Pacesetter 2020-2021

2020 - 21 Issue

THE MAGAZINE OF KETTERING COLLEGE

WEAT H ER I N G T HE COVID -1 9 STOR M TOGE T H E R also in this issue:

Rising to the Challenge A Fresh Look

President’s Message

“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” I’m not sure if whoever first offered that advice lived through a pandemic, but I know from experience over the last nearly two years that it could easily be attributed to almost any member of the faculty and staff at Kettering College. From an overnight transition to almost entirely online learning to developing new programs and reimagining teaching and learning spaces, we have done more than carry on without missing a beat. We have developed a whole new rhythm.

Like everyone everywhere, we have had to receive and manage the challenges thrown our way by COVID-19 and all that has come with it. In the pages of this issue of Pacesetter, you will catch glimpses of that journey at Kettering College. As I walk around the campus and talk to students, faculty, and staff, what impresses me the most is how our measure of success goes so far beyond our performance in managing through the pandemic to elevating and extending our mission and our commitment to student success. During the last year, performance on licensure and registry exams across the College has stayed at outstanding levels that have brought recognition by accreditors, including a first-ever President’s Award for Excellence in Credentialing Success awarded to our respiratory care program. In other programs (nursing, I’m talking about you), we’ve actually improved our licensure pass rates during the pandemic.

We have also added to our team and significantly enhanced our career services and alumni relations. We were thrilled to connect with so many of our alumni during the Recognition and Reconnecting week this past fall. For those of you who enjoyed all of the social media posts and Zoom meet-ups, just wait until we can convene those events face to face. And even though our all-campus worship services have been on hold for well over

a year, our identity as a community of faith as well as a community of learning is as strong as it has ever been.

Early in 2021, a group convened at the College to discuss artwork to be installed throughout the renovated Learning Commons and the new Anna May’s Café — named in honor of Kettering College founding dean Anna May Vaughan by Marjorie Neumiller Brenneke ‘69, a member of the inaugural nursing class. On one prominent wall, we decided that a quotation would be appropriate — something that captured not only the heritage of Kettering College, but the spirit that lives here today and that drives us forward. Very quickly we all settled on a famous quote from our namesake, Charles F. Kettering: “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.”

You can find that quote in the stairway of the Learning Commons today. You can also find evidence of it everywhere you look on our campus, as well as in the hearts and minds of our students, faculty, and staff. I am humbled to be one of them.

God Bless,

Nate Brandstater, President

2020 - 21 Issue

THE MAGAZINE OF KETTERING COLLEGE

ON THE COVER

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Rising to the Challenge

Weathering the COVID-19 Storm Together

A Fresh Look

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory therapists have been thrust into the public spotlight as leaders in the fight against the virus. Since day one of the pandemic, the role of respiratory therapists has never been more visible—or vital.

COVID-19 hit Kettering College hard, causing a mad scramble to online learning, the cancellation of clinicals, and loneliness in the residence halls. Learn how faculty, staff, and students overcame these and other challenges as they persevered together toward a “new normal” in 2021.

Part of Kettering College’s strategic plan for growth is to make improvements that will reshape and modernize the campus experience for students, faculty, and staff.

IN THIS ISSUE Program Innovations

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Partnerships

Campus Notes

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New Faces

Alumni News

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Campus Candids

Pacesetter is published by the public relations and marketing department at Kettering College for the alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students of the school.

Pacesetter Public Relations and Marketing Department Kettering College 3737 Southern Boulevard Kettering, OH 45429 kc.edu · pacesetter@kc.edu

Editor-in-Chief: Lauren Brooks Creative Director: Breana Soliday Contributing Writers: Jessica J.W. Beans, Nate Brandstater, Lauren Brooks, Mindi Collins, Whooby Deriveau, Evelyn Ritzi, and Leigh Wilkins Designer: Lance Matthews Alumni Engagement: Mindi Collins Printer: Think Patented All social media snapshots featured in this issue used with permission.

Photography: Lauren Brooks, Breana Soliday, and AGI Studios All in the Family: All photos courtesy of Idamae Jenkins Weathering the Storm: Photos courtesy of Jonathan Engelman, Rachel Kessie, Taylor Klug, Beth Maxwell, and Kloie Norcross A Pandemic Pivot: All photos courtesy of Jessica J.W. Beans A Fresh Look: Photos by Courtney Rasmussen and Breana Soliday New Student Affairs: Student photos courtesy of Adi Fritz KC Homecoming: All photos courtesy of Jordan Hart Alumni Story: Whooby: All photos courtesy of Whooby Deriveau Alumni Story: Winelia: All photos courtesy of Winelia Flores-Ortiz Not Your Typical Donor Appreciation Event: Photos courtesy of the Kettering Medical Center Foundation Reflections on Retirement: All photos courtesy of Jill Evans and Tom Rule

Kettering College, born out of Adventist faith, is a fully accredited college that offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in health science education.

Upholding Christ, the College educates students to make service a life calling and to view health as harmony with God in body, mind, and spirit. A division of Kettering Medical Center, Kettering College is located on the KMC campus in a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.

innovation. superior graduates. passion for service and health.

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RISING TO T H E CHALLENGE Respiratory Therapists Lead the Fight Against COVID-19 1

Respiratory therapists have always been on the front lines of care, using technology to aid physicians in the evaluation, diagnosis, and care of patients with cardiac or breathing issues. They use their expertise to deal with over 30 different conditions and treat patients of all ages — from premature infants taking their first breaths to elderly adults taking their last. But until recently, few people outside of healthcare knew about respiratory therapists and their critical role on a patient’s care team.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory therapists have been thrust into the public spotlight as they lead the fight against the virus. Since day one of the pandemic, the role of respiratory therapist has never been more visible — or vital.

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Called to Serve Students and graduates from Kettering College’s respiratory care program rose to the challenges of COVID-19 to provide support in many different healthcare venues.

One recent graduate, Kennedy Cramer 20’, provides comfort and care for patients in nearly every area of Kettering Medical Center, including COVID-19 patients in intensive care units.

“It was a bit scary and overwhelming at first, especially coming into the pandemic as a new graduate,” she said. “With time, it has become

somewhat normal, and I’ve gotten used to wearing N95 masks, PAPRs [powered air-purifying respirators], and a range of isolation gear.”

Cramer said she has experienced many fulfilling moments with patients. “By far, the most rewarding part is taking a patient off a ventilator and finally being able to hear their voice,” she said.

“Seeing patients make a full recovery is why I love my job.”

Students in the respiratory care program are gaining valuable hands-on learning experience during

the pandemic, too. Lauren Spicer ’21 completed clinical rotations at Dayton Children’s Hospital. She said she enjoyed putting her knowledge into action to monitor children with underlying health conditions such as asthma after they’ve tested positive for the coronavirus.

Spicer says her personal experience with childhood asthma led her to pursue respiratory care. “To me, respiratory therapy is the hidden gem of healthcare, and I’m glad more people are starting to recognize it as the important and rewarding career it is,” she said.

Looking to the Future Respiratory care is a rapidly growing area in the health sciences, with ample job opportunities in a wide variety of settings, including at-home and traveling care.

“Even before the pandemic, there was a national shortage of respiratory therapists,” said Alisa French, program director of Kettering College’s respiratory care program.

“Now there’s an even greater need for skilled therapists to help millions of people recover and heal from the devastating effects of COVID-19.”

According to a 2019 survey by the Ohio Society for Respiratory Care, 18.2% of staff respiratory therapists could retire in the next 10 years, adding to the workforce demand.

Employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow by about 28% even after the pandemic, due in part to an aging U.S. population with diseases affecting the heart and lungs.

Kettering College offers a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care that can be completed in as little as three years. The curriculum is aligned with current and expected job openings — incorporating research, simulation training, and clinical opportunities.

“The bachelor’s degree program offers a significant cost-savings

advantage and allows graduates to walk into rewarding careers right away,” said French, who is also an associate professor in the health sciences department.

“Most respiratory therapy positions require at least a twoyear associate degree, but those with a bachelor’s degree are more likely to be considered for tuition reimbursement and leadership, research, education, and management roles,” she explained.

Kettering College’s respiratory care program has been recognized with several awards and accolades. For six consecutive years, the program has received the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. The program also has a 100% job placement rate and a 100% pass rate on the Registered Respiratory Therapist credentialing exams.

F E AT U R E D 1 | Lauren Spicer ‘21, left, perfects her intubation skills on a manikin in the respiratory care lab.

2 | Kennedy Cramer ‘20, middle left, with some of her classmates outside Kettering College after class one day.

3 | Respiratory care graduate Lauren Spicer ‘21, left, during a checkoff in the respiratory care lab.

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Weathering the COVID-19 Storm Together

Professor Jonathan Engelman remembers when he realized COVID-19 was going to turn his world upside down. It was March 10, 2020, the day Kettering College President Nate Brandstater held an emergency faculty and staff meeting at 4 p.m.

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“Ohio had just reported its first case, and Governor Mike DeWine met with President Brandstater and other college presidents to recommend that higher education go virtual as soon as possible,” Engleman says.

“President Brandstater didn’t mince words at the faculty and staff meeting—he said that as of 5 o’clock that day, we would be following the governor’s recommendation and going online.”

Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Engleman and other science and math department faculty members met to strategize and exchange cell phone numbers. Most hadn’t taught online before; those who had were using outdated recording technology that the school was in the process of replacing. “We were not prepared for this dramatic change,” Engleman said. “The vast majority of the faculty didn’t fear for their health or safety—we were just scrambling to figure out how in the world to provide high-quality instruction for our students.”

Meanwhile, Sarah Bayer was scrambling, too. As residence hall director for the college, she was worried about the 120 students living on campus. “We’d just gotten back from spring break two days before, and now we were frantically deciphering guidelines from state and federal agencies, helping international students make travel arrangements home, deciding whether some students could stay in the residence hall to finish their clinicals, cleaning residence hall rooms in case healthcare workers needed to sleep there, and making a million other decisions that were coming at us fast.”

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Within a few days, citing safety concerns, the college canceled clinicals and closed the residence hall. Most faculty and staff members began working from home, with no end date in sight. Virtual instruction was off to an understandably rocky start.

On March 23, Gov. DeWine issued a state-wide stay-at-home order that continued for eight weeks.

With no road map to guide them, Kettering College leaders began planning for the summer semester and beyond.

Trial by fire in the ICU Even before the pandemic began, Rachel Kessie had been facing big life questions. Now, with just two months until graduation, her decision to specialize in critical care nursing seemed to carry more weight than it had before. “I always knew that my first job would involve a learning curve, but I never expected to walk into a pandemic,” she says. “I wouldn’t say I was having second thoughts because of COVID, but I was scared about all the unknowns.”

