This Week@WesternU, Aug. 8-12, 2011
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Department at WesternU/COMP continues to grow. An osteopathic residency training program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation will officially start July 1, 2012 at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation (CCCR), which is located three miles from WesternU. Residents will undergo training at both CCCR and the Patient Care Center (PCC) with the aim of creating competent and caring osteopathic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physicians. The chair of the PM&R Department at WesternU, Marcel Fraix, DO, is looking forward to developing more avenues of collaboration with CCCR, including clinical practice and research opportunities. As a board certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist, he also continues to see patients in the PCC who require his expertise, including those with acute and chronic musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders. For more information regarding the PM&R Department, residency training program and clinic please visit the new PM&R Department website at http://www.westernu.edu/osteopathy-pmr_about
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Glen Kisby, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, COMP-Northwest, published an article, “Cigarette Smoke Induces DNA Damage and alters base-excision repair and tau levels in the brain of neonatal mice” Toxicological Sciences, 1-8 (2011).
Matt Wedel of COMP and CPM will be featured in the television documentary “Jurassic CSI: Megasaurus,” airing Friday, Aug. 19 on the National Geographic Channel. Details, showtimes, and a couple of photos of Matt are available at the program’s webpage: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/jurassic-csi/4495/Overview#tab-Photos/0.
From the College of Allied Health Professions:
Department of Physical Therapy Education News
Congratulations to Associate Professor Georgeanne Vlad, PT, MA, for having her research, “Empathy Among Healthcare Professions Students,” accepted for a podium presentation at the upcoming California Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference Sept. 22-23 in Long Beach. This preliminary research is associated with the Interprofessional Research Grant ”Measuring Humanism Across Western University’s Health Professions in Response to Interprofessional Education (IPE),” which was awarded last year to Professor Suzie Kovacs (CVM), Dr. Beth Boynton (CVM), Dr. Richard Sugerman (COMP), and Professor Vlad (CAHP).
From the College of Veterinary Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
Veterinary Assistant Professor Dr. Helen Engelke has been certified as a Preventive Medicine specialist by the American College of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (ACVPM). The certification exam encompasses five areas of specialty: infectious and parasitic diseases, food safety, environmental health & toxicology, epidemiology & biostatistics, and public health administration. Dr. Engelke passed all five parts of the exam and joins the ranks of 680 active Diplomates in this exclusive specialty college. This year’s exam pass rate was 56 percent, which included veterinarians taking the exam for the first, second, third and fourth time.
From the College of Optometry:
Kudos on accomplishments
College of Optometry students Lorena Blancas, Amanda La, Wendy Mora, Alma Martinez Torres, Judy Cao, Dan Lewis, Faydim Rassamdana, Puja Parekh, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Kurtz attended the 43rd Annual National Optometric Association Convention in San Diego, Calif. on July 27–31. Also in attendance was WesternU NOSA chapter faculty adviser, Associate Professor Tiffenie Harris, OD, FAAO. Dr. Harris presented a CE lecture on “The Optometrist’s Role in the Management of Hypertensive Crises.” WesternU NOSA chapter president Lorena Blancas gave a presentation highlighting the efforts and activities the club has done in the community since its inception in October 2010. On behalf of the National Optometric Association, the inaugural NOSA chapter of WesternU was presented with the distinguished award of “School of the Year.” The plaque reads “For the significant efforts to increase minority student recruitment, enrollment, and retention.”
From University Advancement:
Kudos on accomplishments
Congratulations to Danielle Roane, Advancement Assistant, for her selection to receive a 2011-12 CASE Virginia Carter Smith Scholarship to attend an upcoming national conference for newcomers. CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) serves more than 3,400 nonprofit educational institutions in more than 74 countries by providing training, advocacy and technical support for advancement professionals.
From the Pumerantz Library:
Kudos on accomplishments
The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region approved an award submitted by Pat Vader, Frances Chu, and Tina Meyer to fund collaboration with the Pomona Public Library titled “Diabetes Information Outreach to the Latino/Hispanic Population of Pomona.” The goal of this project is to train patients with diabetes with the information search skills to identify resources (especially Medline Plus) and find information about their condition and how to care for themselves. This award will allocate $5,000 for 2011-12.
