Touro Newspaper Insert 2024

ROOTED IN TRADITION

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE

“Touro guides students, no matter their background, to reach their intellectual and academic potential, while also showing them how to conduct their professional lives in keeping with the institutional values of repairing the world, social justice and responsibility to serve others. Our students are taught to be ambassadors of G-d in a material world, to sanctify His name wherever they go, whether it be a house of Torah, a corporate office, a boardroom or the halls of government. Our alumni become leaders, not only in their chosen careers, but in their communities. This commitment to both knowledge and values is a key to ethical leadership, a hallmark of a Touro education.”

— Zvi Ryzman, Chair Board of Trustees, Touro University

A JEWISH-SPONSORED INSTITUTION WITH UNIVERSAL APPEAL AND VALUES

Knowledge and values. Respect for diverse voices and viewpoints. Those are the hallmarks of a Touro University education.

At Touro, students have been realizing their dreams for more than five decades. What began as a Jewish-sponsored undergraduate program for three dozen students has grown to become a university system that encompasses multiple graduate and professional schools serving 19,000 diverse students across 36 schools and multiple locations from coast to coast. Today, more than 100,000 alumni are excelling in their professions and serving society as responsible and gainfully employed citizens of the world. Touro alumni are counted among the most successful, influential leaders in medicine, law, politics, education and business.

While Touro students pursue an array of career paths, we have emerged as a leader in healthcare education. As the national shortage of healthcare providers has become more acute, we have worked to improve and expand our medical education offerings while developing remarkable research opportunities at many of our campuses. Today, Touro has nearly 8,000 students studying medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and health sciences, including nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and physician assistant training.

Our research expertise—some featured in the pages that follow—spans an array of fields including mental health, education and nearly every area of biomedical science and clinical medicine. Beyond ongoing research conducted by the faculty in our graduate and professional schools, Touro recently acquired and affiliated with leading research institutions in New Mexico and Montana… with more to come. Touro will continue developing our research capacity and expanding our research scope, promoting collaboration across Touro campuses around the country and providing superior opportunities for our students.

As our commitment to research increases, we continue to invest in cutting-edge facilities and faculty education because we believe that an outstanding classroom experience is essential for students to succeed professionally and personally.

Touro continues to embrace technological advances and innovate their use as a means to further educate our students. From developing our first online Ph.D. in 1999 to incorporating virtual anatomy training a decade ago to analyzing the best ways to use artificial intelligence responsibly, Touro is at the forefront of education and technology, ensuring our students are ready to launch themselves into today’s rapidly evolving marketplace and world.

As Touro continues to expand, we assess new initiatives by asking whether it passes our mission test: Does it provide educational and professional training opportunities for our students, serve community needs and advance knowledge? We are proud of the superior education we provide, and the dedication to service that our community of scholars and leaders are nurturing as we embody the Touro mission and the Jewish intellectual tradition.

Indeed, at Touro, the largest institution of higher education under Jewish auspices, we continue to make a difference. The future is bright for all of our students, graduates and the many people whose lives they will improve.

Alan Kadish, M.D. President, Touro University

TOURO UNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE

36 SCHOOLS

7 STATES

4 COUNTRIES

CHICAGO

GREAT FALLS

VALLEJO

GREAT FALLS

NEW YORK

BOCA RATON

LOS ANGELES ALBUQUERQUE

VALLEJO

NEW YORK

BOCA RATON

19,000 STUDENTS

118,338 ALUMNI

1 TOURO 1

ISRAEL BERLIN

ISRAEL BERLIN

TOURO IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE EDUCATION

With Over 7,700 Students Pursuing degrees in medicine, dentistry & allied health fields

3,248

815

238

532

Other Doctorates (including PsyD, philosophy and public health)

Dentists

162

Speech-Language Pathologists

273

353 Physicians (including MD’s and DO’s) (including bachelors, masters and doctorate) Pharmacists

Occupational Therapists (including masters and doctorate)

Physician Assistants

487

Physical Therapists

1,200+

Nurses

400

Just under 3% of all med school graduates in the U.S. this year will graduate from a Touro school

Other Masters (including interdisciplinary studies, medical health science, public health, clinical mental health counseling, industrial-organizational psychology, school psychology, applied behavior analysis.)