Kessie took her boards after graduation and began her on-the-job training/orientation in the intensive care unit at Sycamore Medical Center in August 2020. After a few weeks, she began working at least half of her shifts in the hospital’s 20-bed COVID unit.

“My preceptors wanted me to get my feet wet because they said by December, I’d be on the COVID unit a lot,” she says. “At first, treating COVID patients was very scary. I was brand new to nursing and scared to touch anything because it was my first experience with a lot of the machines and medications and ways of thinking. To top it off, we were in a global pandemic, so there was an additional layer of threats and complications. With so much going on in the clinical setting, my preceptors told me they were scared, too.”

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Making our way to a “new normal.”

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As the pandemic raged on through the spring, Kettering College leaders worked relentlessly to pivot, regroup, and adjust as they dealt with ever-changing circumstances and fluid state and federal guidelines.

“From the get-go, we were focused on welcoming students back to campus as soon as possible and providing them with the amazing education they deserved,” Bayer says.

Bayer and other administrative leaders served on a task force to lead the school’s COVID response and establish policies. Brandstater began doing weekly Microsoft Team calls to inform faculty and staff members and answer their questions. Academic departments refined their online offerings and found ways to help students who were struggling.

By the summer semester, clinicals resumed and some students returned to campus. But as new COVID cases and hospitalizations in Ohio began to rise, college leaders recognized that the fall semester would be anything but business as usual. Screening, testing, contact tracing, and quarantines would become the new normal. Bayer, who had been battle-tested as residence hall director in the early days of the pandemic, would help the college navigate this unfamiliar territory as the school’s first full-time student health coordinator.

F E AT U R E D 1 | Susan Price, director of the sonography program, and other faculty began working from home in March 2020.

2 | Nursing graduate Rachel Kessie ‘20, in her COVID-19 gear, attempts to stay positive with a smile and a handdrawn heart on the glass in front of her.

3 | Nursing graduate Rachel Kessie ‘20 at the 2020 drivethru graduation ceremony. After she passed the NCLEX, she began working in an intensive care unit. After a few weeks of orientation, she began working half of her shifts in Sycamore Medical Center’s COVID-19 unit.

“It was intimidating at first because so much was at stake,” says Bayer. “Every day brought new challenges.

Sometimes I’d announce a new campus policy, and the Centers for Disease Control would change its guidance overnight, so it was back to the drawing board. I learned to be proactive and flexible and satisfied just doing the best I could every day. I also discovered that sometimes after a 15-hour day of putting out fires, it was okay to go home and cry for little bit!”

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Fall semester begins Fall semester began in mid-August with many guidelines in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Incoming students, especially first-years like Kloie Norcross, were apprehensive. “I knew we would have to wear masks and get tested and screened a lot, and that most of my classes would be online,” says Norcross, who is in the radiologic sciences and imaging program. “But living in the residence hall helped. Even though we had to be careful with social distancing, we could hang out and get to know each other. But it was hard not having any in-person student activities.”

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Norcross started clinicals in October 2020 and was disappointed to discover that COVID-19 restrictions curtailed her access to the patient care setting. She spent much of her time on rotation looking at X-rays and quickly learned to recognize signs of COVID. “COVID patients’ lungs sometimes looked like they were filled with cotton, so it’s no wonder the patients were struggling to breathe or were on vents,” she says. “Seeing that in person was eye-opening.”

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Frustrations and silver linings in the classroom

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As students adjusted to their own challenges in and out of the classroom, faculty members found new ways to educate them online. Strategies varied from department to department. Science and math professors tended to record their lectures, offer help sessions on Zoom, and use online resources for labs.

The experience sparked Engelman’s interest in studying how students utilize lecture-recording technology in the academic setting. During the 2020-21 school year, he surveyed 150 Kettering College students and found that the vast majority appreciated having access to recorded lectures.

“Zoom fatigue is real, and I empathize with professors who may resist the idea of continuing to record their lectures after returning to full-time, face-to-face instruction,” he says. “But students say they want to continue having access to recorded lectures. Our department is considering a hybrid model, at least for math courses. We may provide recorded lectures that students watch on their own, and then use classroom time to go over questions and work through math problems together.”

Despite his enthusiasm for video lectures, Engleman is quick to admit that academic instruction during the pandemic was more about surviving than thriving. “Online instruction was necessary at the time, but it isn’t easier, cheaper, or better than face-to-face,” he says. “You can’t replace faceto-face interaction, and students and faculty don’t want to. Humans are social beings, and we need to be with each other.”

Kettering College second-year nursing student Taylor Klug couldn’t agree more. All but one of her classes were online during her first two semesters at the school. She found it nearly impossible to develop friendships, especially living off-campus. However, teachers and staff went above and beyond to help her feel welcome and valued, she says. “Chaplain Steve Carlson (director of campus ministries) truly cares, and my professors are

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amazing,” Klug explains. “Dr. (Paul) DeLange taught my microbiology class and, even with the online format, I quickly developed a passion for that field of medicine. I am excited to be back on campus this fall and build on some of the good things that happened during my first year.”

One of those “good things” was serving on the student life leadership team (see related story, page 24-25). This year, as the team’s president, she is looking forward to planning campus events that help students connect in meaningful ways. She’s also eager to hang out in Anna May’s Café and the Learning Commons, which was renovated during the pandemic. Klug and other student leaders helped with some design decisions, including which furniture to buy.

F E AT U R E D 4 | Nicholas Henson, director of finance and administration, and Larry Beneke, facilities manager, post signs around campus about social distancing and mask wearing.

5 | At screening stations at College entrances every person who entered the building had their temperature taken. Once cleared, they swiped their badge and received a sticker or wristband to show their clearance.

6 | Sanitation stations were set up around campus for those who worked and studied on campus.

7 | President Brandstater recorded a video announcing the plans for the fall 2020 semester.

8 | Nursing student Taylor Klug served on the student life leadership team, which opened the door to meet new people including Ady Watson at Student Life activities.

9 | Radiologic technology student Kloie Norcross, second from the right, started her first year in the fall of 2020. Here she is with a few of her classmates after a day of clinicals.

10 | Nursing graduate Rachel Kessie ‘20 worked at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Here she celebrates receiving her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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The darkness before the dawn Campus life began returning to normal once COVID vaccines became available in early 2021.

But not before one of Ohio’s worst stretches of the pandemic, which started in November 2020. That month, infections more than tripled compared to the previous month.

Deaths also soared. December was even worse, with the most COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in Ohio of any month in the pandemic.

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is my why?’ Did I make the right decision to be a nurse?”

Kessie remembers the first time one of her patients succumbed to COVID. The patient, a woman in her 60s, had been transferred from the COVID unit to the ICU. The hospital allowed her family to be present for her final hours of life. Kessie stayed long after her shift was over to be there, too.

Those months were a blur for Rachel Kessie, who couldn’t help but feel that COVID was winning the war.

“COVID didn’t discriminate, and it was impossible to predict its course in any given patient,” she says. “A person could be relatively stable and then very quickly progress from a nasal cannula to a heated bi-flow oxygen mask to a Bi-PAP breathing device with 100% oxygen delivery.

Sometimes in the midst of deciding whether to intubate, family members would call in on their phones or tablets, which added to the emotion of the situation.”

A few months later, Kessie was working at a Kettering Health vaccination clinic. Two adults caught her eye—it was the woman’s adult daughter and son-in-law! “They recognized me, and we cried together and talked about this woman that they’d loved so much and lost,” Kessie says. “Then, I administered their vaccines, and it was a powerful experience. It was like, ‘we lost someone important, but we are here protecting ourselves and our families.’ Vaccines were a white horse riding to the rescue where before we sometimes felt we were waving the white flag.”

Kessie acknowledges that living in such a heightened state of stress took its toll. “Every day, it seemed like someone was going out in a body bag, or some patient wasn’t in the room at the beginning of your shift because they died the night before,” she says. “I knew ICU nursing would be intense, but this was beyond anything I could have expected.

There were days I wondered, ‘what

The COVID unit at Sycamore Medical Center closed in mid-February, and COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths continued to fall throughout Ohio as vaccination rates rose.

Kessie says she is grateful for the tight-knit group of nurses on her unit who supported each other through the pandemic’s darkest days and beyond. “Now we are winning more than we lose in the ICU,” she says.

A return to near normalcy Kettering College’s return to inperson instruction for fall semester 2021 is a victory as well, says Bayer.

“I’m so proud of our students, faculty, and staff — they were amazing throughout this whole

ordeal,” Bayer says. “I think the pandemic has taught us to be thankful for what we have here at Kettering College. We learned that whatever life hands us, we can get through it together, one day at a time.”

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Family Connections Abound in Kettering College’s Radiologic Technology Program

ALL IN THE FA 1

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From the moment students step foot on campus, they become a part of the welcoming Kettering College community. With small class sizes, supportive faculty and staff, and a faith-based culture, it’s easy to see why students and graduates often use the word “family” when describing the Kettering College experience.

For many Kettering College students and graduates, learning alongside family is more than an expression. In particular, the radiologic technology program has had multiple family referrals over the years.

Sydney Pipp graduated from the program in 2019 and now is a radiologic technologist at Dayton Children’s Hospital. She enjoyed the program so much that she encouraged her husband, Joshua Pipp, and her sister, Samantha Washech, to apply.

“I knew they’d both enjoy the program because it’s hands-on, and the two-year degree is a perfect fit for busy schedules,” Sydney Pipp said. “It’s also great to have a built-in support system. My husband and sister will even have study sessions over Skype to review before tests.

“The fact that many radiology graduates and students have referred family members speaks to the quality of the program,” she said, adding that she plans to return to Kettering College to complete her bachelor’s degree with a focus in advanced imaging. “Like me, they’ve had such a great experience that they’re willing to share it with the ones that they love the most.”

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Some students are pursuing the radiologic technology degree at the same time as a family member. Allyson Brown transferred to Kettering College in 2020 to study radiology. Soon after, her cousin expressed an interest in the program and moved from Iowa to Ohio to attend Kettering College.

“It’s been so nice to have a family member in the program to study with and ask questions,” said Brown. Her cousin, Rachel Johnstone, agrees.

“There’s already a lot of support among students in the program, but having a family member by your side is an added benefit, especially in challenging courses,” said Johnstone.

“What drew me most to Kettering College was the small student-to-teacher ratio,” Brown added.

“The instructors are very encouraging, not only academically, but emotionally and spiritually, too.

Especially going through all the uncertainty with COVID-19, it’s comforting to be a part of a tightknit community.”

First-year student Taylor Climmons enrolled in the program after seeing how happy younger sister Mackenzie Shaver was at Kettering College.

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AMILY

1 | Radiologic technology student Rachel Johnstone, performs a scan on fellow radiologic technology student and cousin, Allyson Brown, in the radiology laboratory.

