College of Allied Health & Nursing - Pulse Magazine Spring 2014

pulse

College of

Spring 2014

Allied Health & Nursing

A Flood of Wilderness Education Building and maintaining health takes many different forms—from personal fitness to family nursing to nutrition education. The College of Allied Health & Nursing at Minnesota State Mankato recognizes the health benefits of communing with nature. Turn to page 12 to learn how Joseph P. Flood, assistant professor of recreation, parks and leisure services, and Aldo Leopold bring wilderness preservation to life.

pulse

College of

Dean’s

Welcome

Allied Health & Nursing

Table of

Contents:

12

COVER STORY

A Flood of Wilderness Assistant professor of recreation, parks and leisure services, Joseph Flood knows the effect storytelling can have on the audience and he uses it to share his passion for wilderness preservation with others. “Influencing young people and getting them involved is the best way to preserve wilderness areas,” he said.

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Learning Through Serving After fact-finding trips by faculty members to assess needs, students from the dental hygiene and communication disorders programs traveled to Ambergris Caye, an island off the mainland of Belize, to provide screenings, assessments and intervention strategies to school children.

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Communication Matters Using the School of Nursing’s state-of-the-art resource center and simulation lab, nursing students practice critical communication skills with doctors in training.

The lab provides participants the opportunity to gain experience together in high-risk situations without harming actual patients.

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Preparing to Meet the Need The health science, family consumer scienc e and human performance departments collaborated to develop a graduatelevel wellness coaching and disease prevention certificate program that will begin offering classes in the fall of 2015.

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Creating A Dynamic Learning LAb Paul Cusick uses an innovative combination of technology and space planning to help create a room that will function well for all seven departments. The goal for the classroom is to meld group learning with computer lab technology.

I am pleased to present the inaugural issue of the College of Allied Health & Nursing pulse. With a guiding set of strategic priorities—technology, online pedagogy, interdisciplinary collaborations, advising—we worked hard to accomplish our yearly action plan. In an effort to share our stories, we collected a few highlights in this new annual publication. This magazine was created to help you monitor the pulse of activities in the College. And we have been doing big things.

One story shares the result of our strategic priority to improve our use of technology. The next time you are on campus be sure to stop by Highland Center 2010 and see our newly renovated state-of-the-art collaborative learning classroom.

We also reviewed our online pedagogy and are improving the quality and consistency of this type of learning. CAHN leads the campus in the number of online credits offered each year, and we will continue to do so as we reach out to students beyond the traditional campus.

Our exploration of ways to increase our interdisciplinary collaborations resulted in the largest number of courses participating in our Interdisciplinary Seminar in March in three years. This seminar is a real-world collaboration of students and faculty across five disciplines.

Currently, CAHN has the largest number of majors on campus, and we continually explore ways to enhance our student advising. That includes ongoing support as our students graduate.

We are committed to engaging our students in learning and service activities that assist them to transition successfully into the workplace and realize productive careers.

The stories in our first issue of pulse provide a glimpse of the enthusiasm and innovation demonstrated in the College of Allied Health & Nursing. I am humbled and impressed by the work and accomplishments of our faculty and students, and I am honored to share their stories.

This is the pulse of the College of Allied Health & Nursing.

Enjoy, Kris Retherford

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Featured AlumNI From the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Sochi Olympic Games, College of Allied Health & Nursing alumni are accomplishing great things. Robert Gebhard, ’69 human performance, and Greg Heuer, ’09 athletic training, represent Minnesota State Mankato across the country and around the world.

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FACS to the MAX Faculty and staff working in the Department of Family and Consumer Science plan and implement the annual FACS to the MAX conference workshop. Hands-on labs, interactive presentations, and shared activities make the conference a popular draw FACS educators.

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Finding the Right Fit Hockey drew Ida Clark from Sweden to Mankato, but a class in exercise physiology and research opportunities within the Viola Holbrook Human Performance Research Lab gave her a reason to stay.

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Learning is Not a Spectator Sport “You can sit in a classroom and ‘learn how to teach’ all you want, but it’s nothing like going out and getting experience doing so,” said Josh Hoekstra, physical education teacher candidate. A new program provides physical education instruction to area home-schooled children.

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Nursing collaboration in Madelia School of Nursing students helped conduct a community health needs assessment in Madelia, Minn. They collected data that identified community strengths and needs.

College of Allied Health & Nursing Dr. Kristine Retherford Dean Departments Dental Hygiene Family Consumer Science Health Science Human Performance Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services Speech, Hearing & Rehabilitation Services School of Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato’s College of Allied Health & Nursing is dedicated to promoting wellness and improving quality of life through education, scholarship and service to the state, region and global community.

The purpose of pulse is to inform stakeholders of the ongoing work of the College of Allied Health & Nursing and its impact on the allied health and nursing fields. Pulse is published annually by the College of Allied Health & Nursing and distributed to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders in the allied health and nursing industries. The College of Allied Health & Nursing welcomes ideas for feature stories and other content consistent with the mission of the magazine. Please e-mail story ideas to col-allied-hlth-nursing@mnsu.edu.

pulse

Spring 2014 Volume One

College of Allied Health & Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato 124 Myers Field House Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-389-6315 Managing Editor/Writer Carol Jones Designer Teresa Poburka Photographer Jordon Powers Print Coordinator Doug Fenske A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the College of Education at 507-3895445 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY). EDUC171NE

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Cooper Photo courtesy of Brigette Photo courtesy of Jessica Jones

Jones Photo courtesy of Jessica

(Top) Dental hygiene students from Minnesota State Mankato distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste to students in Belize. Dental hygiene students provide dental screenings and hygiene education as part of an international service-learning project.