500+

Other/Certificates

RESEARCH ROUNDUP

FOUR RESEARCHERS

MAKE GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERIES AT TOURO

hen research illuminates new understandings of how our brains and bodies function, people can live healthier, happier lives. From novel cancer treatments to mental health breakthroughs, Touro is dedicated to serving humanity through cutting-edge research and pursuing life-changing answers by asking big questions. Here are four researchers leading the charge in Touro’s labs and research facilities.

Pioneering a Pathway to New Treatments for HIV, Cancer and More

Can the cellular pathways that diseases use to spread through the body actually help treat those diseases instead? Dr. Aurelio Lorico believes so. Professor of pathology, interim director of research and chief research officer at Touro University Nevada, he has been working on cell-to-cell communication in the tumor microenvironment, and his research has led to a discovery that could help millions of patients.

His team spotted a new pathway that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) uses to enter the nucleus of a healthy cell, where it can then replicate and go on to invade other cells. The researchers also identified three proteins needed for the virus to carry out the invasion. In turn, they have synthesized molecules that can target one of those proteins, potentially leading to new drug treatments for AIDS. This discovery has wide-ranging implications and even has the potential to lead to new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.

“This is an entirely new pathway and we have developed molecules that block it,” Dr. Lorico says. “Although our research is at a pre-clinical stage, it is likely that the new drugs synthesized may have therapeutic activity in AIDS, other viral diseases and possibly metastatic cancer and other diseases where nuclear transport is involved.”

Preventing Diabetes and Improving Care for Those Who Have It

Can diabetes be treated, or even prevented, in the primary care doctor’s office? With American diabetes rates tripling over the last 30 years, it’s never been more important to find effective systemic solutions. Dr. Jay Shubrook, a primary care physician and diabetologist at Touro University California, believes that family doctors can have a big impact on turning these trends around. He’s dedicated his career and his research to making it happen.

About 1 in 10 Americans now have diabetes, and 1 in 5 are unaware they have it. Dr. Shubrook takes a holistic approach to diabetes management, considering the impacts of a patient’s psychological well-being as well as shortcomings in healthcare systems. His research has led to the development of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS), a tool used around the world to guide clinical care and improve patient outcomes. In Dr. Shubrook’s Touro classes, he equips future health professionals with the lifestyle coaching skills they’ll need to help patients prevent or effectively manage diabetes.

Diabetes care can be overwhelming, demoralizing and confusing, both for patients and doctors. Dr. Shubrook’s research offers not just tangible tools to help clinicians improve outcomes, but also a down-to-earth approach that meets patients where they are. “‘Perfect self-care doesn’t need to be the goal at all,” Dr. Shubrook says. “That’s really the key to help people be successful.”

Exploring the Connection Between COVID-19 and Mental Health

How has the global coronavirus pandemic impacted our mental health? How will it continue to affect our long-term well-being? And what role does our faith community play in all of this? Psychologists will be exploring these questions for years to come—and Touro’s Dr. Steven Pirutinsky has become an early leader in this space.

Dr. Pirutinsky is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of clinical social work at Touro University Graduate School of Social Work in New York. Interested in the interaction of religion and mental health, the effectiveness of psychotherapy and prosocial behavior, Dr. Pirutinsky is also a widely-published researcher—he’s published 11 research papers in just the past two years.

Dr. Pirutinsky is most interested in the intersections between spirituality, religion, culture, mental health and well-being, particularly within the Orthodox Jewish community. Recently, he received a grant from the International Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society to explore the relevance of religion and spirituality to the Jewish community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular attention to mental health implications and adherence to public health measures. He also served as the principal investigator on a research project examining religion, science and COVID-19, and he continues to explore how mental health is impacted by external circumstances like the pandemic.

Altering Cells to Prevent and Treat Childhood Cancers

Can cancer be hacked? Dr. Mitchell Cairo, a practicing physician who is vice chair, Department of Pediatrics and professor of pediatrics, medicine, and of pathology, microbiology and immunology at Touro’s New York Medical College, is working on it in his cutting-edge laboratory. With a research focus on genetics and stem cell biology, Dr. Cairo is fundamentally changing how childhood cancers are understood and treated.