4 | Samantha Washech, left, and Josh Pipp, both radiologic technology students are the sister and husband, respectively, of 2019 graduate Sydney Pipp.

2 | Radiologic technology students Allyson Brown, right, and her cousin, Rachel Johnstone in the radiology laboratory.

5 | Radiologic technology graduate Sydney Pipp ‘19, left, with her husband, radiologic technology student Josh Pipp, at Sydney’s dedication ceremony in July 2019.

3 | First year student Taylor Climmons, right, enrolled in the radiologic technology program after learning about the program from younger sister Mackenzie Shaver, left. “Mackenzie is one of my biggest role models,” Climmons says.

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6 | Sydney Pipp ‘19, with radiologic sciences and imaging department chair and program director Tuta Ionescu at the dedication ceremony in July 2019.

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“It’s been so nice to have a family member in the program to study with and ask questions.”

“Even though she’s my little sister, Mackenzie is one of my biggest role models,” said Climmons.

“Since she’s a year ahead of me in the program, she’s always there for me if I need extra help understanding material or practicing for lab.”

Shaver considers it a blessing to study radiology at the College with her sister.

“I love Kettering College,” Shaver said.

“It really is like one big family.”

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Kettering College Celebrates 2020 Graduates with

Drive-Thru Graduation Ceremony

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“This year our students have worked particularly hard, and we have all overcome immense challenges together.”

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In 2020, Kettering College had to cancel its in-person spring and summer graduation ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still wanting to celebrate its graduates, Kettering College held a drive-thru ceremony at SouthBrook Christian Church on Friday, July 10, 2020.

The ceremony provided the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the graduates while adhering to social distancing guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 200 graduates from Kettering College’s eight programs participated in the ceremony.

Graduates and their families arrived in their cars to festive music performed by members of the Spring Valley Academy band under the direction of Donald Huff. Graduates had the opportunity to get out of their cars and take pictures in front of a special Kettering College backdrop. After arriving to the stage area, they heard their names read by Kettering College academic deans; received their diplomas from President Nate Brandstater, and received a gift from the Kettering College Alumni Association.

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F E AT U R E D 1 | Kelsi Thompson ’20 arrives for the drive-thru graduation ceremony, where she received her Occupational Therapy Doctorate.

5 | Graduation participants and their families arrived to festive live music from the Spring Valley Academy band, directed by Donald Huff.

2 | Melissa Franklin, a financial aid counselor, hands nursing graduate Kaitlyn Gill ’20 a gift from the Kettering College Alumni Association.

Kettering College staff were on hand to help with the graduation ceremony.

6 | Respiratory care graduate Damon Bradley Jr. ’20 prepares for his ceremonial walk across the stage at the drive-thru graduation.

3 | Healthcare management graduate Brooke Webber ’20 receives the news that she is a finalist for the George B. Nelson Award.

4 | Graduating students can decorate their caps; this sonography graduate’s mortarboard honors their dog.

7 | Sonography graduate Taylor Herchenbach ’20 receives her diploma from President Nate Brandstater and poses for a photo as her friends and family celebrate.

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“The celebration of the achievements of our graduates is always one of the most important things we do,” Brandstater stated. “This year our students have worked particularly hard, and we have all overcome immense challenges together. I was thrilled to be able to personally congratulate each one.”

As the graduates and their families left, they also received ice cream to go from local favorite, Graeter’s. The entire ceremony was also livestreamed for friends and family members to celebrate their graduates’ accomplishments remotely.

Brandstater granted 26 Associate of Science degrees and 155 bachelor’s degrees, including 94 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. Twentyeight students graduated from the Occupational Therapy Doctoral program, and 58 students graduated from the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program.

8 | Physician assistant faculty members cheer on Bre Lyon ’20 as she walks to the stage for her Master of Physician Assistant Studies during the drivethru graduation ceremony.

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Kettering College Announces

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NEW STUDENTS 1

Healthcare professionals are needed now more than ever. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in healthcare occupations will grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030—much faster than the average for all occupations.

The need for well-educated graduates in healthcare is clear, but choosing a career path is one of the hardest decisions a student can make, and finances often play a big role in that decision.

Kettering College has announced two new scholarships to make a healthcare education at Kettering College more accessible.

The Kettering College Academic Achievement Scholarship is a four-year renewable scholarship for first-time freshmen in select programs. This scholarship is automatically awarded to students based on their high school GPA and their choice to earn degrees in nursing, health sciences, respiratory care, or human biology. Students can receive between $8,000 to $12,000 a year. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher at Kettering College to continue to receive the scholarship.

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The Kettering College Need-Based Scholarship was established to help those with financial need. This scholarship is determined by a student’s expected family contribution (EFC), which is determined by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students can receive between $500 to $1,500 for their first year of college.

“We are excited to be able to offer new scholarships to many of our incoming students,” said Kim Rawlins, director of student finance.

“We hope by making an investment in our students, we can assist with making their pursuit of a degree in healthcare more affordable.”

Kettering College continues to offer additional scholarships to students in the respiratory care and human biology programs. Kettering Health employees also receive tuition discounts.

For more information about scholarships, visit: kc.edu/scholarships To read more about the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment outlook for healthcare occupations, see: bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm

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A PA N D E MIC P I VOT FOR T HE A D MISS I O N S D E PA R TME N T

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Admissions is a year-round affair at Kettering College, and fall is usually high season. But in 2020, COVID-19 brought on-campus tours, high school visits, and in-person college fairs to a halt. Despite the temporary pivot to an all-virtual admissions experience, the College’s enrollment numbers didn’t suffer. In fact, they increased.

Campus tours, a mainstay in the admissions world, went virtual in Spring 2020 and later expanded to include limited in-person tours. “Each prospective student has different needs and interests, and we improvised every day to personalize their experience,” said admissions counselor Laura Amen. “We recorded Zoom tours, did live FaceTime tours, and created new photo galleries on our website to showcase the campus.”

F E AT U R E D 1 | Kettering College participated in virtual college fairs where prospective students could click on the booth and have an interactive virtual experience with the College.

2 | Heather Mays, admissions counselor, Jessica Beans, associate dean for enrollment, and Lisa Huber, program chair for the online RNto-BSN degree track, meet with prospective students on Zoom for an information session.

3 | Laura Amen takes a prospective student on a campus tour following COVID-19 protocols that include wearing a mask and socially distancing.

4 | Laura Amen, admissions counselor, meets with a prospective Kettering College student on Zoom.

Amen and her colleagues also took part in about 15 website-based college fairs in 2020.

Prospective students could click on the Kettering College “Zoom booth” to watch a presentation and participate in a chat with one of the school’s admissions counselors. “Most of the virtual college fairs I did were fun,” Amen said. “There was something comical about the situation that broke the ice. It was like, ‘hey, this isn’t what any of us expected, but let’s go with it.’”

These digital strategies created opportunities for one-on-one conversations with prospective students about their healthcare education and career goals. This contributed to an increase in enrollment, said Adam Brown, Dean for Student Success.

“We are excited to see continued growth at Kettering College,” Brown said. “Our enrollment management team [admissions and marketing departments] has worked hard to identify students who want to serve others through healthcare and make a difference in our community and the world. Even though we have gone through a pandemic, our students are committed to the sacred calling of serving others.”

Admissions counselors have resumed visiting high schools and attending college fairs. In-person tours are back in full swing, although the admissions team offers virtual appointments for prospective students on request.

• Summer 2020 had the highest summer enrollment in College history with a fulltime equivalent of 468 — 55 more than summer 2019 — breaking the previous record of 418 FTE in summer 2018.

• In the fall 2020 semester, 187 new students enrolled, compared to 204 the previous semester.

• Winter 2021 brought an increase in the incoming class with 83 new students compared to 45 a year previous.

• During the summer 2021 semester, the College enrolled 83 more students than it did in the summer of 2020; this is a 13% increase and the highest enrollment ever for a summer semester.

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Success Across the Board Kettering College’s clinical programs report strong outcomes in 2020 Amid a year of upheaval and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kettering College students rose above the challenges to achieve academic excellence. In 2020, academic department chairs reported impressive outcomes across the board for graduates of the nursing, sonography, radiology, respiratory care, physician assistant, and occupational therapy doctoral programs.

“These phenomenal results reflect the strength and quality of all our clinical programs,” said Scott Bennie, Dean of Health Professions, Graduate Studies, and Institutional Effectiveness.

“Pandemic or not, it takes such grit and resilience to not only meet the desired outcomes, but to overachieve on almost every front. It all goes back to our incredible faculty and staff and their investment in our students.”

The success of the 2020 academic year was especially notable considering the many disruptions caused by COVID-19, including paused or postponed clinical rotations, delayed board exams, and limited testing sites.

Students and faculty also demonstrated adaptability when Kettering College shifted from in-person classes to online learning overnight, added Bennie. “As we navigated the pandemic together, we continued to learn, grow, and improve our approach,” he said. “Now we can look back and identify best practices and resources to carry into the future.”

“We’ve had the opportunity to learn tremendously and become a better, stronger institution than before.”

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Instead of being an obstacle to learning, the pivot to online classes presented opportunities for faculty to enhance their relationships with students and explore new and creative instruction techniques. For example, faculty found that recording lectures helped boost their students’ understanding of the material. Paperless grading helped ease workloads so faculty could focus on providing extra support to students.

“Another blessing was our ability to leverage the use of simulation training when clinical experiences were put on pause,” added Bennie. “Going forward, simulation will continue to prove essential in achieving the desired outcomes for our clinical programs.”

As students and faculty return to campus for the fall 2021 term, Kettering College is prepared to embrace new tools, techniques, and technologies.

“Kettering College won’t be emerging from the pandemic the same school as when we entered,” Bennie said.

“We’ve had the opportunity to learn tremendously and become a better, stronger institution than before.”

Pass Rates for 2020 Clinical Programs Nursing (NCLEX board pass rate)

90.2%* Physician Assistant (PANCE pass rate)

100%* Occupational Therapy (NBCOT pass rate)

100%* Respiratory (RRT pass rate)

100%* Radiology (ARRT pass rate)

86% Sonography (abdomen, ob/gyn, vascular, cardiac): (ARDMS pass rate)

96%* *Higher than national average pass rate

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T EACHING T HE FINE AR T OF POCUS

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“Sometimes referred to as ‘the next stethoscope.’”

More than 60 family medicine and internal medicine physicians at Kettering Health receive intensive pointof-care ultrasound (POCUS) training each year, thanks to a dynamic partnership with Kettering College. Adjunct professor Shawnya Wilborne, leads the POCUS training program with teaching support from physicians and fourthyear sonography students.

Sometimes referred to as “the next stethoscope,” POCUS refers to the use of traditional and hand-held sonography devices to assess patients in the emergency department, in inpatient care, and in the clinic setting. Specialized training is essential, but most medical schools and residency programs do not offer POCUS as part of their curricula.

