Faculty Member Receives National Service Award

Pradeep R. Vanguri, Ph.D

Pradeep R. Vanguri, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance in the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, recently attended the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Annual Clinical Symposia in Philadelphia, Pa., where he received the Athletic Trainer Service Award to honor his contributions within the State of Florida.

As a member of the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida (ATAF) since 2005, Vanguri has served in multiple roles including education committee chair, secretary, and currently as the vice-president.

In his time with ATAF, Vanguri has coordinated and planned the educational content for the annual meeting, managed the board infrastructure and finances, and supported legislative efforts.

Posted 07/31/22

Sport Science Professor Presents Research in England

From left, NSU Professor Monique Mokha, Ph.D., with colleague from Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia.

Monique Mokha, Ph.D., a sport science professor, presented three research papers at the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (ISBS) annual conference at John Moores University in Liverpool, England, July 19 – 23.

The ISBS is composed of members from all over the world with a desire to study and understand human movement as it relates to applied sports biomechanics. Participants come from a range of backgrounds including exercise science, engineering, rehabilitation, and medicine. The society meets annually at a university over a five-day period to exchange scholarship and experience the location’s culture. The location of the meeting rotates annually having been held in a variety of interesting locations such as Portugal, Austria, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan in addition to the United States. Like many professional organizations, meetings were not held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. Therefore, the meeting in Liverpool was much anticipated.

Professor Mokha delivered an oral presentation titled, “Biomechanics and Movement Pattern Deficits in Runners on the Same University Team: Implications for Preventative Sport Healthcare.” She also moderated a session on strength and conditioning biomechanics and presented two posters that had short oral introductions. The poster projects were titled, “Effects of Post-activation Performance Enhancement on Jump Asymmetry Using Banded Squats with Professional American Football Players and Are Functional Movements Precursors to Functional Performance in University Women’s Soccer Players?” The projects were collaborative work with NSU undergraduate and graduate students, staff athletic trainers and/or private sport coaches.

Professor Mokha teaches biomechanics and kinesiology courses in both the undergraduate exercise and sport science and graduate sport science programs in the Department of Health and Human Performance.

Posted 07/31/22

WCC Consultants Facilitate Tutor Collaboration Day Session

Screen shot of Zoom session facilitators including Stephanie Shneydman, Emma Masur, Rachel Larson, Julia Kelley, and Michael Lynn

Stephanie Shneydman, NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) undergraduate consultant, along with Emma Masur, Rachel Larson, Julia Kelley, and Michael Lynn, WCC Graduate Assistant Coordinators, facilitated a session at the Southeastern Writing Center (SWCA)’s Tutor Collaboration Day (TCD), on November 12, 2021. The session focused on using social media to engage students and creating elevated social media content. Shneydman is an Exercise and Sports Science major and Pre-Health minor in the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences. Masur, Larson, Kelley, and Lynn are all Halmos College of Arts and Sciences graduate students in the Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media (CRDM) Master’s Program.

During the session, Shneydman et al. described how the NSU WCC social media team developed a social media strategy that included animated graphics, videos, reels, and story takeovers. They provided lessons and advice for other writing center social media teams. SWCA’s TCD provides a space for peer writing consultants to share relevant interests and ideas that celebrate their unique experiences, diversity, and learning.

Larson stated, “I appreciate any opportunity I get to speak in front of people about the work I do. It’s good practice but it’s great to be able to share these types of experiences with my fellow team members.”

Click here to learn more about SWCA’s 2021 Tutor Collaboration Day event.

To learn more about the NSU Writing and Communication Center, visit https://www.nova.edu/wcc/.

Posted 07/17/22

Summit Brings Collaboration Between Academia, Healthcare Professionals

The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP), https://www.asahp.org, announced that the June 3 Regional Summit held simultaneously across the country resulted in unprecedented engagement and collaboration between academic institutions and healthcare organizations joining together to create actions that will yield better health outcomes for patients.

The summits were held concurrently in three unique hub site locations across the U.S. and featured an in-person opportunity for dialogue and action between multiple stakeholders from academia and the healthcare industry to discuss specific strategies to enhance health professions education and improve the health of individuals and communities.

