turnout and our group was taking blood pressures and giving out information regarding breast health. State Sen. Ed Hernandez stopped by and was very appreciative that WesternU was present at this event.
Special thanks to Rowena Coliflores and Becky Etinger for coordinating our participation in this community event.
Thank you to Dr. Magladry, as our faculty representative, who was kind enough to come out and support our community endeavor in the midst of grading our papers.
The following Cohort V students participated: Rowena Coliflores, RN, Suzette Bosveld, RN, NP, Erlinda Redoblado, RN, Sylvia Estrada, RN, NP.
From the College of Optometry:
National Children’s Vision & Learning Month
Regardless of their age or grade level, students need a comprehensive eye exam in order to ensure they perform their best academically. Western University of Health Sciences is joining the College of Optometrists in Vision Development in promoting August as National Children’s Vision & Learning Month. The goal of this national observance is to educate parents and educators about the critical link between vision and learning.
Click here to read the full story.
44th Annual National Optometric Association Convention
WesternU’s National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) attended this year’s NOA/NOSA Annual Conference July 18-22 in Toronto, Canada, where they were awarded “NOSA’s School of the Year Award.” This award recognizes WesternU’s NOSA chapter for their commitment to the underserved community and for working to increase the number of minority students into the field of optometry. WesternU was well represented by OD 2014 members: Faydim Rassamdana, Judy Cao, Lily Nguyen, Millie Liu, Wallace Wong, and Wendy Mora. Faydim Rassamdana was awarded second place in a research poster competition. Wallace Wong and Judy Cao were both awarded scholarships for their outstanding commitment to the community. Doctors and optometry students from around the country were impressed with how much WesternU’s NOSA chapter has accomplished, despite being established for only a short amount of time. The NOA Co-Founder, Dr. C. Clayton Powell, was pleased to see how the school is changing the face of California and is looking forward to visiting the WesternU campus.
From the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:
Kudos on accomplishments
A new study led by WesternU Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences Assistant Professor Manal A. Swairjo, PhD, describes the discovery of the atomic structure of the only nitrile reductase known in biology, which has potential widespread applications in the chemical industry.
The paper, “Structural Basis of Biological Nitrile Reduction,” by Chikwana VM, Stec B, Lee BW, de Crecy-Lagard V, Iwata-Reuyl D, Swairjo MA, was recently published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Click here to read the full story.
Dr. Swairjo also had a recent publication in the Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Fluorescent Fatty Acid Transfer from Bovine Serum Albumin to Phospholipid Vesicles: Collision or Diffusion Mediated Uptake.” Click here to view the publication.
From University Advancement:
Alumni News
On Aug. 2-3, the Office of Alumni Relations staffed a table in the exhibit hall of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians of California’s (ACOFP-CA) Annual Scientific Medical Seminar at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. Development and recruitment staff were also present to talk with the 400 attendees, including more than 100 WesternU alumni in attendance. Several WesternU alumni also presented lectures at the meeting, including Associate Dean and ACOFP-CA Board Member David Connett, DO ’84; Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California President William Henning, DO ’86; ACOFP-CA President Steven Barag, MSHPE ’87; Bernyce Peplowski, MSHPE ’87; ACOFP-CA Secretary Martin Porcelli, MSHPE ’87; Ha Tang, DO ’97; Assistant Professor Brian Loveless, DO ’02; Carlos Martinez, DO ’02; Assistant Professor Marcel Fraix, DO ’03; Mark Shiu, DO ’03; and Courtney Martin, DO ‘11.
On Aug. 6, the Office of Alumni Relations and the College of Veterinary Medicine co-hosted a reception at the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Annual Convention at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego. More than 60 alumni, students, faculty, staff and guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks, as well as complimentary five-minute chair massages from two of the hotel spa’s massage therapists.
During Welcome Week, Office of Alumni Relations staff welcomed incoming students with a brief talk and presentation of a free travel mug. These mugs can be used by the students throughout their years at WesternU to get discounted drinks from Outtakes Cafe (a “grande” drink for the “tall” price). COMP-Northwest students will get a similar welcome visit and travel mug from alumni staff in September to use for a discount at Garden Grounds.
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