Wilborne began developing the POCUS curriculum in 2015 at the request of Susan Price, director of the medical sonography program at Kettering College. She began with a small pilot program that has since grown

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to provide each learner with about 50 hours of didactic and hands-on training per year in the College’s sonography labs.

Instructors include Wilborne, a medical sonographer with more than 20 years of clinical experience; internal medicine specialist Andrew Moren, MD; and family physician Wes Halderman, MD. “Initially, the POCUS training consisted of me doing weekly labs with internal medicine residents and some medical students from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine,” says Wilborne, a 2002 graduate of Kettering College. “Then, in January 2018, we started gaining momentum. That’s when Dr. Moren and I began working together to create a more robust curriculum for internal medicine residents that would include lectures, guest speakers, and a structured schedule of labs.

But before we could launch a full program, Dr. Moren wanted me to help him become more proficient in doing ultrasound scans himself.”

A Year to Prepare Wilborne and Moren, who is associate program director for the internal medicine residency program at Kettering Medical Center, began meeting weekly for one-on-one training.

Six months later, they were joined by Halderman, who wanted family medicine residents to receive POCUS training as well. As rural site director for the family medicine residency at Soin Medical Center, Halderman was particularly interested in the use of Butterfly IQ+, a pocket-sized POCUS device.

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According to a 2020 letter to the editor1 in American Family Physician, the journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the use of POCUS in primary care is increasing because it reduces cost, radiation exposure, and imaging delays and increases patient satisfaction. The letter cites several examples of how POCUS can augment the clinical exam and procedures. For example, POCUS: • Has high accuracy in screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

“With the Butterfly, you can view the images on your iPhone or iPad, and the image quality is excellent,” he says. “By extending the clinician’s ability to gather real-time information about his or her patient at the bedside, POCUS enables primary care physicians to improve the speed at which they narrow their differential diagnoses and decide on a management plan, whether that be a definitive imaging study, surgical consultation, or hospital admission. This is especially helpful for those family physicians who are called to practice in rural settings or other remote locations around the globe.”

• Is accurate for determining the source of acute respiratory distress.

• Can be used to diagnose many joint and soft-tissue conditions such as complete rotator cuff tears.

• Differentiates cellulitis from abscess more accurately than a clinical evaluation.

• Can be used to facilitate many commonly performed outpatient procedures.

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Ready to Launch In January of 2019, Wilborne, Moren, and Halderman launched the improved POCUS curriculum. The internal medicine and family medicine residents meet separately in the lab for didactic and hands-on sessions that last about three hours, up to eight times a year. Each program has its own curriculum, which also includes readings, videos, and guest lectures.

Lab time includes educational experiences with traditional ultrasound machines and the Butterfly devices. Greene Medical Foundation provided support for the Soin residency program by purchasing several Butterfly devices.

“POCUS instruction for physicians is geared toward clinical encounters,” Moren said. “You’re learning how to use ultrasound to answer binary questions that narrow your differential diagnosis in real time, allowing a quicker and more efficient path to diagnosis and management.”

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“Physicians need to know how to use them or at least be familiar with them,” he said. “Dr. Halderman and I are requiring the training for all our residents. Those with a special interest in POCUS have additional opportunities for training, including using the units on rounds, attending POCUS conferences, and checking out units for their elective rotations.”

Medical sonography students with advanced scanning skills participate in some of the labs by demonstrating scans, helping learners find acoustic windows, and answering questions.

“These students are trained in all four ultrasound modalities and have such a wealth of knowledge to share with doctors,” Wilborne said. “I encourage them to note the experience on their resume because it reflects a high level of expertise.”

A Unique Collaboration Halderman and Moren continue to meet weekly with Wilborne to gain new ultrasound scanning skills and are sometimes joined by other faculty members who have an interest in POCUS. The two physicians say that much of the credit for the POCUS training’s success goes to Kettering College.

“Dr. Price has been so generous with the lab,” Moren said. “We really couldn’t do this without her support and the College’s. We also appreciate the incredible support the POCUS program receives from Dr. Lindy Schwartz,

director of the internal medicine residency program.”

But perhaps the real MVP is Wilborne, Halderman said.

“Shawnya has performed thousands of ultrasound scans, and her expertise is tremendous,” he said. “She helps me, Dr. Moren, and our residents with all the intangibles we can’t learn from a video or a book. Her investment in the program and our access to the College’s lab allow us to do POCUS training the right way.”

“Formal Training in POCUS Can Positively Impact Family Medicine Practices.”

Letter to the editor, American Family Physician. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2020/1015/p454.html 1

F E AT U R E D 1 | Shawnya Wilborne ‘02 works with Claire Nelson, MD, (scanning), Sara Tisherman, MD, (model), and Nimisha Swali, MD, (looking up at monitor), in the sonography lab.

2 | As residents scan, the obstetrics simulator produces a fetal heart tracing on the screen.

3 | Sonography graduate and adjunct professor Shawnya Wilborne ‘02, works with a resident imaging the right upper quadrant of the abdomen to evaluate the liver, gallbladder, right kidney, pancreas, aorta, and inferior vena cava.

4 | Medical residents Hiten Patel, DO, left, and Josh Slusher, DO, scan the abdomen of resident Emily Mahran, DO.

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New Strategies and Tools Drive Campus-Wide Improvement Part analyst, part problem solver, Scott Bennie is on a mission to drive improvement across every program and department at Kettering College. Working alongside him are students, faculty, and staff who are just as passionate about the work as he is.

“One of the great things about Kettering College is that it’s a student-centric and faculty-driven organization, and a lot of our success is powered by the work of task forces, committees, and teams,” says Bennie, Dean of Health Professions, Graduate Studies, and Institutional Effectiveness. “Together, we are finding new opportunities to be more effective in every area of the College, from our student recruitment practices to the quality of our academic instruction to the support we provide for alumni.”

Bennie, who joined Kettering College in fall 2019, says his role is to identify opportunities for improvement and be a resource for faculty, staff, and students who want to effect change. Data is always part of the equation. “The College has a huge dataset from 60 years of operations and is collecting new data all the time about the quality of our academic programs, student services, and outcomes,” he explains. “We want to do a better job leveraging this information to help us measure where the school has been and guide decisions for the future.”

Measuring Student Success Bennie has established eight institutional measures for student success. These measures are helping the school evaluate

outcomes in areas such as student retention after year one, graduation rates, first-time pass rates on certification boards, and post-graduation employment rates.

The College recently hired a program analyst who will help fine-tune the data collection and evaluation process. “We want to drill down to discover where students are encountering barriers to success and what resources they need to overcome those barriers,” Bennie says.

“It is all part of our commitment to meet people where they are and take them where they want to be.”

Eye-Catching Infographics Some of the student success measures are on the Kettering College website for all to see--in eye-catching dashboards for each academic program. Now, web visitors can easily view each program’s: • Average salary for recent graduates.

• Job placement rate within six months of graduation.

• Board or registry pass rate.

“This information has been available on our website for a while, but not in an attention-grabbing way,” Bennie says. “The dashboards provide a quick snapshot for prospective students that answers the question, ‘How will my investment in a Kettering College education benefit me?’ Our long-term outcomes are impressive, and these dashboards help us share them more effectively.”

Nursing Program Scorecard

100% Job Placement

88% Board Pass Rate

$66,820 Average Salary

3 Year B.S. in Nursing

Asked and Answered: College Leverages the Power of Surveys Student, faculty, and staff surveys help drive some improvement efforts at the College. A few examples of recent success include:

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Enhanced Mental and Spiritual Health Services:

More Effective Course Evaluation Tools:

Better Appointment Scheduling:

The College developed a survey in the fall of 2020 to more fully understand how the pandemic was affecting the mental and spiritual health of students, faculty, and staff. The results revealed a growing need for mental health services. Kettering College has since expanded access to crisis counseling and in-person counseling options.

Faculty and staff members expressed concerns that the College’s course evaluation survey tools did not provide enough meaningful feedback. They formed a task force to analyze the current tools and consider new options. The result: a new survey that is shorter, encourages student self-reflection, and includes questions related to each respondent’s spiritual life.

Results from a recent student survey indicated that students were not able to efficiently schedule appointments with campus departments. The school responded by implementing an app called Calendly that allows students to view available appointment times and schedule a meeting time that is convenient for both parties.

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On the Right Track Online degree programs expand opportunities for future healthcare professionals.

Healthcare has long been one of the fastest-growing industries, and the COVID-19 pandemic only amplified the demand for skilled professionals on the front lines of patient care. At a time talented healthcare workers are needed more than ever, Kettering College’s online learning programs offer flexible and affordable options for students throughout their education journey.

Online RN-to-BSN Degree Track Improves Access and Affordability In January 2021, Kettering College’s toprated online RN-to-BSN degree track rolled out a tuition reset, lowering the tuition to $325 per credit hour. The new competitive pricing is part of a strategic plan for growth and will extend the reach of the RN-to-BSN degree track to serve eligible registered nurses locally and across the country.

Kettering College’s fully accredited online RN-to-BSN degree track is designed for registered nurses with an associate degree or its equivalent in nursing. Classes are delivered in seven-week sessions, enabling 1

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“The tuition reset reaffirms our commitment to providing a highquality, affordable option for busy working nurses,” said Lisa Huber, program chair of the online RN-to-BSN degree track. “Because our program is available completely online, it offers the convenience and flexibility today’s nurses need to improve their credentials and expand their career opportunities.”

Dual-Enrollment Partnerships Create Career Pathways Another way Kettering College is expanding the reach of its online programming is by offering college courses to high school students. The innovative dual-enrollment program will give career-focused students at partner high schools the opportunity to complete up to 44 credit hours starting in their sophomore year.

In collaboration with Kettering Health, Kettering College is providing courses at a deeply discounted tuition rate. The opportunity will be offered to select partner high schools, including Spring Valley Academy in Dayton.

“It’s a very attractive option for students who want to save time and money while pursuing a career in healthcare,” said

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students to complete the program in one to three years depending on whether they choose a full-time or part-time pace of study.

1 | Registered nurses who have an associate degree or its equivalent and wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree can attend Kettering College completely online for $325 per credit hour.

John Nunes, director of the Division of Online Learning and Continuing Education. “Our goal is to create a direct pipeline to jobs within Kettering Health and prepare the next generation for the most in-demand positions, particularly in nursing and respiratory care.”

Once enrolled full time at Kettering College, students can connect to parttime job opportunities within Kettering Health to offset tuition costs and gain hands-on experience.

“We’re creating a landscape where a student can finish their degree faster while taking on less debt or even potentially graduating debt-free,” added Nunes. “That’s something to be excited about.”