Hub sites included:

  • Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, https://healthsciences.nova.edu
  • University of Cincinnati’s College of Allied Health Sciences in Cincinnati, Ohio, https://cahs.uc.edu/
  • University of South Dakota School of Health Sciences in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/school-of-health-sciences
  • Some of the participating healthcare providers included:
  • HCA Florida Healthcare in Florida, https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org
  • UC Health in Ohio, https://www.uchealth.com
  • The Christ Hospital in Ohio, https://www.thechristhospital.com/locations/locations-hospital
  • Sioux Falls VA in South Dakota, https://www.va.gov/sioux-falls-health-care/
  • Sanford Health in South Dakota, https://www.sanfordhealth.org

Using the ASAHP Clinical Education Task Force recommendations as a foundation, more than 100 participants at the three locations engaged in intentional conversation about issues within the healthcare systems and what actions can be taken to make things better. Approximately two-thirds of summit participants came from ASAHP member academic institutions and one-thirds came from regional clinical partner organizations, reflecting a significant increase in attendance from past summits which had been held in only one location.

Throughout the day, each hub brainstormed on actionable ways to bring the patient voice more to the forefront and improve overall health outcomes. Ideas included: finding common ground and language to create a culture of collaboration; finding creative touchpoints for clinical rotations and mentoring; increasing student input; combining resources to increase productivity; and maintaining strong personal connections with patients and families despite expanded use of technology. The summit culminated in a virtual “Harvest” session where the three hubs shared their local dialogue on a national level.

“By bringing healthcare practitioners into the conversation with academic institutions, we are able to have a measurable impact on the training for health care workers of the future,” said Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D., ATC, FASAHP, FNAP, Saint Louis University, and chair of ASAHP’s Interprofessional Task Force.

Breitbach acted as facilitator for the Regional Summit Harvest Session. “I believe that an organization like ASAHP is uniquely positioned to systematically engage academics and industry and strive for change at the organizational, leadership and individual level.”

Breitbach also announced that ASAHP will follow up with Regional Summit participants in six months to track the outcomes of these interactions and measure progress on the action items.

Posted 06/23/22

Graduate Students Awarded Ashley Kaye Hess Scholarship

Many people knew and loved Ashley Kaye Hess, a cheerleader, dancer, teacher, and NSU speech-language pathology master’s candidate, before she was killed in a tragic car accident on May 14, 2016, at the age of 28.

On May 14, 2022, Jaclyn Keats, B.S., and Cassidy Howell, B.S., were awarded the 2022 “Make the Most of the Dash and Ashley Kaye Hess Changing Lives Scholarship.”

Jaclyn and Cassidy are both currently graduate students at Nova Southeastern University pursuing their master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Both are strong advocates for individuals with communication disorders. Like Ashley, both have always had a passion for dancing/performing and wanting to make a difference in the lives of others. They were honored and excited to win the award and plan to remember and reflect on Ashley’s life through their future clinical work.

Contributed by Tambi Braun, SLP.D., CCC/SLP, is an associate professor and NSSLHA mentor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology.

Posted 06/07/22

Systemic Racism Researchers Seek Funds to Present in Paris

After the untimely, unjust murder of George Floyd in the Summer of 2020, there was a universal outcry to dismantle the structures of society that promote prejudice, microaggressions, and discrimination (i.e., systemic racism). Inequitable opportunities, unfair policies, and discriminatory practices produced and perpetuated by the existence of systemic racism are of utmost concern to occupational therapy (OT) because it promotes occupational injustice. Occupational injustice exemplifies how marginalization disrupts participation in meaningful activities of daily living, such as education and work, which showcases that restricting Black beings from the opportunity to live freely and without prejudice directly correlates to their quality of life and health (Durocher et al., 2013).

Additionally, there was a strong need from Black occupational beings for change and to be understood, which prompted the conceptualization of Exploring Systemic Racism Through Occupational Therapy Academic Content, an unpublished study spearheaded by Nardia Aldridge, Ph.D., OTR/L, DTM, assistant professor and adviser at Nova Southeastern University. The purpose of the study was to explore how Black occupational therapy students are educated on systemic racism, their lived experiences within their OT programs, and the lived experiences of Black OT practitioners with systemic racism in their first three years of practice.

The groundbreaking findings from the study have received acclaim from institutions such as the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), who invited the researchers to present at the 18th WFOT Congress to be held in Paris, France, from August 28 to August 31, 2022.

