This Week@WesternU, May 15-19, 2017
WesternU to celebrate Commencement
Western University of Health Sciences will award more than 1,000 degrees in Pasadena, Calif. and Lebanon, Ore., marking the first Commencement ceremonies presided over by WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD.
WesternU’s Commencement ceremonies in Pasadena will take place May 17-19. COMP-Northwest will hold its Commencement ceremony Friday, June 2 in Lebanon.
We encourage all WesternU faculty, staff, students and family members attending Commencement to join us on social media by tagging and mentioning us on Twitter and Instagram, and find us on Facebook. Please use the hashtags #WesternU2017 and #COMPNW2017.
Click here to read the full story.
Click here for more information about the Pasadena Commencement ceremonies: http://commencement.westernu.edu/pomona/
Click here for more information about the Lebanon Commencement ceremony: http://commencement.westernu.edu/lebanon/
WesternU’s 7th Annual Towne & Gown Golf Classic set for June 12
Western University of Health Sciences invites the public to an exciting day of golf to benefit student scholarships. The annual Towne & Gown Golf Classic will be played Monday, June 12, 2017 at Glendora Country Club, 2400 Country Club Drive, Glendora, Calif. 91741. Registration and lunch starts at 11 a.m., followed by a noon shotgun start. A dinner and awards ceremony will follow.
Click here to visit the Towne & Gown website to register for the tournament.
Helicopter Drop
Everyone is invited to join the Towne & Gown Golf Classic Helicopter Drop. Whether you’re at the golf course or not, you will be able to be a part of this fun activity. The helicopter team will dump numbered golf balls over a designated hole, and the owner of the ball that lands in the hole (or closest to the pin) will win the 50-50 prize. The pricing to participate is as follows: $10 for one ball, $25 for three balls and $75 for 10 balls. This is another exciting way to benefit the Towne & Gown Endowed Scholarship Fund. Contact Courtney Schultz at 909-469-8495 or cschultz@westernu.edu for more information.
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
WesternU dedicates classroom to longtime pathology professor
Western University of Health Sciences honored an inspirational teacher and mentor by dedicating a classroom in his honor.
WesternU dedicated Classroom A of the Health Education Center to Cyrus Parsa, DO, Chair and Professor of Pathology at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), at a ceremony May 5, 2017.
Click here to read the full story.
COMP students provide platform for scouts to earn badges
Boy Scouts recently earned Disabilities Awareness badges thanks to a service-learning project planned by College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) students.
COMP students teamed up with WesternU Harris Family Center for Disability and Health Policy Director Brenda Premo and Dayle McIntosh Center Executive Director Paula Margeson to provide real stories, experiences, and insight into having a disability.
Click here to read the full story and to view a slideshow.
Kudos on accomplishments
Congratulations to Navreen Pandher, OMS III, who was selected to present her research poster “Barriers to Care and Medication Practices for Type 2 Diabetic Patients in a Student-Run Clinic in Montclair, California” at the National American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists meeting held May 2-7 in Austin, Texas. Co-authors were Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences Associate Professor Fanglong Dong, PhD, COMP Associate Professor Airani Sathananthan, MD, MSHS, FACE, FACP, and Kay Fangerow.
From the College of Pharmacy:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Benjamin Malcolm co-authored a review article: Thomas K, Malcolm B, Lastra D. (2017). “Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy: A Review of a Novel Treatment for Psychiatric Disorders.” J Psychoactive Drugs: 1-10.
Dr. Malcolm also had the following abstract and posters:
Malcolm BJ, Windham-Herman M, Lynch M, Davis AK, Polanco M, Villavicencia GG, Barsuglia JP. Changes in Withdrawal & Craving Scores in Subjects Undergoing Opioid Detoxification Utilizing Ibogaine. Poster presented at Psychedelic Science 2017: April 21st 2017; Oakland, CA and College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists Annual Meeting 2017: April 24, 2017
Lee KC, Kim E, Kim J, Malcolm B, Kuo G, Feifel D. Pharmacist-Psychiatrist Collaborative Clinic for Adult ADHD Patients. Poster presented at College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists Annual Meeting 2017: April 24, 2017
Ying Huang (Co-investigator), MD, PhD, and her collaborators Mingju Cao, PharmD, of Kinetiq Inc. (Principal investigator and 2012 alumnus) and David Min, PharmD (Consultant) received $211,668.33 in funding for their NIH Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Grant titled “Subcutaneous Replacement Enzymes for Fabry Disease.” Dr. Huang’s one-year subcontract is in the amount of $58,297.
From University Advancement:
New scholarships for the College of Optometry
On Tuesday, May 9, the College of Optometry celebrated its annual Honors Day. First, second, and third year students were recognized with 30 different awards, certificates, recognitions, and scholarships totaling over $65,000. This year was especially memorable because we celebrated one recurring alumni award, and three new alumni awards.
Drs. Gandhi/Silani Annual Scholarship for Clinical Excellence and Leadership was established in 2014 by Drs. Vipal Gandhi and Kambiz Silani, alumni from the inaugural class. This scholarship is awarded to a third-year student in good academic standing who demonstrated leadership skills and top clinical skills in patient care – awarded to Eric Saidi, Class of 2018.
Dr. Jason Drobeck Annual Scholarship was established in 2017 by an alumnus from the Class of 2015, Dr. Jason Drobeck. This annual scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence and shared his or her future vison of services or innovations that he or she plans to provide to the community and/or profession of optometry – awarded to Jeanie Tran, Class of 2019.
Dr. Harout Khanjian Annual Scholarship was established in 2017 by an alumnus from the inaugural Class of 2013, Dr. Harout Khanjian. This annual scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence as well as managed both personal and/or professional commitments – awarded to Joshua Dalley, Class of 2019.
Dr. John Sang Hak Lee Memorial Award was established in 2017 in honor of inaugural Class of 2013 alumnus, Dr. John Sang Hak Lee. This award recognizes a third-year student who, like Dr. Lee, demonstrates the highest degree of chairside manner that enriches our profession – awarded to Michael Lim, Class of 2018.
Alumni news
On the afternoon of Saturday, May 6, the Alumni Office hosted a reception at the Anaheim Marriott during the California Dental Association’s CDA Presents conference. Nearly 100 CDM alumni, students, faculty, staff, and their guests enjoyed street tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, drinks, and more. All eight classes from CDM were represented, from 2013 to 2020. Pictures from the event can be found online at http://westernu.smugmug.com/WesternU-Alumni/CDAPresents-2017.
From the Harriet K. and Philip Pumerantz Library:
Relieve Stress @ the Library
Finals (and/or life) stressing you out? From April 24-May 31, the library’s 2nd floor computer lab will transform into a stress reduction room! Come pop bubble wrap, color, knead play-dough, “operate” on Library Larry, or just take a breather. The room will be open every day during the library’s regular hours. For more information or questions please contact the Reference and Outreach office at 909-469-5323 or at reference@westernu.edu.