2 | John Nunes, director of the Division of Online Learning and Continuing Education, advises a student in his office.

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A FRESH LOOK Campus renovations are underway at Kettering College 1

“The newly designed Learning Commons space is intended to be a continuum of gathering, teaching, and learning.”

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Kettering College is in the midst of making improvements that will reshape and modernize the campus experience for students, faculty, and staff.

As part of the College’s strategic plan for growth, several campus projects were already in progress when COVID-19 forced the rapid shift to remote learning. With fewer people on campus in 2020, the College had an opportunity to accelerate many of these renovations.

Learning Commons

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One of the most noticeable changes is the new and improved Learning Commons, which opened in August 2021. Formerly a traditional library space on the main level of the Boonshoft Center for Medical Sciences, the 5,500-square-foot Learning Commons has been reimagined as a hub that invites connection and collaboration.

collaborative learning space where students can gather to work together or meet with faculty. A designated quiet study area is available to give students a variety of spaces to focus. The Learning Commons continues to provide access to campus computers and a collection of books, journals, and media in print and digital formats.

“The newly designed Learning Commons space is intended to be a continuum of gathering, teaching, and learning,” said Nate Brandstater, president of Kettering College.

“It’s a very exciting enhancement for our campus community.”

Brandstater said the impetus for an enhanced gathering space came from Marge Brenneke, a Kettering College alumna and donor.

Brenneke, who graduated as part of the inaugural nursing class of 1969, suggested naming the café space after Vaughan.

Visitors enter the Learning Commons through Anna May’s Café, a brand-new café and self-service market named after Kettering College’s founding academic dean, Anna May Vaughan. In addition to gourmet coffee and tea offerings, a retail area provides healthy grab-and-go snack options for students, faculty, and staff.

“The renovated Learning Commons and the creation of Anna May’s Café are wonderful examples of the collaboration between Kettering College and our alumni, who inspire us through their memories as well as their vision for the future of the College,” said Brandstater. “They encourage us to be creative and innovative as we continue creating great experiences for our students to come.”

The social café setting flows into an open,

F E AT U R E D 1 | The renovations include the downstairs lobby space to the entrance of Anna May’s Cafe and the Learning Commons.

2 | The Learning Commons is an open, collaborative learning and meeting space where students can gather to work together, study, or meet with faculty.

3 | These designated study rooms are equipped with tables, ergonomic chairs, plenty of outlets, technology for conference calls, and large screens that can connect to laptops and other devices.

4 | In addition to gourmet coffee and tea offerings in Anna May’s Café, healthy grab-and-go options are available.

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IPE Simulation Center In January 2020, Kettering College celebrated the completed renovation of the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Simulation Center. The $2.7 million project, funded by Kettering Health’s strategic 2019 capital initiatives, doubled the capacity of the state-of-the-art simulation lab to enhance interprofessional education and collaboration within all divisions of the College.

“Especially as we look to grow our prelicensure nursing program, this technologically advanced space will empower students with the skills they need to deliver exceptional patient care in a multitude of settings,” said Brandstater.

Renovations included the addition of a preparation room and more workstations in the simulation center’s control room, along with 10 additional client care beds — one of which mirrors a labor and delivery / postpartum setting; a pediatric patient room; a nursing station; a classroom; a conference room; and a faculty workroom.

The expansion doubled the number of simulations students can participate in, allowing for eight to 10 simulations to run concurrently. By replicating reallife scenarios in a safe environment, the industry-leading simulation center enables interdisciplinary teams to practice the communication and collaboration skills necessary to coordinate whole-person care and improve health outcomes.

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The IPE Simulation Center provides more than 400 clinical simulations a year, primarily for students from nursing, respiratory care, physician assistant, and other programs.

Current health care professionals from Kettering Health hospitals also have the opportunity to take part in realistic simulation scenarios to refine their clinical skills, improve patient safety, and adopt advanced techniques.

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Residence Halls To meet the rising demand for on-campus housing, Kettering College is updating several of its residence spaces. Examples of the ongoing renovations include cosmetic upgrades to the community kitchen, bathroom, and lobby areas, as well as modern closets and built-in dressers, new lighting features, memory foam mattresses, hardwood-style flooring, and new countertops in the rooms.

Kettering Health funded the renovations, granting the College a $1.2 million project

F E AT U R E D

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5 | New to the IPE Simulation Center is a maternal and newborn manikin set for obstetric and gynecological simulations.

6 | Kettering College President Nate Brandstater and Kettering Medical Center President Wally Sackett celebrate the ceremonial ribbon cutting for the IPE Simulation Center.

7 | Annie, one of many new manikins in the IPE Simulation Center, can sit up on her own so nursing students can practice high-quality nursing assessments before they start their clinical rotations.

budget. Improvements to the male and female residence halls are being completed in phases, and the renovations are expected to be finished by 2024.

“Because we’re recruiting and welcoming more students from further away, there’s no better time to make these enhancements to our residence halls,” explained Brandstater.

“We want students to feel at home at Kettering College and enjoy a rewarding, enriching on-campus experience.”

8 | The Residence Hall rooms also include memory foam mattresses; hardwood-style flooring; and solid-surface countertops for the desks, sinks, and dressers.

9 | In the Residence Hall, the rooms have been updated with California-style closets, built-in dressers, and new lighting.

Enhancing the Education Experience

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New imaging technologies boost learning in and out of the classroom From monitoring fetal development to detecting and diagnosing a wide range of diseases and conditions, advanced imaging techniques play a critical role across the healthcare landscape. To meet the growing demand for skilled technologists, Kettering College is implementing new technologies that enhance hands-on learning for students—in the advanced imaging and sonography programs.

Building Real-Life Skills with Simulation-Based Training Kettering College’s radiologic sciences and imaging program uses sophisticated, web-based simulator software that mimics real-life imaging equipment. The immersive training platform allows students to practice their skills anytime and anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi connection.

Kettering College is one of two institutions in Ohio and the only college in Dayton to use the software.

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“Simulation training is a huge asset because it helps students learn at their own pace and apply their knowledge in a highly realistic yet low-stress environment,” said Taryn Talbott, associate professor and clinical coordinator of advanced imaging. “We’ve seen a significant increase in students’ confidence as they walk into their clinical rotations at local hospitals because they’re already familiar with the technology.”

Streamlining the Sonography Lab

F E AT U R E D 1 | Radiologic technology student Lauren Bates works on a simulation in the lobby of Kettering College.

2 | The sonography program’s new laboratory equipment includes learning stations with a patient bed, an ultrasound machine, and a medical-grade flat-panel display with high definition.

3 | Students in the sonography program practice scanning a manikin on the equipment in the College’s gymnasium.

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4 | The immersive training platform allows students from the radiologic sciences and imaging program to practice their skills anytime and anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi connection.

Kettering College’s top-ranked sonography program debuted a new lab that’s transforming the education experience for students and faculty. The lab features state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment for individual learning stations with a patient bed, an- ultrasound machine, and a medical-grade flat panel display with high definition. A centralized teaching station enables the instructor to cast a lesson to a large interactive display at the front of the room or to the individual learning stations.

The streamlined system maximizes hands-on learning and minimizes distraction by eliminating the need for students to leave their seats to gather around a single machine.

Access to advanced audiovisual equipment proved instrumental when the program pivoted to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instructors were able to use the system to record lectures in the lab and send videos to students, allowing them to feel connected to the classroom.

“The new lab setup has created an amazing step in our approach toward teaching,” said Beth Maxwell, assistant professor of cardiovascular sonography. “We are now able to focus our time on more efficient teaching without any interruption. It has smoothed out our entire teaching process and improved the experience for everyone.”

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New Student Affairs Department Focuses on Building a Stronger Community 1

During the pandemic, extracurricular activities slowed to a crawl at Kettering College. But behind the scenes, a dedicated group of leaders was re-imagining the student experience and preparing for a breakout year in 2021.

The result is a new student affairs department, which is energizing campus life with communitybuilding programs and events for students in every degree program.

The department encompasses student life and leadership, residential life, career services and student development, and campus ministries.

“Previously, these departments were siloed and operated somewhat independently without a

unified strategy,” says Ben Hotelling, associate dean of students. “Now staff from each area meet weekly to plan and collaborate so that we can create the best student experience possible at Kettering College. And we’re actively seeking input from student leaders to learn what kind of programs and services students need to thrive.”

Hotelling leads the new student affairs department, which also includes Ashley Neu, director of career services and student development; Ryan Haas, associate director of student life and leadership; and Steve Carlson, campus chaplain and director of Campus Ministries.

Building on the Four Pillars Hotelling notes that the new department is part of a campus wide transformation. “Kettering College used to be known as a technical college where many students basically came to class and left,” he says. “But today’s students want more experiences in class and outside the

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classroom that will help them make an impact on the world around them.”

To that end, in 2019, the College identified four pillars to support its educational mission: service, scholarship, leadership, and faith.

Student affairs was one of the first

departments at the College to build its programming on these pillars. “Every activity and event we offer through student affairs aligns with at least one of these pillars and gives students opportunities to grow into amazing healthcare professionals who make service a life calling,” Hotelling says.

An Emphasis on Student Input Large state schools offer hundreds of niche clubs and activities, but Kettering College takes a more focused and intentional approach. The goal is to accommodate the school’s unique student body — many students live off campus, have full-time jobs and families, and juggle clinical and academic responsibilities. A new student life leadership team gives students a voice and encourages participation.

This year’s team includes Taylor Klug, student life president; Gabby Coleman, social vice president; Ornela Famken, diversity, equity, and inclusion vice president; Adrianna Fritz, communications vice president; and Cheyenne Diabo, spiritual life vice president.

Famken, a second-year nursing student, is excited about the opportunity to make a difference on campus and get to know more students through her leadership role. “I don’t have a million ideas about how to encourage diversity and inclusion at Kettering College, but I am looking forward to working toward that goal with the administration and other students,” Famken says. “It would be cool to host cultural education events throughout the school year so that we can grow together. I told Ben [Hotelling] when I interviewed for this position that I just want uncomfortable conversations about race to become comfortable and want everyone to know that everyone is a valuable member of our community here at the College.”

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Famken is one of about 130 Kettering College students living in the Residence Hall. Campus life activities are especially important for these students, many of whom live far from home. Student affairs staff members meet regularly with the four resident advisors (RAs) to hear their perspectives and plan events. One of those RAs, Felimon Cabansal, is eager to see what college life will be like without masks and social distancing guidelines.

“The school did the best it could with what we had last year, but COVID-19 restrictions really made life a struggle sometimes,” says Cabansal, a second-year nursing student from Toronto.

“Thankfully, the guys in the dorm became a pretty close-knit group even though we couldn’t do many things together. We all love sports and are so excited to go to games this year — any games — baseball, football, soccer, whatever. I’m excited about being an RA — it will help me develop leadership skills, which I can use in my nursing career.”