(Left) Emily Brandt, graduate student in communication disorders, performed a tympanometry on a student at the ABC Preschool in Belize. The test helps rule out middle ear fluid or infection.

(Right) Communications disorders student Elizabeth Smith provided a speech/language screening at ABC Preschool in Belize. Smith and fellow students conducted 120 screenings during their two-week visit.

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Learning Through Serving Part of the mission of the College of Allied Health & Nursing is to promote wellness and improve the quality of life through service. Although the types of service vary widely across programs, the practice of community service is standard operating procedure.

As society changes and the population becomes more diverse, so does the need to expand students’ cultural awareness. To help their students gain better cultural competencies, the dental hygiene, speech-language pathology and audiology programs recently added international service opportunities in Belize.

After fact-finding trips by faculty members to assess needs, students in these programs traveled to Ambergris

Caye, an island off the mainland of Belize, to provide screenings, assessments and intervention strategies to school children.

“Six dental hygiene students visited Belize last year,” said Brigette Cooper, associate professor of dental hygiene.

“Between Holy Cross Elementary School and the San Pedro Polyclinic, our students saw 120 people. We provided cleanings, sealants, x-rays and fluoride varnishes.

“In addition to the experience of working side-by-side with dentists, our students got to experience a culture vastly different from their own,” said Cooper. “And they appreciated being able to provide service to people who would otherwise not be served.”

The students provided their services to the schoolchildren at no charge.

Vendors donated dental screening supplies, and dental hygiene students carried all the supplies they need for the week with them. Mankato students and faculty stay at the Reef View Education Center, compliments of Curt and Debbie Fisher of Mankato.

The dental hygiene students who were involved last year raved about the experience; a larger group will be returning this year. “This year, 17 of our students will travel to Belize, and we expect to serve at least 200 people,” said Cooper.

Jessica Jones, director of clinical and internship experiences for the communication disorders program, and Renee Shellum, associate professor and director of clinical experiences for audiology, work together to offer Mankato’s communication disorder students service-learning experiences in Belize.

The program began after a former CAHN dean asked Shellum to consider an initiative for service abroad.

“Since there are no special education services in Belize, the need is high,” Shellum said.

“After meeting with several school principals in San Pedro, we determined that it would be beneficial to both our students and the people of San Pedro for us to travel to Belize to conduct screenings and testing,” said Jones.

“Teachers in Belize don’t have specialized skills or tools to conduct testing or develop interventions,” added Shellum. “They just do the best they can.”

Groups of five to six students, including both undergraduate and graduate, travel to Belize twice a year— once in January and once in May. “The timing works well for us,” said Jones.

“We conduct screenings in January and

for those people who require more indepth testing, we can accomplish that in May.” As with dental hygiene, communication disorder students take the tools they need with them, such as language screening protocol kits and audiometers. Students assess everything from hearing to articulation to language usage and stuttering.

While students do have clinical experiences in Mankato, Jones said it is a relatively sheltered environment.

“At the Minnesota State Mankato Speech and Language Clinic, our students provide services for several clients each semester; whereas in San Pedro, our students screened the speech and language skills of approximately 120 children and completed 15 full evaluations in a two-week period,” she said. “We don’t have time for trial and error there. Our students need to be prepared; they need to know the assessment tests.”

In addition to becoming more proficient with screening and testing procedures, students also gained a practical understanding of second language acquisition and bilingualism.

“The students needed to evaluate each child’s skills using culturally relevant materials in order to provide accurate results,” said Jones. “This helped them determine whether clients had an actual language disorder or simply differences due to learning English as a second language.”

“The experience they get in Belize serves our students well,” added Shellum. “They take what they learn in the classroom and modify it for their audience. That is real world stuff. You can’t learn it in a book. You just have to experience it. Watching the students grow is very rewarding.” n

Brigette Cooper, associate professor of dental hygiene, coordinates international service learning experiences for dental hygiene students. This year, students expect to provide services for 200 people who might not otherwise receive dental screenings.

Twice a year in January and May, Jessica Jones, director of clinical and internship experiences for the communication disorders program, coordinates international service learning experiences for her students. The visit in May allows a second group to provide follow-up services to clients screened during the January visit.

Audiology clinic director, Renee Shellum, coordinates international service learning experiences for communication disorders graduate students. In January 2014, students provided nearly 150 hearing screenings.

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Communication

Matters

Patients trust doctors and nurses to collaborate to provide the best medical care possible—but that collaboration requires intentional communication between the two parties. A cooperative program between Minnesota State Mankato’s School of Nursing and the University of Minnesota’s Medical Residency Program gives nursing students the opportunity to practice these critical communication skills in a simulated setting with doctors in training.

Colleen Royle, assistant professor of nursing and the coordinator for the Learning Resource Center and Simulation Lab, invited Dr. John McCabe, director of the Mankato Family Medicine Residency Program for the University of Minnesota, to tour Minnesota State Mankato’s nursing simulation lab.