In the lab, Dr. Cairo’s team has developed targeted cellular therapy against a variety of tumors. They’ve created groundbreaking techniques to add new genetic material to the body’s natural killer cells, which sets off a reaction that retargets the killer cells to attack a variety of childhood cancers. This research will translate to clinical therapies not just for patients experiencing relapse or progressive disease, but also for those who are newly diagnosed, particularly those with high risks.

Dr. Cairo’s lab has also developed a novel transplant technique for children with sickle cell disease, using a parent’s stem cells to create a successful “half-match.” Typically, children with sickle cell disease have to rely on a sibling match for transplantation, and only 1 in 6 children have one of those available. By broadening the donor pool to include parents, the number of children who can be treated with transplants will dramatically increase.

Finally, Dr. Cairo’s lab is exploring techniques to “turn off” the gene within a cell that makes that cell become cancerous. With an original focus on childhood acute leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Dr. Cairo says his team has seen “some very promising results” transforming formerly malignant cells.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS

Dr. Edward Halperin

NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE’S CHANCELLOR/CEO TEACHES HISTORY TO SHAPE HEALTHCARE’S FUTURE

As medicine looks towards the future, Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor/ chief executive officer of New York Medical College (NYMC) and provost for biomedical affairs at Touro University, teaches students to draw wisdom from the past.

At NYMC in Valhalla, New York, medical students take a course on the history of medicine, making it one of the few M.D. programs in the country with this requirement. The curriculum includes sections on medicine and the Holocaust, racial discrimination in gross anatomy instruction, the history of hospital desegregation in the U.S. and medicine and the American slave trade. Students can interview Holocaust survivors to learn how medicine can be misused in the service of the state rather than the best interests of the patient.

“No one should receive an M.D. unless they understand the past roles of physicians in genocide, slavery, torture and racial, religious and gender discrimination and what these mean for the present,” said Halperin, Miriam Popack chair of Biomedical Ethics after the Holocaust, director of the Hirth and Samowitz Center for Medical Humanities and course instructor. Under Dr. Halperin’s leadership, NYMC became the first medical college in the U.S. to regularly commemorate Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) with medical-related programming, and to launch a master’s degree in bioethics with an optional concentration in Jewish medical ethics.

A pediatric radiation oncologist, Halperin is co-editor of the textbooks Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology and Pediatric Radiation Oncology. His research in medical history has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet

SIX MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE U.S. MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

Touro has emerged as a leader in medical and health education, adapting and replicating proven programs to accommodate its growing student populations and address needs linked to its mission of service. In addition to its medical schools in California, Nevada and New York, including New York Medical College, Touro recently opened a sixth medical school in Great Falls, Montana to increase representation of Native American students while promoting primary care in small rural communities.

Yehoshua November

AN ACCLAIMED, AWARD-WINNING POET AND TOURO PROFESSOR SHARES THE POWER OF POETRY

In a fast-paced world where people spend hundreds of hours each week scrolling through social media, Professor Yehoshua November shuts out the noise and focuses on “the wondrousness of ordinary life.” The prolific poet, whose work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review and on NPR and Poetry Unbound, has shared his love of literature and creative writing with Touro students for nearly two decades.

“I know most of my students will enter the corporate world or various professions, so I focus on reading comprehension, critical thinking and written and oral communication skills—areas fundamental to career success and living a thoughtful and introspective life,” says November.

November is the author of the poetry collections “God’s Optimism” (2010)— a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize and winner of the Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award; “Two Worlds Exist” (2016)—a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and Paterson Poetry Prize; and “The Concealment of Endless Light” (Orison Books, fall 2024). His poems have won Prairie Schooner’s Bernice Slote Award and the London School of Judaism’s Poetry Prize.

Naturally, November is a fan of poetry as an art form. “I admire poetry’s compression—its capacity to communicate poignant ideas and emotions in a few short lines. Poetry can wake us from our habituation and make us more grateful.”

