From President Mittelman When an El Niño develops, it can start a “chain reaction” in the atmosphere influencing the weather in places much farther away from the tropical, equatorial Pacific Ocean. The winter of El Niño is winding down as I write this. We had snow overnight here on campus and expect temperatures in the seventies next week. Right now it appears as though spring may be hijacked and we may go right into summer! The reality of course, is that we all know from past experience not to count on the weather. We are fortunate in that there are many other areas of life that remain constant and reliable. At the risk of sounding confusing, I must say that one of the constants at Salus is that something is always changing. We never would want to become complacent. For many this can be disconcerting, but here at Salus change is often good – a sign that something or someone is searching for ways to improve a space, a program, a process or a procedure. We continue to actively pursue ways in which we can make improvements, changes or revisions that will enhance the learning experiences of our students. Our Learning Resource Center (LRC) renovation planning is moving along very nicely. The LRC will be a vibrant University centerpiece that will foster learning, collaboration and study. Design developments are now being finalized in preparation for choosing a contractor. Additionally, we have met with our architectural firm, Daley and Jalboot, about the new Optometry Clinical Skills Lab project. The timeline is now under discussion and work on the swing space – where Salus PCO students will work during the renovation – has begun. Both of these projects will significantly influence the quality of our students’ learning experience and, like El Niño, the effects will continue to be felt much further away from Elkins Park, thanks to our alumni. In this issue you will read about Dr. Audrey Smith, dean of our College of Education and Rehabilitation. Audrey will begin a sabbatical later this year and return to teach part-time in 2017. Audrey introduced blindness and low vision studies programs to PCO in 1983. From those beginnings and, after years of careful cultivation, a College has grown that remains the only institution in the world to offer all of the blindness and low vision studies degrees that we offer Salus students. Thank you, Audrey, for your foresight, fortitude and unstinting efforts to improve the world of those with visual and sensory impairments. I also want to wish “fair winds and following seas” to a fellow Navy veteran and our associate dean of Graduate Programs in Biomedicine, Dr. William Monaco. Bill worked tirelessly with Dr. Tony Di Stefano to create our Public Health programs and also taught at TEI and in our international optometry program for many years. His service to our country and to this University has been exemplary and we are fortunate that he will continue to teach public health distance education courses and mentor our PhD students after he and his wife settle in Tampa. Thank you, Bill, for your dedication and commitment. It’s an exciting time at the University, as we continue to plan for these construction projects, update our optometric and audiology curricula, and prepare to launch our capital campaign to help fund all of these improvements. In addition, daily activities and our regular events continue as well: admissions recruiting, alumni weekend, spring commencement and a host of community events where Salus will have a presence. In this season of new beginnings, I thank you for your past support and ask that you remain steadfast as we educate and train the leaders of tomorrow. El Niño aside, our alumni remain the most important element of the Salus “chain reaction.” Sincerely,
Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH, FAAO, FACHE RADM, USN (ret)
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