“We had been considering adding simulation experiences to our program for a while,” said McCabe. “As I watched the simulation demonstration, Colleen played the role of the doctor. I said, ‘You know we have medical residents who could do that.’”

“During traditional training, each group works in their own world. Here they can learn communication processes,” said Royle. “Nursing students can learn how physicians pose questions and give orders, and medical residents can gain experience with emerging medical situations they may not see in their residency practice.”

“Simulations are a good way for students to gain experience in highrisk situations without putting actual patients at risk,” said McCabe.

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Simulation Labs Minnesota State Mankato’s School of Nursing is one of the few programs in the country that specializes in family nursing. A series of sophisticated simulation labs give nursing students experience with a variety of family members and health issues.

Faculty members transform five manikins, or simulators, into various members of the ‘Maverick family’—65 unique patient profiles, from infants to elderly—to give students a range of

experiences. Lab environments can also change from a typical hospital room to a birth center to a family home.

“The technology is difficult to comprehend unless you see it in action,” said Royle. “Our adult simulators do almost everything but get out of bed and walk around. They talk, have a pulse, breathe, sweat, cry, foam at the mouth, bleed.

Through the technology of radio-frequency identification tags, the simulators can respond to saline solution administered as intravenous medications,” she said. “One even simulates giving birth using a hydraulic jack.”

Of course, the simulators don’t work without assistance. It takes approximately 20-30 hours for faculty to develop a new patient—creating a family history, preparing a medical chart, ordering medications, etc. Once the patient has been developed, Royle continued on page 9 —

EHR Tutor named Colleen Royle, coordinator of the School of Nursing Learning Resource Center and Simulation Lab, the 2013 Techie Teacher of the Year.

 Dr. John McCabe (left) and Colleen Royle control the social and medical reactions of simulators to treatment provided by nursing students and medical residents. From the high-tech control room, Royle and McCabe can make the simulator speak, cough, bleed, go into cardiac arrest and more. „ The School of Nursing teaches family nursing throughout the curriculum. Here, nursing students and a medical resident participate in a family practice medical simulation in the simulation lab. The cooperative experience between Minnesota State Mankato and the University of Minnesota provide experience in high-risk situations without putting real patients at risk.

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Preparing to Meet the Need Three departments collaborate to offer a new graduate-level, wellness coaching and disease prevention certificate.

National health-care reforms have greatly increased the need for certified wellness coaches. Soon, Minnesota State Mankato will be prepared to better meet those needs.

The health science, family consumer science and human performance departments collaborated to develop a graduate-level wellness coaching and disease prevention certificate program that will begin offering classes in the fall of 2015.

Faculty had noticed that graduates

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were being hired as wellness coaches, even without concentrated wellness coaching training. But they also knew that the companies hiring non-certified coaches must provide weeks of additional training.

“We know the need is there,” said Cherie Pettitt, assistant professor and the wellness certificate program coordinator. “One national wellness coaching certification program has a two-year waiting list, and for-profit programs have grown 800 percent in two years.”

Funded with a $35,000 strategic planning start-up grant from the University, the certificate program will prepare students to work side-by-side with healthcare providers and other allied health professionals. Graduates will be certified to coach people who have chronic diseases toward healthy behavior changes.

Many companies offer employees insurance benefits aimed at smoking cessation, stress management, weight loss, improved fitness and/or improved

As program coordinator, Cherie Pettitt collaborates with faculty members in the health science, family consumer science and human performance departments to develop a new wellness coaching and disease prevention certificate. Students will be accepted into the program Fall Semester 2015.

Communication Matters continued from page 6 —

spends two to four hours setting up the simulators and their environment. During the simulation, she works behind a one-way mirror in a high-tech control room. “I interact as the patient with the students to make it as realistic as possible,” she said.

Learning that Matters

nutrition. Certified wellness coaches help clients identify their strengths and use them to meet their healthy lifestyle goals.

“Students entering the program must have a health-related bachelor’s degree,” said Pettitt. “They need to understand health and behavior change—not one or the other. The combination is what we are looking for.”

For more information on the new graduate-level wellness coaching certificate program, contact Pettitt at cherie.pettitt@ mnsu.edu or 507.389.6715. n

During the collaborative simulation, medical residents and nursing students are put into medical teams. Each receives a patient history prior to the visit. And depending on the simulation assigned, they attend to a patient with some type of emergent medical situation.

Education goals may overlap, but nursing students primarily focus on communication strategies; medical residents primarily focus on diagnosis and treatment. Each simulation runs between 20 and 40 minutes.

Students will rotate between active involvement in the simulation and observation via live audio-video feed. “All simulations are taped,” said Royle. “Later, we lead participants through a debriefing where they analyze the process and troubleshoot.

In simulation, debriefing is the most important stage.”

Debriefing allows participants to reflect on what happened during the simulation. “They say things like, ‘Man, I can’t believe I did that; this is what I should have done,’” said Royle.

“Others also help figure out what should have been done or what they did correctly. It is a learning process for everyone.”

The simulation and debriefing help students learn critical skills that can be immediately put into practice in the field. The collaborative learning experience creates better nurses and doctors, which, undoubtedly, is what matters most to patients. n

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Dynamic Creating a

Learning Lab

Turning a computer lab into a versatile learning space creates more opportunities for students and professors.