November credits his upbringing for his passion for poetry. “There was a constant backdrop of music in my home, and it was poetic,” he explains. Poetry also runs in the family. His paternal grandmother was a poet, and his older brother and younger sister are poets as well.

As an English major in college, November’s professors—established writers themselves—supported

and encouraged the work he was producing in their classes, and he started to take himself seriously as a writer. “I think I also turned to poetry because young people have a great need to express themselves and communicate with the world. Poetry fills that need with a potency and power that other art forms can’t match,” he says.

As a student of Hasidic Jewish thought, November’s poems are largely concerned with the intersection of spirituality and everyday life, reflecting the Hasidic theology that the Divine resides in all things and is present in the least likely places.

MEET THE STUDENTS

ELI EIZENSTAT

MAJOR:

Biology (Honors), Touro’s Lander College for Men, Touro’s Lander College Medical Honors Pathway— Touro’s New York Medical College Linkage Program

CAREER GOAL:

To become a general surgeon

WHY I CHOSE THIS FIELD:

I am drawn to medicine because it merges my passion for helping others with my deep interest in science. My clinical experiences, such as working as an EMT, shadowing physicians and working as an emergency room technician, have exposed me to many medical specialties. I am interested in general surgery because it is a fast-paced, high-intensity field that provides many opportunities to specialize.

RESEARCH:

This past summer, I was a research assistant at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where I coordinated a retrospective outcomes analysis of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients.

HOW TOURO IS HELPING ME ACHIEVE SUCCESS:

Touro is helping me succeed through the school’s individualized approach to education. I have benefitted immensely from my relationships with my professors, and I value their guidance and support. The entire faculty is invested in their students’ success, and it is paying dividends.

WHAT I’M MOST PROUD OF:

I have been a volunteer firefighter/EMT for four years. This has been a profoundly formative experience and exposed me to diverse patient populations and a wide range of pre-hospital emergencies. I am also an ambulance driver, preceptor for new EMTs and a member of my department’s equal employment opportunity (EEO) committee. Having a positive impact on my patients is a highly gratifying experience.

COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY:

As an American Red Cross CPR/AED Instructor, I established an in-house CPR training program at Touro’s Lander College for Men this fall, providing CPR/AED training to students. In addition, as a Stop the Bleed instructor, I have successfully trained over 100 individuals to recognize and treat life-threatening bleeding.

ELI EIZENSTAT

YAKIRA COLISH

FILISA MOHABIR

YAKIRA COLISH

MAJOR:

Political Science, Touro’s Lander College for Women

–The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School

INTERNSHIPS:

NYS Supreme Court, Consulate of Jamaica

CAREER GOAL:

Diplomacy and international policy formation

WHY I CHOSE THIS FIELD:

I’m looking to incorporate my passion for politics in a way that underscores the broader public interest. Diplomacy and international policy formation offers the opportunity to work cross-culturally and addresses global issues. Collaborating with a diverse range of people to make a far-reaching impact on the world is something I would find both enjoyable and incredibly meaningful. I’ve always enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds and broadening my perspective. Channeling that in a way that makes the world a better place is the ultimate goal.

FILISA MOHABIR

MAJOR:

Psychology (Honors), Touro University New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS)

INTERNSHIPS:

Young Adult Institute (YAI) International Academy of Hope, a private school for students with traumatic brain injuries

RESEARCH:

Contributed on the research team for the Empowering Paraprofessionals Study with Dr. Jill Ordynans, deputy chair and assistant professor, education and special education, at Touro University

NYSCAS

CAREER GOAL:

Ph.D. in Psychology or PsyD with an emphasis in art therapy and additional certification as an applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapist.

HOW TOURO IS HELPING ME ACHIEVE SUCCESS:

Touro is helping me achieve success by maintaining small classroom sizes and a dedicated administration. My political science professors are very passionate about what they teach, and their attitude is contagious. The enriching internships that Career Services has helped me secure have also been instrumental in my success. These include interning for Councilmember Lynn Schulman, the Jamaican Consulate and Judge Esther Morgenstern at the New York State Supreme Court.

COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY:

I teach a weekly class on Jewish theology for the teens in my community. We look at the weekly Torah reading with light Talmudic commentary and ask questions like, “What does this reflect about the Jewish view of women?” and “What value is there in portraying our patriarchs as wealthy?” I love empowering the students to connect with their roots and critically engage with the Jewish traditional texts.

WHY I CHOSE THIS FIELD:

It inspires me in my everyday life to work with individuals who are disabled. The students I work with now suffer from various forms of traumatic brain injuries, yet they still manage to push past their disabilities and accomplish great feats. I look forward to continuing to work with patients with disabilities of various types.

HOW TOURO IS HELPING ME ACHIEVE SUCCESS: The psychology department at Touro University NYSCAS offers mentorships to help me achieve my academic goals and position me for post-grad opportunities.

WHAT I’M MOST PROUD OF:

I am most proud of the headway I’ve been able to make in my academic journey as a Muslim immigrant of color.

INNOVATIONS

AT TOURO

TOURO DENTAL— FORWARD THINKING WHILE GIVING BACK

When Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) opened in 2016, it was the first new dental school to open in New York State in 50 years—and the very first dental school under Jewish auspices in the world, outside of Israel. These two core foundations shine through in the school’s commitments to modern innovation, as well as to service and social justice.

TCDM is focused on preparing the next generation of outstanding dental professionals to deliver excellent, cutting-edge care to a diverse mix of patients, especially those who need it most. “Whether it be those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, those who are intellectually or developmentally disadvantaged—those individuals are the ones who are lacking the most access to care,” says Dr. Ronnie Myers, professor and dean at TCDM.

PROVIDING EXCELLENT DENTAL CARE TO UNDERSERVED REGIONS

This philosophy is what guided TCDM to open its newest clinical facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This region has one of the lowest dentistto-population ratios in the country, and Touro Dental Health will be the first dental school clinic in the state. This new facility will give students an even broader background of clinical experience while providing local residents with easier access to quality care. The facility is set to open in the spring of 2025.

TRAINING PRACTITIONERS TO BE EMPATHETIC AND INCLUSIVE

The school is also dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities who struggle to access dental care. Wait times for specialized care can be long, and it can be difficult for patients to

describe what they’re experiencing, leading to pain and confusion. Through fellowships, scholarships and institutional partnerships, TCDM encourages students to learn about and address health disparities, like the ones that impact patients with disabilities. Thanks to this training and outreach, one Touro Dental patient’s mother says that her daughter “no longer dreads appointments.”

INNOVATING THE FUTURE OF DENTAL CARE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND HANDS-ON CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

In all their programs and initiatives, TCDM is committed to utilizing the latest technology and innovations. “The technical landscape of dentistry is dramatically changing,” says Dr. Myers. As a young institution founded in the digital age, TCDM has been able to integrate healthcare-improving technologies “from the ground up.” In the Touro Dental Health Clinic and the state-of-the-art Konikoff Digital Dental Studio, students learn how to use digital scans to create perfectly fitted crowns and even detect oral cancer. They practice using the latest 3-D printers and milling machines, equipping them to deliver dental care that would typically take multiple appointments in just one day.

TCDM students understand the value of this hands-on access to groundbreaking technology, and in the clinic, they see firsthand how these tools can be leveraged to treat advanced and complex cases. Rachel Sebastian, a fourth-year dental student and president of TCDM’s Student Government Association, says that when she first began researching dental schools, she found that the amount of clinical experience students get “varies a lot.” TCDM’s focus on pre-doctoral DDS candidates, rather than post-graduate programs, means that students are exposed to more diverse and complex cases. “The opportunities in the clinic are wonderful.” she says.

“The fact that we’re able to take on these cases, and that we have really supportive faculty to help guide us and teach us every step of the way, it’s a really great combination.”

At Touro Dental Health, under the guidance of expert faculty, students learn to care for patients in all dental specialties including pediatric dentistry, endodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, oral facial pain and implants.

