This Week@WesternU, Feb. 27-March 2, 2012
Announcements
Community Health Fair
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 3, 2012 at New Direction Community Church, 1100 E. Holt Ave., Pomona. Free health screenings and information, and fun health activities for kids. Click here to view a flier. Visit WesternU’s home page to watch a video on the Health Fair.
PCHAT Women’s Clinic (new location)
Free annual Women’s Clinic 8:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 3, 2012 in WesternU’s Health Professions Center (HPC) Clinical Skills Lab (second floor), 521 E. 3rd St., Pomona. Free pap smears, breast exams, health screenings and nutrition and fitness education. To make an appointment, call 909-469-8409 or e-mail PCHAT@westernu.edu.
Click here to view a flier in English and Spanish.
Toastmasters
In Toast of the Towne Toastmasters Club you’ll learn to relax, plan, and present a terrific speech, whether you have 10 days or 10 seconds to prepare. You’ll learn to think on your feet and speak confidently in a wide range of situations. Best of all, you’ll practice in a friendly, supportive environment with people who are there for the same reasons as you, to become better communicators and leaders.
We meet from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month on the fourth floor of the Pumerantz Library. If you are interested please e-mail clarkl@westernu.edu or call Ext. 5588.
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Prehistoric Elephants
Seven-million-year-old footprints from the Arabian Desert provide the oldest known evidence of how elephant ancestors interacted socially.
The Mleisa1 site in the United Arab Emirates features exceptionally long trackways of a single herd of at least 13 individuals. The herd walked through mud and left footprints that hardened, were buried, and then re-exposed by erosion. Analysis of trackway stride lengths reveals the herd contained a diversity of sizes, from adults to a young calf, making this the earliest direct evidence of social structure in prehistoric elephants ever discovered.
An international team from Germany, France, the United States and the United Arab Emirates – including Western University of Health Sciences Assistant Professor Brian Kraatz – published the study in Biology Letters on February 22, 2012.
Click here to read the full story.
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Vicki Wedel of COMP/CDM participated in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meetings in Atlanta. While there, Dr. Wedel and her MSMS/DMD student Shirley Hsieh presented a poster titled “I’d give my eye teeth for cementum increment analysis.” The Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences funded Hsieh’s trip.
In addition, Dr. Wedel was fortunate to provide her mentor, forensic anthropologist and provost of UC Santa Cruz Dr. Alison Galloway with the T. Dale Stewart Lifetime achievement award.
From the College of Allied Health Professions:
Department of Physical Therapy Education News
Several faculty and students participated in the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in Chicago. The four-day CSM focuses on programming designed by all 18 of APTA’s specialty sections. The conference is held annually and this year was attended by more than 10,000 physical therapy professionals from across the country. WesternU was well represented by faculty members Drs. Mary Hudson-McKinney, Laurie Layton, Dee Schilling, David Selkowitz, Sandy Stuckey, and Professor Georgeanne Vlad. In addition, the following 20 students represented their respective classes at the conference: DPT 2012 students Jared Bair, Ericka Martin, Erwin Menguita, Kathy Reeves, Mark Rivera, Krista Wendt, and Chelsea Yokoyama; DPT 2013 students Megan Borjon, Erin Casselle, Joe Estes, Terri Jemison, Omid Kajbaf, Brandon Kusakabe, Lindsey Liggan, Rebecca Lisonbee, and Theresa Mendoza; and DPT 2014 students Tamra Campbell. Sharon Malek, Parichehr Mohtashamifard, and Sara Wiese.
Professor Selkowitz was an invited speaker for six hours of educational lecture sessions on “A User-Friendly Framework for Evidence-based Decision Making in Electrotherapy, Parts 1 & 2” and a lab for an “Electrotherapy Workshop”. Associate Professor Vlad presented her research at a podium presentation on “Empathy Among Healthcare Professions Students”. This research is associated with the WesternU Interprofessional Research Grant ”Measuring Humanism Across Western University’s Health Professions in Response to Interprofessional Education (IPE)” which was awarded to Professor Suzie Kovacs (CVM), Dr. Beth Boynton (CVM), Dr. Richard Sugerman (COMP), and Professor Vlad (CAHP).
As of today, WesternU Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) graduates from the Class of 2011 have scored a 100 percent pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination for licensure, based on results from a Jan. 30, 2012 exam. Click here to read the full story.
From the Western Diabetes Institute:
Kudos on accomplishments
The Western Diabetes Institute’s (WDI) Diabetes Self -Management and Education/Training (DSME/T) program was recently named an accredited diabetes education program by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
This will allow residents in and around Pomona increased access to diabetes education services. Diabetes education is a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions. It is provided by diabetes educators.
The WDI, in the Patient Care Center, 795 E. 2nd Street, Pomona, will be offering diabetes education classes in English and Spanish regularly several times a month. Classes are conducted by certified diabetes educators, PharmDs and Registered Dietitians. Appointments can be made by calling 909-706-3779 and asking for Diabetes Education classes.
From the Patient Care Center:
Free health screenings
The PCC Pharmacy, 795 E. Second St., Pomona, provides free health screenings for diabetes, blood pressure, osteoporosis, healthy weight and cholesterol every Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Click here to view a flier.
From University Advancement:
New Alumni Connection
The February 2012 edition of WesternU’s alumni e-newsletter, The Alumni Connection, (http://www.westernu.edu/alumni-newsletter) is now available. This edition features the latest news on free dental care for kids, a new provost and mobile website, upcoming events and college-specific information. News for future editions can be e-mailed to Russel Heskin, director of Alumni Relations, at rheskin@westernu.edu.