For those outside the University, a remodeled classroom may not seem like a big deal. Faculty and students within the College of Allied Health & Nursing, however, expect this particular renovation to be transformative.

Currently, Highland Center 2010 functions like a typical computer lab.

Rows of tables holding rows of computers outfitted with rows of chairs facing a podium at the front of the room. It functions well for some types of teaching, but not all. CAHN faculty members need a space that is flexible enough to work for small group learning as well.

Space at the University is at a premium. It is important that each classroom be used as effectively as possible. And, with seven unique departments within the College, that can be a challenge. Representatives from each department have been brainstorming and prioritizing a list of required classroom functions with Paul Cusick, the director of technology for CAHN. “We don’t need the room to function well for one department, we need it to function well for all departments,” he explained. “One class might need to work in groups of

Paul Cusick, director of technology for the College of Allied Health & Nursing, brainstormed with faculty members to design a flexible space that will work well for all departments. Cusick expects the space to be ready for classes in Fall Semester 2014.

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six, another might have two people working on a manikin in the middle of the room, yet, another might need 35 computer stations for testing.

“Health science, human performance and athletic training courses include a lot of hands-on learning.

Students need to be able to touch it, feel it, move it,” said Cusick. “At the same time, we want to promote group learning. Research shows that peerto-peer learning is some of the best learning happening on campus.”

CAHN’s goal for the classroom is to meld group learning with the technology available in a traditional computer lab. Technology provides valuable enhancements for traditional teaching and learning.

“For example,” offered Cusick, “Anatomy.tv provides software that displays a body in 3D. Students can examine things like muscle tissue and bones from all angles. It can show what happens internally when they compress the chest of the manikin during CPR so students see firsthand how they affect body functions.

When you put these things together— hands-on, small group and a fully-functional computer lab—learning changes dramatically.”

The tethers of Ethernet and power cords required in a computer lab create some of the most challenging barriers in designing a flexible space.

“Even with wireless technology and laptops, power is limited—batteries cannot go the entire day without recharging,” said Cusick.

One answer lies in furniture. Cusick has been working with vendors to design flexible workstations. For example, student stations will be café height to facilitate face-to-face interaction.

Technology provides solutions to other classroom needs. Software will provide an option for participants to work collaboratively on one document, each row of workstations will be equipped with a large screen monitor for group work, and computer monitors will fully recline during presentations.

With everyone on board, work is proceeding quickly. Cusick expects the space to be ready for classes in Fall 2014. “Finding the most effective blend of furniture, hardware, software and audio-visual equipment has been a group effort,” he said. “It is all about creating the best learning environment for our students.” n

Varying table heights, moveable chairs, glass wallboards and large screen monitors are just a few of the design details depicted in these drawings created by General Office Products.

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A Flood of

Wilderness Education

As an assistant professor of recreation, parks and leisure services, Joseph Flood is passionate about preserving the future of the wilderness. “I have been enthralled with wilderness my whole life,” he said. “Early in my career I became frustrated with people who couldn’t follow the rules, especially those rules related to land use.”

Flood soon realized that the key was education. “Influencing young people and getting them involved is the best way to preserve wilderness areas,” he said. “Mother Nature can take care of herself. It is the human intrusion and impact that we constantly try to highlight, mitigate and restore.” At Minnesota State Mankato, Flood specializes in teaching skills required to manage park and natural resources in recreation and wilderness settings.

In addition to his general love of the land, another reason for Flood’s passion about wilderness education is its value to society’s overall well being. Research shows that people reap mental and physical health benefits by spending time outdoors and connecting with nature. The recreation, parks and leisure services industry provides

A skilled songwriter and storyteller, assistant professor of recreation, parks, and leisure services Joseph P. Flood portrays Aldo Leopold to share his passion for wilderness preservation.

Referred to as the father of wildlife management, Leopold convinced the Federal government to set aside three-quarters of a million acres of mountains, rivers and desert in New Mexico in 1924. It was the first area in the world to be managed as a wilderness area.

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and preserves environments where people can get and stay healthy—from ice skating rinks to marked hiking trails with educational signage to wilderness areas.

“I have been involved in several grants related to obesity,” said Flood.

“We developed trails and interpretive information so people can easily access walking trails where they can get exercise and be close to nature while learning about the environment.

Interpretation of all aspects of the environment is key for an environmental educator. Nearly every environmental education program—from city parks to doctoral programs— offers an interpretive center, class or coursework.

During Flood’s nearly four decades writing curriculum and teaching in environmental education, he has developed special skills in songwriting and storytelling. Whether it is around the campfire, in front of a class or at a conference, Flood entertains and educates participants through song and first-person stories. He plays 20 different instruments and has written more than 40 songs.

Recently, he was invited to share his skills during the October 2014 National Wilderness Conference in New Mexico. The conference will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Flood plans to perform as Aldo Leopold, father of wildlife management. He has been carefully collecting period clothing and accessories such as a necktie, hat and pipe. In addition, he has been conducting research, writing songs about Leopold’s life and work, and letting his white beard grow.

“I have been a storyteller for many years. I know the effect it can have on the audience,” said Flood. “I take it very seriously.”