KETTERING COLLEGE’S PILL ARS Service Embodying the spirit of Christian ministry through helping others.

Scholarship Mastering, applying, and creating knowledge.

F E AT U R E D

Leadership 1 | From left: Ryan Haas, associate director of student life and leadership; Steve Carlson, campus chaplain and director of Campus Ministries; Ashley Neu, director of career services and student development; and Ben Hotelling, associate dean of students.

2 | The student life leadership team builds community during an event in Cincinnati.

From right: Ryan Haas, Taylor Klug, Gabby Coleman, Adi Fritz, Cheyenne Diabo, Ornela Famken, and Courtney Haas.

3 | The majority of Kettering College students live off campus, have full-time jobs and families, and juggle clinical and academic responsibilities.

The student life leadership team gives a voice to all students—traditional and nontraditional.

Effectively interacting with others and facilitating successful teamwork.

Faith Intelligent and informed trust in God.

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Kettering College Celebrates 2021 Graduates with Two Commencement Ceremonies Kettering College conferred degrees and certificates upon 66 students at the spring commencement ceremony on April 29, 2021, at SouthBrook Christian Church in Miamisburg, Ohio, and 146 students at the summer commencement ceremony July 16, 2021, at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton.

For the spring ceremony, two programs graduated— radiologic technology and occupational therapy.

Both programs held their dedication and pinning ceremonies before commencement. Students had a few limitations because of COVID-19 protocols.

Students could invite only a few family and friends, but each ceremony was livestreamed for friends and family to watch from the comfort of their homes.

By July, the majority of COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted in Ohio, making summer commencement the first large campus wide event since before the pandemic.

“Over the last 18 months, while most of humanity was trying to figure out how to keep toilet paper in the house, you were persevering and persisting through the most incredibly disruptive period of time in the history of healthcare education,”

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President Nate Brandstater told the graduates. “Bask in the glow of this moment, and may that glow light the path for what lies ahead.”

During both ceremonies, Brandstater

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awarded 24 associate degrees and 123 bachelor’s degrees, including 75 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. Fifty-five students graduated with the Master of Physician Assistant Studies, and 27 graduated with the Occupational Therapy Doctorate.

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F E AT U R E D

1 | Nursing graduates wait in the Winter Garden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center before their commencement ceremony in July.

6 | A radiologic technology graduate’s mortarboard message: “OMG, I’m finally tibia rad tech!”

2 | Graduates celebrate receiving their Kettering College diplomas.

7 | Collin Graham, respiratory care graduate, receives his diploma from President Brandstater.

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3 | Nathan Stevens addresses the radiologic sciences and imaging graduating class of 2021. Stevens graduated with an associate degree in radiologic technology and a bachelor degree in health sciences.

8 | From left, occupational therapy graduates Lisa Daugherty, Marissa Bourque, and Sophia Uhl before their April commencement ceremony.

4 | Radiologic sciences graduates designed unique masks to go with their graduation regalia for their special occasion in April.

5 | In her graduate reflection, 2021 nursing graduate Allison Logan shares the story of how, when she was a patient, a nurse’s impactful care made her realize she wanted to become a nurse.

9 | President Nate Brandstater and Academic Deans Rafael Canizales and Scott Bennie prepare for the procession into the auditorium for the July commencement ceremony.

10 | Kettering College administrators, faculty, and staff congratulate the graduates of 2021 with a standing ovation.

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( New Logo )

( Classic Logo )

Kettering Health Network Announces Rebrand to Kettering Health 1

On May 10, 2021, Kettering Health Network announced that it will be known as Kettering Health. The name change is part of a systemwide brand transformation, updating the network name, hospital names, and logo by Dec. 12.

“By becoming Kettering Health, we ensure our brand reflects the high-quality care displayed across our network every day,” said Fred Manchur, CEO of Kettering Health. “The past year has shown that we are truly stronger together, and this shift makes it clear to our communities that we are one united Kettering Health —

dedicated to being our best to help our patients be their best.”

In December 2019, Kettering Health conducted focus groups with network leaders, physicians, and front-line staff, as well as with members of Dayton community, for key insights that would influence the direction of the rebrand.

Certain key themes resounded across the organization: Employees are proud of where they work and feel tied to the sacred calling, the faith-based mission, the care they give to their patients, and the positive impact they have on the Dayton community.

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New medical center names

Kettering College

As part of the brand transformation, Kettering Health has renamed some of its medical centers to emphasize where care is located so communities can find and access the care they need:

Kettering College was already aligned with the organization’s namesake — Charles F. Kettering — so the College didn’t need to be renamed.

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Kettering Health Main Campus (formerly Kettering Medical Center) Kettering Health Miamisburg (formerly Sycamore Medical Center) Kettering Health Troy (formerly Troy Hospital) Kettering Health Franklin Kettering Health Piqua (formerly Kettering Health Network Piqua) Kettering Health Middletown (formerly Kettering Health Network Middletown) Kettering Health Behavioral Medical Center (formerly Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center) Kettering Health Dayton (formerly Grandview Medical Center) Kettering Health Washington Township (formerly Southview Medical Center) Kettering Health Huber (formerly Charles H. Huber Health Center) Kettering Health Preble (formerly Preble County Medical Center) Kettering Health Hamilton (formerly Fort Hamilton Hospital) Kettering Health Greene Memorial (formerly Greene Memorial Hospital)

“By embracing this change, it sharpens our organizational identity and enables the faculty and staff at Kettering College to serve our students and our mission with even greater impact,” said Nate Brandstater, president of Kettering College.

Kettering College’s logo has been refreshed with new fonts and updated color palette.

The Kettering College public relations and marketing department will work closely with the Kettering Health marketing department to fully implement these new brand standards to email signatures, marketing materials, the Kettering College website, and permanent signage around the main campus. This branding project is expected to be complete by 2023.

Soin Medical Center will maintain its present name to honor the Soin family and its gift to found the facility in 2012. Kettering Physician Network will be known as Kettering Health Medical Group in 2022.

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F E AT U R E D 1 | President Nate Brandstater announces the brand refresh to Kettering College employees in a video.

2 | Kettering Health celebrates the unveiling and launch of the new brand refresh on each campus with giveaways, T-shirts, and food. Employees from Grandview Medical Center, which will be renamed Kettering Health Dayton, share in the festivities.

3 | An example of a rebranded piece of marketing materials for Kettering College.

Associate-degreed nurses can now complete their bachelor’s degree at Kettering College for a lower price.

Kettering College Announces New Scholarships for New Students

By Jessica J.W. Beans

4 | An example of a classic piece of marketing materials for Kettering College.

KETTERING COLLEGE

Healthcare professionals are needed now more than ever. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment opportunities in healthcare is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029, citing that this is much faster than the average for all other occupations. The need for well-educated graduates in the field of healthcare is clear, but we know that choosing a career path is one of the hardest decisions a student can make, and many times finances play a big role in that decision.

Kettering College has announced two new scholarships to make a healthcare education at Kettering College more accessible.

The Kettering College Academic Achievement Scholarship is a four-year renewable scholarship for first-time freshman in select programs. This scholarship is automatically awarded to students based on their high school GPA and to those pursuing a degree in nursing, health sciences, respiratory care, and human biology.

Students can receive between $8,000-$12,000 a year. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA at Kettering College to continue to receive the scholarship.

The Kettering College Need-Based Scholarship was established to help those who are in financial need pay for their college tuition. This scholarship is based on a student’s expected family contribution (EFC), which is determined by a student completing the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA). Students can receive $500-$1,500 and it is awarded only their first year of college.

“We are excited to be able to offer renewable scholarships to many of our incoming students,” said Kim Rawlins, director of Student Finance at Kettering College. “By making an investment in our students, we can make their pursuit of a degree in healthcare more affordable.”

Kettering College continues to offer Kettering Health employee discounts, and scholarships for those in the respiratory care and human biology programs as other options for eligible students.

Visit kc.edu/scholarships for more details.

Article cited above: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm

Kettering College Division of Nursing Resets Tuition for the Online RN-to-BSN Degree Track

By Lauren Brooks Kettering College’s online Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion degree track (RN-to-BSN) will roll out a tuition reset beginning January 2021.

The tuition for the RN-to-BSN degree will be $325 per credit hour. This reduced tuition combined with Kettering College’s strong academic reputation will allow Kettering College’s online RN-to-BSN program to serve more registered nurses at Kettering Adventist HealthCare and elsewhere, as they continue their education journey to completing a bachelor’s degree.

The RN-to-BSN degree track at Kettering College is designed for working registered nurses who have an associate degree or its equivalent to complete their bachelor’s degree. The program is flexible and can be completed in one year, or in up to three years depending on whether the student chooses a full-time or part-time pace of study. Classes begin every semester and are delivered in manageable accelerated sevenweek sessions. All coursework is offered online to ensure access to eligible students wanting to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

helping people through health care,” said Adam Brown, dean of students at Kettering College. “By being priced competitively, we believe that students will be able to attend Kettering College and grow academically, professionally, and spiritually.”

Previously, the RN-to-BSN degree track largely served the needs of associate-degreed nurses hired by Kettering Adventist HealthCare, but with a strategic plan for growth. Kettering College and Kettering Adventist HealthCare want to provide more access to eligible registered nurses across the United States who want to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Kettering College’s program is unique as it focuses on whole-person care, is faith-based, and has flexible learning for working adults.

For more information about the online RN-to-BSN degree track or to apply, visit kc.edu/bsnc

“We’re lowering our price for this program to be more affordable and confirm our mission of helping our students affirm their higher calling of Kettering College | 3737 Southern Blvd., Kettering, OH 45429 | (937) 395-8601 | kc.edu

21KC1635 Nov-Dec Visitor Magazine.indd 1KETTERING COLLEGE • 3737 SOUTHERN BLVD. • KETTERING, OH 45429 • (937) 395-8601 • KC.EDU

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KETTERING COLLEGE • 3737 SOUTHERN BLVD. • KETTERING, OH 45429 • (937) 395-8601 • KC.EDU

Kettering College Hosts First Homecoming Cookout 1

On Sept. 6, 2019, Kettering College hosted its first alumni homecoming cookout with close to 200 alumni, faculty, staff, and guests in attendance. The family-friendly cookout, held in front of the College was filled with good food, local favorite Graeter’s ice cream, inflatable jump houses, games, and tours of the campus including the newly renovated Residence Hall rooms.

The evening was focused on connecting and reconnecting as a Kettering College family, sharing experiences in the healthcare field, and introducing family members.

The homecoming event was also an opportunity to give back. The College raised around $1,000 for the 2019 KC Giving Day to support student scholarships.

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F E AT U R E D

1 | This family-friendly event included inflatable jump houses for the children of alumni, faculty, and staff.

