We had three presentations at the 95th Annual American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Exhibition and Conference in Nashville, TN. Drs. Podvey and Hoover presented, with their students, “SNiPS©: Development of an Evidence-Based Scissors Skills Program.” Dr. Mernar presented “Using Clicker Technology: Comparing Student Perceptions of Learning and Participation.” Finally, Drs. Mernar, Torcivia, Podvey, Hoover and Picard presented “Infusing IPE Throughout a Curriculum: Coursework, Fieldwork and International Programs.” We are in our second transition year from the old curriculum to the new curriculum. These are challenging and exciting times, as we have to stretch our resources while evaluating the new curriculum closely to ensure its success. The main challenge in occupational therapy education is the shortage of fieldwork sites to train the larger cohorts of students. Our creative faculty and supportive Dean’s Office allowed us to offer unique opportunities that ensured excellent, challenging and educational fieldwork experiences. We continue to increase student enrollment, drawing the best students from a strong and large applicant pool. Our faculty complement is changing with the retirement of Dr. Robert Faraci and the addition of two new faculty members: Professor Alicia MacGregor, our new Director of Clinical Education, and Dr. Karen Hebert, a full-time faculty member. We are looking forward to a challenging and successful new year!
Physical Therapy (PT) Chair: Doreen M. Stiskal, PT, PhD ’03 Doctor of Physical Therapy program graduates continue to be recognized as outstanding. As practitioners who embrace leadership within professional and healthcare environments, each exemplifies the department’s mission. Michael Mozia ’11/DPT ’14 received the very prestigious Minority Scholarship Award during APTA’s 2014 NEXT Conference. Chosen from many nominees nationally, Michael’s scholarship and robust engagement in Seton Hall community life characterized him as a true servant leader. He continues to exhibit his passion for the profession, influencing the next generation through teaching about PT careers to high school students. Assuming leadership roles to shape our PT profession can be very daunting, but not for
our grads. Spirodoula Riley ’02/DPT ’05 remains committed to representing New Jersey in the APTA’s House of Delegates. Suzanne Brain, DPT ’07, selected the Seton Hall campus to host a recent APTA-NJ Northern District Meeting. At this event, graduates Ashleigh McAdam ’12/ DPT ’15 and Michael Zaorski ’15, plus current student Dem’be Wilson, reflected on how commitment to developing oneself professionally can impact healthcare policy and delivery. Providing optimal care is also a hallmark of a Seton Hall DPT graduate. Our alumni practice in diverse settings to address the varying needs of society. For Class of 2010 alumni, who graduated five years ago, their unique career paths have brought exciting successes. Elizabeth (Troutman) Arcentales, DPT ’10, received her OCS Certification at APTA’s 2015 CSM meeting. Joanna Borawski, DPT ’10, collected a quarterly Company Grade Officer award from the 59th Medical Wing of the U.S. Air Force. Kristi Heinzinger, DPT ’10, completed the American leg of the Neil Diamond tour, providing PT for the performers. Victoria (Walter) Belkewitch, DPT ’10, was named to New Jersey Family magazine’s 2015 list of Favorite Kids’ Docs. We congratulate them all! And, we welcome hearing from you, DPT graduates. Kindly share your achievements.
Physician Assistant Chair: Christopher Hanifin, MS ’99, PA-C The 2014-2015 academic year was another solid year for our PA program. As this issue goes to press, we still have some alumni waiting to take the PANCE, but our performance so far has been strong. Graduates continue to enjoy a good job market, and, on the local front, legislation is slowly working its way through New Jersey government that will make the Garden State a much better place to practice as a PA. We were pleased to have Vasiliki (Betty) Sgouras, MD, join us in January as the department’s Assistant Chair. Dr. Sgouras is assisting with the daily operation of the program as well as improving our assessment efforts. We are in the process of preparing for a site visit from our accreditation agency, and we will be able to report that things are running well and that our graduates enjoy good outcomes. We have some other new faces in the department. Last January, we bid a sad farewell to Sandra Kaminski, MS ’01, PA-C, who left her faculty position to return to full-time practice. Kaminski continues to be a strong supporter of the program and will be back to lecture
for us this year. Jurga Marshall, MS ’08, PA-C, joined us as a core faculty member and is helping instruct first-year classes in clinical skills. Other alumni set to lecture for us include Brian VanNess, MS ’02, PA-C; Jaime Morley, MS ’02, PA-C; and Natasha Greendyk, MS ’13, PA-C. If you are interested in lecturing or serving as a clinical preceptor, please contact us!
Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Chair: Vikram N. Dayalu, PhD, CCC-SLP This has been an exciting year for the faculty and students in the Department of SpeechLanguage Pathology. I am happy to report that the MS-SLP program has been reaccredited for eight more years (2014-2022). The department continues to implement its progressive strategic plan focused on student success, academic and scholarly advancement, and expanding community outreach and alumni engagement. We recently graduated 40 students in the MS-SLP Class of 2015. Approximately 25 percent of this cohort was able to participate in an international academic or clinical program. Likewise, 25 percent of the cohort participated in research projects with five of the academic faculty. One of the graduate students, Jessica Saks, MS ’15, co-authored a manuscript with Dr. Nina Capone Singleton in a peer-reviewed journal. Graduate students engaged in research projects co-authored 13 poster presentations. During the 2014-2015 term, faculty implemented three grant-funded projects (Dr. Sona Patel, NIH grant; Dr. Anthony Koutsoftas, CERLL Grant and a Seton Hall internal grant). Faculty also submitted three new grant applications. In total, faculty authored/coauthored six publications (including a book and a book chapter) and 28 poster and platform presentations. Our alumni continue to be engaged in the academic and clinical training of our students. Over the last academic year, alumni have taught courses and served as on-site clinical supervisors. Please feel free to contact us to explore potential collaborative opportunities. You are also invited to attend our biannual free CEU event, held on campus for our supervisors and alumni. In the department, we are committed to supporting our students during their time at Seton Hall and supporting their professional growth after graduation. Go Pirates! 23