He received rave reviews when he demonstrated his Aldo Leopold portrayal during another professor’s interpretive course in environmental education. “The course teaches students about writing lesson plans for all different types of environmental education,” said Flood. “First-person portrayal is one of many options for them.”

At the conference, Flood will spend seven days portraying Leopold. In addition to a conference presentation,

he will participate in a festival, a parade and visit every third and fourth grade class in Albuquerque, singing songs and telling stories.

It will be an exhausting week, but Flood is looking forward to it. “It is time to give back to the many people who gave so much to me and to the wilderness movement,” he said. n

The richest values of wilderness lie not in the days of Daniel Boone, nor even in the present, but rather in the future.

—Aldo Leopold, A Sand County

The Wilderness Act The Wilderness Act of 1964 created the National Wilderness Preservation System with 9.1 million acres of national forest wilderness areas previously protected by administrative orders. The Act defines wilderness as “an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” Currently, there are 757 designated wilderness areas in the United States spanning over nearly 110 million acres.

Aldo Leopold A persuasive speaker and writer, Aldo Leopold convinced decision-makers in Washington, D.C. to set aside pieces of wild land to remain untamed. On June 3, 1924, three-quarters of a million acres of mountains, rivers and desert in New Mexico was designated as the Gila Wilderness. It was the first area in the world to be managed as a wilderness area.

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F eatured

A lumni

ROBERT GEBHARD ’69 Human Performance

Lamberton-native Robert Gebhard graduated from Minnesota State Mankato in 1969 with a degree in physical education teaching that he never had the opportunity to use—at least not in the traditional sense. But Gebhard, who has served as the vice president and special assistant to the general manager with the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team since 2005, has been teaching baseball theory his entire career.

Over a span of 45 years, Gebhard has held a variety of positions in Major League Baseball: player, coach, personnel director, operations

manager, general manager and front office executive.

Gebhard, who played college baseball and basketball at the University of Iowa, was drafted when he was 22 by the Minnesota Twins. He earned his teaching degree at Minnesota State Mankato before he pitched for both the Twins and the Montreal Expos; he retired as a player in 1974. Gebhard returned to the Twins in 1987 to become the director of major league personnel then vice president of player personnel in 1888. His first and last years with Minnesota culminated in a pair of World Series rings.

An early hire for the Colorado Rockies franchise, Gebhard built the Rockies baseball operations from the ground up and helped the team earn a playoff appearance just three years into its existence.

After a five-year stint with the St. Louis Cardinals, Gebhard joined the Diamondbacks prior to the 2005 season.

In 2011, he received the Sheldon “Chief ” Bender Award. The award recognizes an individual with distinguished service who has been instrumental in player development, has established good relationships with their organization’s affiliates and is well respected in the baseball community.

In 2012, Gebhard received the Roland Hemond Award from the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) in recognition of his contributions to the community of professional baseball scouts.

Gebhard and his wife, Nancy, reside in Centennial, Colo. They have three children, daughters Angie and Jenny, and son, Casey. They also have seven grandchildren.

Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Allied Health & Nursing proudly names Robert Gebhard as a 2014 Distinguished Alumni. n

A 1969 graduate in human performance, Bob Gebhard serves as the vice president and special assistant to the general manager with the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.

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Greg Heuer ’09 Athletic Training

Greg Heuer posed with three-time Olympian aerialist Emily Cook prior to the Fisht Olympic Ceremony. Heuer served as the head freestyle athletic trainer for the USA Olympic Team at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Sochi.

“Being an athletic trainer, you know how hard they [the athletes] have worked to get to where they are,” said Heuer. “To see those athletes persevere, earn their way to the medal stand, make history as the first woman to ever ski jump in the Olympics, or earn their status as an Olympian, was incredible and something I’ll truly never forget.”

Heuer credits the tradition of excellence, the program rigor, and support of faculty and staff for much of his professional success and said, “I am very proud to call myself an alumnus of the Athletic Training Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.”

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FACS to the MAX Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Family Consumer Science receives call after call from professionals seeking information about trends and innovation in family and consumer science education. The department’s FACS to the MAX conference, first offered in 2010, has given the program a new level of credibility.

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Department chair, Jill Conlon said, “People ask, ‘What are you doing in Mankato? What are you teaching your students? What are some of the new trends out there?’”

Conlon also reaches out to professionals in the field. At regional conferences, and while visiting students during clinical training placements, she talks with educators and alumni and asks about the new and innovative things happening in the classroom and in corporate setting.

“Alumni keep us in tune with the trends in the field,” said Conlon. “And we observe trends through our graduate job placement. It helps us stay relevant—teaching our college students what they need to succeed, alerting

educators to teaching innovations and informing K-12 students about emerging opportunities in the family consumer science (FCS) job market.”

Student enrollment in the Department of Family Consumer Science at Minnesota State Mankato is on the rise. With a shortage of family and consumer science teachers across Minnesota and the fact that Mankato serves as the only program in the state accredited to train family and consumer science (FACS) teachers, the growth may seem expected.

However, Conlon quickly noted that the enrollment growth is not limited to FACS educators. As opportunities increase in the FCS job market, more students are pursuing careers in dietet-

Family Consumer Science chair, Jill Conlon coordinates the popular FACS to the MAX workshop. In addition to labs, presentations and panels at the workshop, the food development industry has tapped into FACS to the MAX participants using the FACS food science and sensory labs to collect data for undergraduate research used by the food industry.

ics, foods and nutrition, and child and family studies as well.