LOOKING FORWARD WHILE GIVING BACK

Outside of the clinic, community service is a graduation requirement, but “it doesn’t feel like a chore,” Sebastian says. “It’s really nice to be able to give back in some way.” For nearly two years, Sebastian has been making monthly food deliveries to a local community member through the Hillside Food Outreach Program. “This has reinforced the importance of providing empathy and support to those in need, which is essential as a future dental practitioner,” she says.

TCDM is delivering on its mission. The school’s integrated national board examination success rate is at 100%. Graduates are successfully matching with some of the best residency programs in the country,

at a rate well above the national average. TCDM’s applicant pool is “robust,” Dr. Myers says, and grows every year. Almost 1 in 5 applicants to dental school now apply to Touro—an impressive achievement for a school less than 10 years old. TCDM’s distinctive combination of technical excellence and serviceoriented heart will continue to empower future dental professionals for generations to come.

Touro Dental students teach oral hygiene to preschoolers at Give Kids a Smile event

INNOVATIONS AT TOURO

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

Touro University is thriving, educating 19,000 students in seven states and four countries. The system has flourished by building on its strengths and values, which include a commitment to intellectual inquiry; excellence in teaching, learning and scholarship; fostering research, innovation and creativity; and service to communities.

PIONEERING AI THINKING, PREPARING STUDENTS FOR TOMORROW’S WOKFORCE

Over 50% of recent college graduates fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will ultimately replace them at their jobs. To prepare for the drastic changes AI will bring about in the workforce, Touro is one of the first universities in the nation to begin incorporating the fundamental principles of “AI thinking” into its curriculum for students across the entire system. AI technology will continue to evolve, so Touro is preparing students with the skills and mindset that enable them to adapt to changes over the next decade and beyond.

Dr. Shlomo Argamon , an AI researcher, data scientist, advisor to high-tech startups and expert in forensic linguistics, is the school’s first associate provost for AI, and he will be overseeing this new educational approach. “We will be teaching students to bridge between the human and the technological, which is the essential direction for human, professional and societal growth in this new era,” says Argamon.

NEW ACADEMIC DOCTORAL PROGRAMS ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AND JEWISH STUDIES

As recent challenges like the pandemic have brought mental health issues to the forefront, Americans are asking more from mental health professionals. Touro has a new PsyD program that meets those challenges with a unique emphasis on healthcare. “Students work directly with culturally, ethnically and racially diverse populations across the life span. They are learning about healthcare disparities and how to bring this understanding into clinical practice, enabling them to have a significant influence on the health of their communities,” said School of Health Sciences Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Program Director Dr. Frank Gardner. A decade in development, the Ph.D. program at Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies (GSJS) provides students with opportunities to work with Touro’s distinguished graduate faculty in New York, as well as with experts in Holocaust Studies at Touro’s Berlin campus. Dean Michael Shmidman, who is both an ordained rabbi and a scholar of Jewish studies, holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. The program represents “a new era in Touro’s contribution to knowledge about the intellectual, social and political history of the Jewish people in the past millennium,” says Shmidman.

TOURO EXPANDS RESEARCH FOOTPRINT TO NEW MEXICO AND MONTANA

In August, the University welcomed the prestigious Lovelace Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico to the Touro family. Founded in 1947, Lovelace is one of the nation’s oldest notfor-profit biomedical research institutes and is noted for excellence in respiratory disease and

Dr. Shlomo Argamon, Associate Provost for AI

neuroscience research, toxicology, drug development experience and protecting the nation against chemical, biological and nuclear threats.

Lovelace has three campuses, receives more than $70 million annually in grants and contracts, has published thousands of research papers and employs 400 physicians, scientists and researchers. “The affiliation significantly impacts our research capability and expands our capacity to make a difference in the health and lives of Americans,” said Touro President Dr. Alan Kadish.

Touro Senior Vice President for Research Affairs Dr. Salomon Amar stressed the significant opportunities for interdisciplinary research presented by the association. “The complexity of current biomedical research calls for the highly integrated team approach now readily available with Lovelace, which has successfully integrated into the fabric of Touro University. We look forward to sharing new developments and success stories.”