Kettering College continues to grow its alumni engagement and is looking for meaningful ways to bring alumni back to campus and connect with one another. The College is planning another homecoming weekend for the fall of 2022.

2 | Ben Hotelling, associate dean of students and former director of alumni engagement, speaks with a Kettering College alum at the inaugural homecoming during the fall of 2019.

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Mindi Collins’ Letter to Alumni As the director of alumni engagement at Kettering College, it is my goal to foster lifelong alumni participation, involvement, support, and connection with Kettering College.

This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us in personal ways. If there is a silver lining during the pandemic, it is in the stories of courage, collaboration, and kindness that we heard about, especially with so many of our alumni serving on the front lines delivering compassionate care. We are grateful for your service to your communities.

Over the next year, we plan to collaborate with program faculty to ensure we are providing the resources our alumni need to be successful health professionals. Additionally, our goal is to strengthen the relationship between the College and our alumni — to create programs that match the interests and needs of alumni.

consistent point of contact for alumni. They bring alumni together to provide quality local programs and events. Our goal is to have two active alumni chapters by the fall of 2022.

A great way to be an engaged alumnus is to give back.

Your gift matters! One of the most significant ways you can impact our future alumni at Kettering College is to participate in our annual KC Giving Day — March 23, 2022.

Giving Day raises money to support students through scholarships. To give, visit kc.edu/givingday.

Finally, we want to know what is happening with our alumni around the world. Please make sure we have your current contact information by updating your information at kc.edu/alumni/update-information/. Stay connected by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

These platforms are a great way to stay connected with your alma mater.

We are proud of our alumni! You matter to us and are in our continued prayers.

We aim to strengthen our relationship with our alumni in several ways. One is to establish Kettering College alumni chapters. Local chapters are an accessible, fun, friendly, and

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Alumni Story:

WHOOBY DERIVEAU

Whooby Deriveau, a 2021 occupational therapy graduate, came to Kettering College in 2011 for an undergraduate degree in human biology. “Moving to Ohio was the first time I had been away from my parents, and although it was hard at first, Kettering College provided me with the unique opportunity to explore my spirituality and become the woman I am today,” she said.

At Kettering College, Deriveau discovered the field of occupational therapy and began to consider a career in pediatric occupational therapy.

Deriveau graduated from the human biology program in 2015. She moved back to her home in Detroit and earned a master’s in early childhood education and development at Oakland University while working as a preschool teacher. In 2018, Deriveau found herself back at Kettering College to attend the occupational therapy doctoral program.

“Kettering College has taught me how to be an effective, holistic, spiritual, and client-based healthcare provider,” Deriveau says. “My time here has provided me with tools I need to effect positive change in my community.”

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At the spring graduation ceremony held on April 29, 2021, Deriveau received the Margaret L. Rodenburg Award, given to a Kettering College graduate student who exemplifies scholarship, excellence in professional growth, compassionate service, leadership, dedication to professional healthcare service, a commitment to quality, and a commitment to lifelong learning. In addition to the award, she received a certificate and $500.

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“My goals for my career include advocating for equity and diversity and the development and improvement of programs designed to enhance the occupational performance of children and young adults in underserved communities,” Deriveau said.

“The education I received at Kettering College has prepared me for what I believe is God’s calling for me, and I am so excited for what the future holds.”

F E AT U R E D

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1 | Whooby Deriveau receives the Margaret L. Rodenburg Award at the 2021 spring commencement ceremony.

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2 | Whooby Deriveau with Rachel Mack ‘18, a physician assistant graduate who was also one of Deriveau’s human biology classmates in 2015.

3 | Whooby Deriveau celebrates Halloween with her Occupational Therapy Doctorate classmates.

4 | Whooby Deriveau with friends from the Residence Hall on a trip to Cincinnati.

Alumni Story: W I N E L I A F LO R E S - O R T I Z 1

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Winelia Flores-Ortiz ’19 chose to attend Kettering College because she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. She earned her degree in respiratory therapy because she has family members with respiratory illnesses.

“Never in a million years could I have imagined a pandemic happening less than a year after graduation,” Flores-Ortiz said.

While others were at home under self-quarantine, Flores-Ortiz was on the front lines — working on the COVID-19 unit at Sycamore Hospital, serving patients, answering tough questions, and having even harder conversations with patients with failing health from March to June 2020. “It was more challenging, scary, and nerve-wracking than I can describe,” she said. “But my experience at Kettering College prepared me for the unprecedented.”

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Through her education at Kettering College, she was prepared to care for people at their most vulnerable. Flores-Ortiz credits the knowledge and competency she gained at Kettering College with helping her through the crisis. Her hands-on learning through the simulation lab made her feel confident in a room with seasoned nurses and healthcare providers.

Often, her team had to innovate — from expanding care options and training additional staff to adapting to equipment challenges and finding new resources. Flores-Ortiz leaned on her training for making decisions, solving problems, looking for new approaches, and stretching resources as far as possible.

The high expectations of her professors echoed in her mind — to care for the whole person, stay calm, restore health, and communicate.

“The compassion and spiritual care I learned at Kettering College was perhaps even more important during this crisis,” Flores-Ortiz said.

“Nothing could have fully prepared anyone in our field for all of the challenges we are facing during the COVID pandemic, but being trained at Kettering College gave me the knowledge, flexibility, compassion, and dedication to serve on the front lines.”

F E AT U R E D

1 | Early in the pandemic Winelia Flores-Ortiz works on the COVID-19 unit at Sycamore Medical Center, soon to be renamed Kettering Health Miamisburg.

2 | Winelia Flores-Ortiz is the recipient of the 2019 George B. Nelson award, given to an undergraduate student who exemplifies the mission of Kettering College.

3 | Winelia Flores-Ortiz intubates a manikin in the respiratory laboratory during her time as a student at Kettering College.

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1970s

Rock Hodde ‘94 (respiratory care) is living in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.

Susan Beard Johnson ‘71 (nursing) lives in Newport, Oregon.

daughter Emmalyn. She recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan to help with the withdrawal as part of the Air Force medics.

2000s

Megan Kaufman ‘15 (human biology) lives in Lima, Ohio.

Beverly Schneider ‘76 (nursing) retired from Kettering Health Network.

Kevin Mollenhauer ‘00 (nursing) is a subject matter expert for disaster response and highly infectious diseases.

Brittany Massey ‘15 (physician assistant) lives in Riverview, Michigan, with husband Alexander and child, Everton.

Delyte Morris ‘79 (physician assistant) is a professor of allied health at Cedarville University.

Bethany Bowers ‘06 (sonography) lives in Jamestown, Ohio.

Rudy Quackenbush ‘79 (nursing) lives in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Dan Thorward ‘06 (health professions) is an executive director in Columbus, Ohio.

Pamela Bromall ‘77 (industrial administration) lives in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Brian Mabry ‘07, ‘12 (human biology, physician assistant) is married and lives in Spokane, Washington.

1980s Michel Martin ‘89 (respiratory care) is working in highly specialized asthma testing in Vanderbilt Health’s Asthma, Sinus and Allergy program.

Lauren Mezzacapo-Tanner ‘08 (nursing) is a travel nurse living in Carrington, North Dakota.

2010s

1990s Christina Riess ‘93 (nursing) has married; her last name is now Gosney.

Lee Jones ‘94, ‘95 (radiology, diagnostic special procedures) is an IT consultant in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

Tesla Dafler ‘14, ‘20 (radiology, health sciences) works full-time at Kettering Health and has a 1-year-old child.

Jessica Deitz ‘14 (nursing) lives in Vacaville, California, with husband Trey and

Kyra Wiley ‘15 (nursing) got married to her husband, Josh, and has three children, Aria, Scarlett, and Oliver.

Katherine Vicente ‘17 (human biology) is a registered nurse living in Kennesaw, Georgia, with husband Nicholas.

Libbi Brown Newman ‘18 (sonography) is married and lives in Blanchester, Ohio.

Jessica Mace ‘18 (physician assistant) married Taylor Price.

Brooke Fasold ‘19 (radiology) moved from Ohio to Arizona.

Claudia McLain ‘20 (nursing) is a registered nurse living in Kettering, Ohio, with her husband, Alex.

Lacey May ‘21 (nursing) moved to Indiana. She’s working on a transplant unit and cross-training to work on the transplant intensive care unit.

To submit your news for Class Notes, email alumni@kc.edu.

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Not Your Typical Donor Appreciation Event 1 2

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Fun. Entertaining. Informative. These are not the words one uses to describe a typical Zoom meeting. But the first-ever virtual Kettering College scholarship reception was anything but typical.

Held on March 18, 2021, the event was an opportunity to thank donors of $250 or more and share some of the exciting things happening on campus. Emcees included Mindi Collins, alumni director, and Steve Carlson, campus chaplain and director of campus ministries.

About 120 people attended the reception, which lasted about an hour. Scholarships, many of them funded by living donors, were announced. During the 2020-21 school year, Kettering College awarded 74 scholarships to 64 students, totaling more than $180,000.

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F E AT U R E D 1 | Donors and students participate in icebreaker activities and a breakout session during the virtual scholarship reception.

3 | President Nate Brandstater continues his hard-hat tour of Anna May’s Café while it is under construction.

2 | Steve Carlson, campus chaplain and director of Campus Ministries, and Mindi Collins, director of alumni engagement, emceed the virtual scholarship reception event on Zoom.

4 | President Nate Brandstater gives a virtual tour of the Kettering College campus on his mobile device.

Other highlights included: • Brief presentations by Kettering College President Nate Brandstater and Brenda Kuhn ’81 (nursing), chief clinical officer at Kettering Health.

• A live tour of several campus improvement projects, hosted by Brandstater, who wore a hard hat.

• A videotaped tour of the new Interprofessional Education Simulation Center, which was made possible by donor support.

• Breakout rooms where students met with donors who helped fund their scholarships.

Attendees also heard from nursing student Brooke Achtermann ’21, who spoke about the impact Kettering College has had on her entire family. Achtermann is a secondgeneration Kettering College graduate; when she was in high school, her dad completed

the respiratory care program. “My dad had worked at the General Motors plant for many years before it closed,” Achtermann says.

“When he came to Kettering College to pursue another career, he was not tech-savvy at all. Using a computer for his classroom work was very difficult for him. I will never forget how kind and helpful people were to him when he was a student here. That made an impression on me.”

Achtermann expressed gratitude to donors, noting that the Nita Jennings Scholarship she received in 2021 paid for her last religion course during her final semester. “My goal was to graduate from college on schedule and not have to stop and start all the time due to financial concerns,” she says. “The scholarship I received last year helped make that happen.

I hope donors know that even small donations make a difference to someone like me.”