“Women, in particular, choose professions in which they can combine intellectual challenges with social responsibility and community assistance,” said Conlon. “Family and consumer science provides that by combining science and human and family development theory with education.”

As Conlon attended annual conferences, she noticed colleagues and alumni from Mankato. Recognizing the need for a local conference, Conlon and her team launched FACS to the MAX in 2010.

“Rather than a traditional conference, we thought it would be interesting to offer an interactive conference, really

more of a workshop,” said Conlon. “We think it is important to connect students and professionals.”

Faculty and staff working in the Department of Family and Consumer Science donate their time planning and implementing the workshop on a non-instructional day. The workshop typically includes hands-on labs, interactive presentations, lunch and some version of a panel or a shared activity.

According to Conlon, students, faculty and professionals have all presented at the conference. “We recognize that people have different areas of expertise. We can all learn from each other,” said Conlon. “As a faculty, we want to demonstrate the concept of lifelong learning.”

For example, a kitchen lab presented by a faculty member explored purple foods while a technology lab presented by a student used a SMART Board to present a lesson on spices from around the world. “The student might have been able to sell his lesson plan to a curriculum vendor; instead, he provided it to participants free of charge,” said Conlon.

Afternoon activities have varied widely, depending on what students come up with. One afternoon included a sort of speed networking among participants where they spent a set amount of time face-to-face asking and

answering questions. Another included panel guests ranging from Mommysavers blogger Kimberly Danger to a food sensory technologist from Jack Links to a FACS educator.

“Hopefully, participants walk away feeling like they are moving toward maximizing what they can do in their classroom,” said Conlon.

Conlon and other faculty still reach out to frontline FACS professionals and they still answer call after call about trends in the field. One difference is that calls now include questions about their favorite conference—FACS to the MAX. n

Conference proceeds go directly into the FACS to the MAX scholarship fund.

Conlon is excited to announce Larissa Pepinsmith as the first recipient. She will receive $1,000 in support as she pursues a career in family and consumer science education.

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Ida Clark (left) and Bob Pettitt discussed their next research project.

Finding the

Right Fit Ida Clark came to Mankato to play hockey, but she found her passion for research in the Viola Holbrook Human Performance Research Lab.

As a young girl, Ida Clark planned to be a chef in her native country of Sweden. Now a respected researcher and scholar, her remarkable story is forever altered by a gift from emerita faculty member Viola Holbrook to the College of Allied Health & Nursing.

Clark was recruited from high school in Sweden to play hockey in Canada at age 17. After a year, she returned to Sweden and graduated from high school. Although she didn’t mind that school was over, she was not ready to stop playing hockey. She was at the top of her game.

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With a desire to play in the most competitive league possible, Clark sent a letter to the coach of the Mavericks women’s Division I hockey team. “Honestly, I didn’t know anything about Minnesota. I knew it was cold,” she said, laughing. Soon Clark was playing hockey for the Mavericks.

Initially, she planned to study dietetics. It seemed like a logical extension of her chef training. Her coaches voiced some concerns about the rigorous science courses. “Since I am dyslexic and my English and writing were not great, they worried my grades would slip and I would lose my eligibility to play,” said Clark. “So I registered for the sport management program, which has fewer science courses.”

In her second year, the program required Clark to take business classes. She described them as excruciating, not matching her interests. She was frustrated with school.

“I went to see my advisor, Dr. Bryan Romsa,” said Clark. “He spent some time learning about my interests and encouraged me to talk to Dr. Robert Pettitt in the exercise science program.” With the language barrier and her dyslexia, Clark wondered if she was smart enough, but Romsa encouraged her.

Clark’s first week of classes in exercise science changed everything.

“I remember my first day in exercise physiology,” she

The Viola Holbrook Human Performance Research Laboratory

Discovery happens almost everyday at the Viola Holbrook Human Performance Research Laboratory at Minnesota State Mankato. With the support of generous donors, researchers have pioneered new models for exercise physiology testing and prescription. They explore interval-training models on multiple university teams, conduct research on “sitting disease” and investigate the medicinal benefits of hibiscus in partnership with STI™ minerals. Holbrook also serves as the principal biomechanics laboratory for the Force Science Institute, which studies human dynamics in high stress situations.

In addition to an extensive listing of presentations and publications, discoveries from the Holbrook Lab have been featured in The New York Times and on the Discovery Channel.

Recently, the Department of Human Performance completed a renovation on a new research space, which features a Woodway Force treadmill, the Computrainer, several force platforms, electromyography and high-speed video digital analysis. To learn more about the program, please contact Robert Pettitt at robert.pettitt@mnsu. edu or (507) 389-1811.

said. “I remember where I was sitting. I remember what I was wearing. I remember what Dr. Pettitt was wearing. I remembered thinking, ‘I love school!’” Her love for the topic motivated her to study and work extremely hard.

“As a senior, Ida took a graduate-level lab course. A graduate student in the class shared his thoughts with me about having Ida in the class. He said, ‘I am really going to have to step up my game,’” said Pettitt, who was Clark’s advisor. “Her enthusiasm motivates others.”