In addition to Lovelace Research Institute, Touro has affiliated with McLaughlin Research Institute (MRI) in Great Falls, Montana. MRI is focused on translational science in medicine including neurogenetics on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other degenerative nerve diseases. Under the direction of Dr. Kadish and Dr. Amar, MRI is partnering with Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM)-Montana to offer research opportunities for students and faculty members. MRI scientists

will teach and mentor students at TouroCOM and together, they will explore cutting-edge research opportunities and discoveries.

Dr. Salomon Amar

Members of the inaugural class at Touro’s newest medical school in Great Falls, Montana

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME

At Touro University, giving back to our communities with programs that support the underserved has long been a part of our mission. We’re constantly working to serve humanity by creating opportunities and services to help those who need it most. Touro works strategically to ensure communities will have the ability to thrive tomorrow and into the future.

Our award-winning MedAchieve program is one way we achieve this goal. MedAchieve is an after-school, STEM-based program created by Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) in Harlem and Middletown. It supports and develops students in diverse communities who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

Made possible by donations to the MedAchieve Scholarship Fund, the program encourages students from underserved communities to become physicians and healthcare providers in their hometowns or in other areas of the U.S. that face a primary healthcare shortage.

MedAchieve participants attend medical lectures, gain hands-on laboratory experience and learn basic scientific principles and practices that foster their curiosity in the medical sciences and provide a deeper understanding of the prevalent healthcare issues facing their communities. They also receive mentoring and career counseling to support them on the path to becoming healthcare providers who can serve where they’re needed most.

MedAchieve is a critical component of Touro University’s strategy to advance our mission and make a positive impact. By investing in underserved communities, we’re investing in a better future for us all.

Touro med students mentor local high school students interested in careers in science

NEW LOCATION TOURO MAKES ITS MARK ON NEW YORK

ANew York City skyscraper isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking of a college campus, but the corner of 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue is now home to Touro University. This brand-new, state-ofthe-art vertical campus puts students right in the heart of Manhattan and gives them access to the best New York City has to offer. The building opened in early 2023 and, not unlike Times Square just outside its door, has already become a bustling crossroads where education, diversity and opportunity all intersect.

The expansive 243,305-square-foot campus spans eight floors that feature classrooms, science and technology labs, libraries, study and conference rooms, event spaces and more. In addition, the campus was purposefully designed to include the newest and most cutting-edge technologies, equipment and resources. Touro’s new home delivers a campus of the future that supports and empowers students as they pursue their passions and prepare for their professional lives.

“After a half-century of growth and service to humanity, Touro has arrived at the Crossroads of the World in Times Square. This is a new and exciting chapter in our storied history. We’re proud of the campus experience and topflight facilities. By making this investment in our students and in our institution, Touro will be well-positioned for the next 50

years,” said Touro President Dr. Alan Kadish. “We’re excited about the opportunities for our students in the future.”

Eight of Touro’s schools are now housed in this high-rise campus, creating a true home base for the Touro University System, where cross-program research, networking and collaboration can thrive. These schools include New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS), the College of Pharmacy (TCOP), the School of Health Sciences (SHS), Graduate School of Business (GSB), Graduate School of Education (GSE), Graduate School of Jewish Studies (GSJS), Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) and Graduate School of Technology (GST).

Not only does this central location provide easy access for commuters, on-campus students and city residents alike, it also opens the door for better mentorship and networking opportunities. Students and faculty can collaborate, exchange ideas and conduct research.

By bringing together undergraduate, graduate and professional students— as well as faculty from such a diverse range of disciplines, Touro University is fostering a more unified and connected university family. It’s a place for education and fellowship today that will also help to shape its legacy for the future.

From Touro to the U.S. Air Force

JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL RENA WINICK WEINSTEIN HEADS UP INTERNATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL LAW

U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate Rena Winick Weinstein wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with her life when she graduated high school.

As an Orthodox Jew, Weinstein was certain of one thing: She wanted to go to college in a place that would support her religious lifestyle—and help her find her professional path. So, she enrolled at the Lander College for Women –The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School, a part of the Touro University System, designed to help observant Jews get an education without compromising their religious values.