The donor reception will return to its in-person format in 2022, but other events will occur virtually, says Tina Howard, an individual gifts officer for Kettering Medical Center Foundation.

“We are looking for new and exciting ways to engage our alumni and donors — especially those who are unable to get back to campus,” Howard says. “This will include continuing virtual opportunities for those who live outside of the area. Expect to see virtual components to upcoming campus events so that you can be here in spirit.”

For information about scholarship giving opportunities or upcoming donor events, contact Tina Howard at the Kettering Medical Center Foundation at 937-395-8607 or online at kc.edu/giving. kettering college

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Introducing the New Faces of Kettering

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Laura Amen admissions counselor, enrollment services

Prior to starting as an admissions counselor in 2020, Laura Amen was a development associate for the Beloved Foundation. Her passion for Seventh-day Adventist higher education motivated her to come to Kettering College. She loves working with students and helping them find what healthcare profession excites and fulfills them.

Sarah Brandell

Shirna Gullo

Cynthia Hammond

assistant professor, physician assistant

assistant professor, nursing

assistant professor, nursing

Sarah Brandell first came to Kettering College as a student in the physician assistant program, graduating in 2016. After graduating, she worked in emergency medicine and family medicine. She joined the physician assistant program as full-time faculty in 2020.

Prior to working at Kettering College, Shirna Gullo was an assistant professor at Stevenson University Online Graduate School of Nursing, and a director of wellness initiatives at Oakwood University. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Capella University in 2014.

As a nurse educator, Cythnia Hammond is passionate about caring for the individual with the inclusion of their family and support system.

Recently, she represented Kettering College on a panel for the Dayton Daily News, discussing about racial disparity in healthcare.

Gerson Hortua

Tina Howard

Rachelle Janning

simulation technician, nursing

individual gift officer

assistant professor, occupational therapy

Prior to working at Kettering College, Gerson Hortua worked in information technology and marketing. He is also an accomplished musician and composer.

Before joining Kettering College, Tina Howard was an assistant vice president for principal, international, and legacy gifts at the University of Dayton.

As the individual gift officer, she works for Kettering Medical Center Foundation on behalf of Kettering College. She brings her expertise in fundraising to help with events like KC Giving Day and connecting with donors.

Prior to joining Kettering College’s Occupational Therapy Doctoral program, Rachelle Janning amassed more than 23 years of clinical experience and spent several years at Kettering College as an adjunct faculty member. Her professional and research interests are in neurorehabilitation topics. She received her doctorate in occupational therapy with an emphasis in neuroscience from Thomas Jefferson University.

Christine Marriott

Ashley Neu

Courtney Sewell

Deborah Warren

assistant professor, physician assistant

director of career services and student development, student affairs

pre-nursing advisor and administrative assistant, nursing

associate professor, nursing

Christine Marriott graduated from the Kettering College physician assistant program in 2016 and began working in emergency medicine, where she continues her clinical practice. She started with the Kettering College PA program full time in 2020.

Prior to working at Kettering College, Ashley Neu was the director of student activities and involvement at Andrews University. She excels at communicating and working with people and wanted a career where she’d be able to use those gifts.

Courtney Sewell graduated from Wright State University in 2019 with a degree in business management and human resources. Kettering College draws upon her interests in both education and business.

Prior to becoming a full-time nursing faculty member in 2019, Deborah Warren was an adjunct professor. She is also an alumna of Kettering College, having earned her associate degree in nursing in 1995. Warren says she appreciates the faculty teaching and modeling Christian care.

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Reflections on Retirement Longtime professors share memorable moments at Kettering College

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From the evolution of technology in the classroom to campus updates and expansions, longtime professors Tom Rule and Jill Evans have seen plenty of changes since joining the faculty at Kettering College. Now entering retirement, both educators agree that one aspect that hasn’t changed over the years is the College’s commitment to creating a close-knit, supportive learning environment that fosters positive relationships between students and faculty.

Tom Rule, a professor in the Department of Sciences and Mathematics who retired in 2020 after 41 years at Kettering College, will always be remembered by students for his passion for biology and bow ties.

Rule said his fondness for bow ties began shortly after starting at the College in 1979. “I bet I could wear a different tie every day of the year without repeating,” he joked in a recent interview.

Rule earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern

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Adventist University in Tennessee. He taught physical education and science classes in junior high and high schools prior to serving in the U.S. Army, where he trained as a medic.

After his time in the Army, Rule earned his master’s degree in biology from Andrews University in Michigan and began his career in higher education at Kettering College.

Over the years, Rule taught courses in human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and chemistry. Because most Kettering College students take these foundational courses, Rule touched the lives of thousands of students from many disciplines.

Looking back on his career at Kettering College, Rule said the best part about teaching was getting to know his students by name and providing individual attention.

“It wasn’t until I arrived at Kettering College that I discovered I truly loved teaching,” said Rule. “It was here that I realized teaching was my calling, and I started using the gifts the Lord gave me.”

Rule plans on spending more time with family and appreciating nature through his bird-watching hobby.

“Teaching has been a wonderful adventure for me,” said Rule. “I already miss being in the classroom and interacting with students. I will always have fond memories of my time at Kettering College.”

Another well-loved professor who retired in 2021 is Jill Evans, who joined Kettering College’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1982. A graduate of Andrews University, Evans taught courses in English and communication, including first-year writing, literature, popular culture appreciation, and other humanities-inspired topics.

Evans, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Andrews University, said she enjoyed “helping students discover who they are and their role in the world” through her teaching. “I hoped to provide a foundation that would enrich students’ lives, helping them become the best people and caregivers they can be,” she said.

One of Evans’ favorite experiences at Kettering College was working with Laura Miller, associate professor in the humanities and social sciences department, to develop a course on the influence of TV science fiction and fantasy and later present on the innovative class at the Pop Culture Association of America.

Although she is a native New Yorker, finding

fulfillment in her role at Kettering College led Evans to put down roots in Kettering, Ohio. “When I look back and think about everything good that’s happened to me, it’s been right here,” she said. “It’s where I started my career, met my husband, and developed lifelong friendships.”

In retirement, Evans is looking forward to family time, traveling, and working on home projects. She is also active in community theater and performs in local productions.

“What I’ll miss most about Kettering College is the people,” Evans said. “I had the great pleasure of working in an amazing department where I always felt a sense of camaraderie, appreciation, and support.

I’ve been very blessed.”

“I hoped to provide a foundation that would enrich students’ lives, helping them become the best people and caregivers they can be.”

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F E AT U R E D

1 | Tom Rule became known at Kettering College for his collection of bowties, one of which appears in his 2020 faculty portrait.

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2 | Jill Evans received the 2021 Faculty Excellence Award. Faculty and staff nominate faculty members based on classroom excellence, competence, Christian caring, compassionate communication, and collegiality.

3 | Tom Rule, professor of math and science, in 1983.

4 | Jill Evans, professor of humanities and social sciences, in 1994.

5 | Jill Evans working on her computer in her office.

6 | Jill Evans, left, and Vail McGuire, right, a fellow faculty member.

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N OT E WO R T H Y M OV E S

Bridget Aiello is the administrative coordinator for the records office.

She brings her expertise from her previous role as an administrative assistant to the academic deans.

Mary Kay Cobb is now an admissions counselor for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in addition to her role as administrative assistant.

Liz Golba is the chair of the health sciences program and an associate professor.

Previously, she was a professor in the respiratory care program.

John Nunes is now the director of the Division of Online Learning and Continuing Education.

He was previously the program chair for the health sciences program.

Sarah Bayer is the student health coordinator. She was previously the director of the Residence Hall.

Bayer’s role became vital as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded.

Mindi Collins is the director of alumni engagement. Previously, Collins was a project coordinator for student success. She leads efforts to connect with alumni and enrich their engagement with the Kettering College community.

Melinda Hopkins completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Chamberlain University College of Nursing.

Paula Reams is the Dean of the Division of Nursing and an associate professor. Previously, she was the chair of the health sciences program.

Scott Bennie has taken on an additional role as Dean of Health Professions and Graduate Studies. He also is the Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, leading College-level assessment, quality, and accreditation work.

Rhonda Davis-Cheshire was promoted to associate professor in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program.

Ben Hotelling is the associate dean of students and interim director of the Residence Hall. He was previously director of alumni engagement and career services.

Tim Scanlon is the program director for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies and an associate professor.

RETIREMENTS Ron Bowers retired as an associate professor of physician assistant studies.

Jill Evans retired as a professor of humanities.

Ed Pecce retired as an adjunct faculty member and staff member of academic support.

Marsha Purtee retired as an adjunct faculty member and staff member of academic support.

Tom Rule retired as a professor of science and math.

Ericka Brandau was promoted to assistant professor in the math and sciences department.

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Barb Satterfield retired as an administrative coordinator in the records office.

Carol Warner retired as an adjunct faculty member and staff member of academic support.

Social Media Snapshots

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F E AT U R E D

1 | A physician assistant student practices splinting during the program’s annual anatomy painting and splinting classes.

2 | Why are chemists great for solving problems? Because they always have a solution!

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3 | Radiologic sciences and imaging professors— Taryn Talbott and Rob Hoover—quickly filmed videos for students shortly after the announcement of the closure of campus in March 2020.

4 | This skeleton is having an osteoblast!

5 | The 2021 sonography class added a new accessory to its annual class photo—masks.

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6 | Bev McLean, director of the IPE Simulation Center, explains how the newborn manikin works to Kettering Health CEO Fred Manchur, Kettering Medical Center Foundation president Rick Thie, and Kettering College nursing faculty member Jeanie Stivers.

7 | Steve Carlson, director of Campus Ministries, takes a group of students to Good Neighbor House in downtown Dayton for a service project.

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8 | Ben Hotelling, associate dean of students, hosts Kettering College students at his home for the Friday-evening worship program Collective.

9 | Radiologic technology students participate in their annual infection control training.

10 | A nursing faculty member watches a nursing student participate in a checkoff.

11 | Radiologic technology student Emily Morrell gives two thumbs up for personal protective equipment.

12 | The occupational therapy Class of 2023 was the first Kettering College cohort to be fully vaccinated before the 2021 fall semester.

They celebrated with smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Café.

13 | Adam Brown, Dean of Students, and Scott Bennie, Academic Dean for Health Professions, Graduate Studies and Institutional Effectiveness participate in a staff appreciation day at Raise Your Brush in Centerville, Ohio.

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Save the Dates!

KC Giving Day: March 23, 2022 Giving day is a single-day campaign you do not want to miss! Join alumni and KC friends from all over the world giving to scholarships to help our students pursue their dreams.

Homecoming Weekend: Fall 2022 Kettering College wants to bring our alumni home to celebrate! Be on the look-out for more details coming soon for our inaugural homecoming weekend.

For more information, visit kc.edu/alumni.