Clark’s work ethic is one reason for her success. Another is the support she received as a student at Minnesota State Mankato.

A few years before Clark began her studies in exercise science, a donation from Viola Holbrook enabled the department to hire graduate assistants, purchase a new metabolic cart and establish the Viola Holbrook research lab. As a longtime faculty member in human performance, Holbrook had a passion for students and research.

“I feel like her [Holbrook’s] legacy was not just to fund graduate assistantships, but also to help students do exciting research,” said Pettitt, who is also the chair of the Human Performance Department.

About the time Clark began studying exercise science, one of Pettitt’s exercise physiology research teams had begun

Ida Clark (left) makes adjustments to the metabolic cart equipment before collecting data on the subject’s oxygen use.

Research conducted by the Department of Human Performance students and faculty in the Holbrook Human Performance Research Lab has attracted attention from South Africa to England.

work related to a three-minute, all-out exercise test. Clark helped collect data.

Just prior to her graduation, Pettitt encouraged Clark to stay on as a graduate student in exercise physiology. Clark received more support in the form of a Viola Holbrook graduate assistantship. This allowed her to continue to help Pettitt’s teams with their research, as well as develop research of her own.

Since establishing the new Holbrook Research Lab in 2008, more than 20 graduate students have published related research in peer-reviewed publications. “Each of those papers pays homage to Vi with a note identifying where the research took place,” said Pettitt.

Clark’s first paper was published in 2011 in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. Since then, she has developed an international reputation in the area of exercise physiology. She has co-authored seven research papers published in peer-reviewed journals and given 16 research presentations.

Late in 2013, Clark received verbal acceptance to the doctoral program in Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

“I love exercise physiology,” said Clark. “And my work here would not have been possible without the generous gift from Viola Holbrook.” n

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Learning is Not a Spectator Sport

In his first week as an assistant professor in the Department of Human Performance at Minnesota State Mankato, Matthew Buns conducted this Google search: “Mankato home school.” A month later, students in his physical education methods course were leading physical education classes for more than 60 home-schooled children.

“Learning is not a spectator sport,” said Buns. “And what better way is there to learn how to teach than to actually teach?”

The goal of the program Buns introduced last fall is two-fold: to train physical education teacher candidates using practical experiences, and to provide a service to the community.

Buns was able to put the program in place with the help of Chris Oldenburg, who manages an online community for Southern Minnesota families involved in home schooling. She helped

Area home-schooled children learn ball-handling skills from physical education teacher candidates.

A cooperative program allows Minnesota State Mankato students to gain teaching experience and area home-schoolers to learn skills they can apply toward a lifetime of healthy living.

Physical education teacher candidate Josh Hoekstra (squatting) reviews rules of the court with homeschooled children. A cooperative program allows Minnesota State Mankato students to gain teaching experience and area home-schoolers to learn skills they can apply toward a lifetime of healthy living.

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share information about the program with area families.

“Initially, there were a lot of questions. We get some pretty interesting inquiries from people who just do a Google search on home schoolers,” she laughed. They were reassured after learning that Buns had experience with a similar program at another institution.

The program serves students in kindergarten through grade 12. The wide range of ages gives teacher candidates the opportunity to observe the maturation and skill level difference between grades—how kindergarteners are different from fifth graders, who are different from ninth graders—and learn to plan and implement appropriate activities for each group.

Teacher candidates plan lessons based on the six national standards for physical education. To ensure they move through the curriculum, topics

and activities are designated in advance.

“We want children to, first of all, gain skills and secondly, to gain confidence as a result of those skills,” Buns said.

“We were required to create a lesson plan and deliver the material to the children, said Josh Hoekstra, a junior.

“My biggest fear was crashing and burning. I was afraid of planning something that wouldn’t work and then having to think on my feet.”

That is exactly the point, Buns said.

“This program provides a supervised setting and the opportunity for [the teacher candidates] to apply knowledge learned in the classroom,” he said. “They may have the most elegant lesson plan in the world, but when they get there they may realize that 5-year-olds aren’t capable of passing a basketball so they have to modify their plan on the fly.”

Hoekstra appreciated the opportunity to practice teaching in a supported

setting. “You can sit in a classroom and ‘learn how to teach’ all you want, but it’s nothing like going out and getting experience doing so,” he said. “This experience definitely helped me develop my confidence as a teacher. Once I was able to get over the nerves, I was good to go.”

Oldenburg said parents feel good about helping to provide real-world experience for teacher candidates, especially those who might go on to teach in non-traditional settings.

In addition to the professional development of teacher candidates, children who participate in the physical education program also grow.

Students attending traditional schools enjoy built-in access to physical education classes. “For those who are home schooled,” Buns said, “this may be the only structured physical education opportunity they have.”

“Parents appreciate the structure and quality of the instruction.

They know it will be worth the time and effort required to get there,” said Oldenburg.

“Adults rarely learn new physical education skills,” Buns explained. “If people don’t learn a variety of skills as children they may not be very active as adults. For example, how many adults to you see playing tag? Our lifespan approach will help these K-12 students grow into active adults.”