The group is hosting an Online Auction to raise funds for the trip.

To support, you may

  • Make a financial donation
  • Donate an item/service/gift card for the auction
  • Bid in the auction
  • Share the auction information with friends and family

You may access the auction using this link, https://www.charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/SFBOTC-Fundraising-Auction-32257

Posted 06/06/22

Health Care Science Grad Responds to Emergencies

John Saindon, D.H.Sc., Ph.D., NSU PCHCS Department of Health Science alumnus

John Saindon, D.H.Sc., Ph.D., graduated from Nova Southeastern University’s College of Health Care Science with dual degrees of Doctor of Health Science D.H.Sc. (2010), and Ph.D. of Health Science (2017).

Since graduating, Saindon has supported numerous emergency public health responses across the globe to include Ebola virus, Hepatitis, COVID-19, Operation Allies Welcome (vulnerable Afghan refugees), and most recently a Polio response in East Africa.

During March 2022, Saindon provided public health technical assistance to the Government of Tanzania as they prepared for and conducted a mass vaccination campaign of children under age 5 in designated high-risk regions. Over a four-day period, Tanzania vaccinated more than 1 million children in high-risk regions.

Posted 05/22/22

Alumna Joins NSU Faculty for Special Mother’s Day Mission

Shani Grossbard, M.S., CCC/SLP, NSU PCHCS Department of Speech-Language Pathology alumna.

Jennifer (Shani) Grossbard is the founder of Speech Solutions Therapy located in North Miami, Florida. She is originally from Montreal, Canada, and is now living in South Florida. She is an alumna of the master’s degree in speech-language pathology.

During the month of May, at the Craig’s Pantry Mother’s Day event, she teamed and volunteered with NSU’s Lea Kaploun, Ph.D., CCC/SLP, associate professor, and Tambi Braun, SLP.D., CCC/SLP, associate professor, to collect Kosher baked goods for Craig’s Pantry Mother’s Day event.

Craig’s Pantry is a privately funded, volunteer-driven, kosher food pantry in Broward County Florida. Mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers received several visits throughout the day from volunteers bringing flowers, goodies, gifts, and balloons.

For more information, please visit https://www.craigspantry.org/.

Posted 5/22/22

Occupational Therapy Alumna Receives Sunflower Award

Marilyn Tyre

NSU occupational therapy alumna, Marilyn Tyre, Dr.OT., M.P.H., OT/L, C/NDT, a member of the neonatal bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) team at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital (JDCH), who recently received the Sunflower Award from JDCH in Hollywood, Florida.

“The Sunflower Award is a recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care that our JDCH employees provide every day. The award was designed to thank our non-nursing staff for their compassion, integrity, and leadership that our patients, their families, and our staff recognize as an outstanding role model.

Tyre was nominated by two of her colleagues for this prestigious award. The nomination highlighted her recent contributions to the NICU department for submitting and receiving a 12K grant to purchase developmental equipment and educational resources, her commitment to collaboration with her team in how to use the grant funding, and her creation of the “Shaping the Lives of Little Ones Checklist” that they now use in the NICU setting.

The Sunflower Award reads, “For your wonderful work you do at the bedside we wanted to show you are appreciated and thank you for being committed to our mission: ‘Heal the body, mind and spirit of those we touch.”’

Congratulations, Marilyn Tyre!

Posted 05/11/22

Alum Crowned Miss Florida Plus America 2022

Raquel King

On Saturday, March 26, 2022, Raquel King, M.S. CCC/SLP, an alum of the Masters in Speech-Language Pathology was crowned Miss Florida Plus America 2022 at this year’s Pageant.

Raquel King is an author, speech-language pathologist, encourager, and mother. Raquel is the author of “The Loss of My Wedding Ring,” where she provides encouragement and strategies for the divorced to feel free and loved.

The Miss Plus America Pageant is a faith-structured organization for plus size women that has been in existence since 2003. King is excited to compete at the national level and represent Florida. She also hopes to inspire others to get involved in competitions and forums that highlight body diversity and representation.

The Department of Speech-Language Pathology wishes her the best of luck on this inspiring Journey!

Contributed by Tambi Braun, SLP.D., CCC/SLP, an associate professor and NSSLHA mentor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology.

Posted 05/08/22

 

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