If participation numbers indicate the need for and satisfaction with the program, it looks like Buns and his students are conducting a high need, quality program. “I would have been happy to serve five students the first semester,” he said. “We had 60. This semester, 110 have registered. It is a great problem to have.” n

Assistant professor of human performance Matt Buns knows even a perfectly planned lesson can fail with an inexperienced teacher. By offering area home-school kids physical education classes, Buns’ teacher candidates gain practical experience modifying plans “on the fly.” p u l s e | s p ri ng 2014 21

Nursing Collaboration IN

Madelia

Members of the Madelia Community Based Collaborative meet monthly to find ways to promote and support healthy life choices for community members.

What began with an offer from the School of Nursing to assist the Madelia Community Hospital & Clinic with a community health needs assessment has become the Madelia Community Based Collaborative.

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“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 required 501(c) (3) [nonprofit] hospitals to conduct a community health needs assessment to maintain their federal charity care and non-profit tax exempt status,” said Kelly Krumwiede, assistant professor of nursing. “Madelia is already one of our clinical rotation sites where students are required to conduct a community assessment. This arrangement helped the School of Nursing to provide a real world learning experience.”

Since the initial meetings in 2012, the Madelia Community Based Col-

laborative (MCBC) has become a true community collaboration involving several partners: Madelia Community Hospital & Clinic, the Glen Taylor Nursing Institute for Family and Society, Minnesota State Mankato’s School of Nursing and Department of Family and Consumer Science, Tony Downs Foods, Luther Memorial Home and Watonwan County Public Health, as well as community members.

Students in Minnesota State Mankato’s School of Nursing specialize in family and societal nursing. As part of a series of required clinical nursing

rotations, student nurses conduct community health assessments each year.

They observe community members, conduct surveys, visit schools, work with the Women Infants and Children program and more, depending on the needs of the community. Typically, the assessment team consists of eight students and one faculty supervisor.

Because of the extensive nature of the MCBC project, faculty doubled the number of students assigned for the initial data collection. Teams of two or three students spent a semester gathering information from around the community.

They researched public health statistics data. They observed and interviewed community members on the street, at work, at school, at an apartment complex and at a senior living facility. They asked about health concerns, assessed community recreation facilities and observed what people ate. Students collected data that identified strengths as well as potential barriers to healthy lifestyles and then collaborated with the Madelia community partners to begin developing interventions aimed at reducing those barriers.

“One barrier identified was a lack of information,” said Stacey Van Gelderen, assistant professor of nursing. “Our students have been involved in several activities to provide information geared toward healthy lifestyles. They organized a Madelia Healthy Family night, which included a bilingual health education presentation, Zumba dance classes, and healthy cooking demonstrations.

“Nursing students also developed the ‘Commit to Get Fit’ public service campaign featuring local community members that aired on local television and radio stations,” she added.

“Many other ideas supporting healthy

Benefits of Collaboration

Stacey Van Gelderen (left) and Kelly Krumwiede, School of Nursing faculty members, co-chair the Madelia Community Based Collaborative.

lifestyles were generated from data collected by nursing students.”

In fact, the community needs assessment shone a light on the high rate of diabetes and obesity in the Madelia community—a familiar issue across the country.

Educating community members on the pitfalls of consuming large amounts of sugary drinks became one of the action items of the collaborative.

MCBC received a State Health Improvement Program (SHIP) grant for the Madelia: Rethink Your Drink project. The project aims to make environmental changes that promote healthy behaviors, specifically reducing the consumption of sugary beverages.

Nursing students are working within the collaborative to find ways to empower community members to make these changes.

“By partnering with Minnesota State Mankato, we are able to use their expertise and resources as well as their student capacity to engage the community in our work,” said Chera Sevcik, SHIP program supervisor.

Oftentimes, students collect data and conduct assessments, but there is no one in the community to turn the information into action. The Madelia Community Based Collaborative validates their data collection with implementation strategies.

“The collaboration offers benefits to all parties—the Madelia community gets assistance with its assessment and implementation, and Minnesota State Mankato nursing students get to apply knowledge in the community where it will actually be used,” said Krumwiede. “The project is ongoing.

MCBC meets monthly. There is no end date. That is unusual.”

“Students share knowledge from semester to semester. They work hard to continue our commitment to the Madelia community and contribute to community wellness,” said Van Gelderen. “The community looks to them as experts. And it is rewarding; students can see the change in the community.”

In addition to community benefits, the experience implementing community action steps helps nursing students learn how people respond to intervention and what motivates people to actively participate in a healthy lifestyle. “People in every age group, culture and/or education level are different. This experience teaches our students to meet them where they are,” said Krumwiede. n

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Lead, Partner, Achieve.

College

of

Allied Health

& Nursing Passionate about healthcare.

Students and faculty in the College of Allied Health & Nursing serve in impoverished clinic settings, volunteer with children and senior citizens, and conduct research that improves the quality of life. Their work routinely makes an impact in the classroom, in the community, and around the world.

We invite you to partner with us.

Please consider an investment in the future with a gift toward student scholarships, clinic and lab equipment, or student and faculty research. Together we can achieve great things. For more information, contact Lisa Meyer, director of development for the College of Allied Health & Nursing at 507.389.5621 or lisa.meyer-1@mnsu.edu.

Photo courtesy of Brigette Cooper

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College of

Allied Health & Nursing

College of Allied Health & Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato 124 Myers Field House Mankato, MN 56001