Weinstein, now 25, ended up finding the spark for her unconventional career at Touro: She became interested in national security after taking a college counterterrorism course. She dabbled in a variety of pursuits after graduating, including selling real estate and learning Arabic, before deciding to study law at Georgetown University. She eventually landed a job in the U.S. Air Force as an attorney known as a JAG, or judge advocate general.

“It was very helpful for me, now that I’m in an environment where there’s very little religion, to have that foundation of strong academics and a strong religious environment while in college,” Weinstein said, reflecting on her experience. “That was the cushion that allowed me to branch off into the secular world.”

These days Weinstein, who recently married, works at a fighter jet base in England, where she’s chief of international and operational law, dealing with issues ranging from NATO readiness to military court martials.

“I’ve always been patriotic, so I felt it was important to show appreciation for the gifts we’ve received as Jews in America by joining the military,” said Weinstein, who previously spent a year and a half at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing. “I wanted to do more than sitting around at a think tank, talking about patriotism and values.”

This article first appeared in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

From Touro to Tax Partner

FOR MINDI LOWY, TOURO ’04, HER STAR HAS RISEN AT PWC

WHAT LED YOU TO CHOOSE A CAREER IN ACCOUNTING?

I was always more of a math/finance mind rather than English or humanities. What I like about accounting is that it offers a lot of avenues to pursue, provides good background for industry and for actually running a business. I saw that the core skills I would learn in the accounting program—reading financial statements, understanding what goes into profitability—are all essential to being part of a business and could enable me to enjoy a fulfilling accounting career, pivot into a finance role or run a business.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER JOURNEY—WHERE DID YOU START AND WHAT WERE THE STEPS FROM THERE TO YOUR CURRENT ROLE AS TAX PARTNER AT PWC?

Once I earned my accounting degree and passed the CPA exam, I started off at PwC in the asset management tax industry. Early on in my career, I focused on hedge funds and then I went on to servicing mutual funds, private equity funds and fund of funds. Today, I service diverse types of funds that exist in the industry. I have a wide base of clients, who I help through transactions, with tax structuring and with compliance.

I went from a first-year tax associate with limited experience to a partner who has a diverse array of roles and responsibilities. I now oversee a large team in the U.S. and offshore. I lead a lot of training and educating within PwC and at industry conferences.

I speak on a wide range of tax topics relating to the asset management industry—industry trends at any given time, how the shifting market can impact clients, tax planning ideas and tax complexities. Fund managers and investors likely want to know about tax implications because it can impact the bottom line.

CAN YOU SHARE A DAY IN THE LIFE AS TAX PARTNER, ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS?

No two days are the same. As a tax partner, I juggle many responsibilities, including overseeing compliance, assisting clients with structuring and transactions and overseeing an internal team responsible for delivering to our clients.

I could have my day planned out and a client may call asking for assistance on a pending transaction that needs immediate attention, so I’ll pivot and reprioritize my day. I spend a lot of time with clients on unanticipated work when they are working through deals.

I also spend time training the future leaders in the industry, recruiting and sourcing talent and staying up to speed on the latest trends in the fund world. On any given day, I’m touching on a number of these initiatives.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

Number one is making partner. This was the culmination of years of hard work and contributing to the industry, to the firm and to our clients, and I’ve been fortunate to have several incredible mentors who’ve contributed to this success. I’ve also been excited to publish articles in industry publications. My articles will typically consist of

bringing an idea or solution to the industry that may not have been previously explored.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN WHO SEEK LEADERSHIP ROLES IN CORPORATE AMERICA?

There is a tremendous amount of opportunity today for women who aspire to be leaders. There are role models for women to emulate who have paved the path. I have looked to them for mentorship throughout my career. My advice is to find mentors—mentoring is key for individuals seeking a leadership role, and something I’ve been fortunate to have throughout my career. I continue to rely on them to bounce around ideas and seek advice or second opinions.

I also recommend that women lean into opportunities that are in front of them and not let them pass by. Perhaps just as important as raising a hand for opportunities that come your way is to actually create the opportunity itself.

This one is probably most important to me—become a trusted advisor. Clients will call me for tax, financial reporting and accounting issues, but are they reaching out to me for business issues outside my specialty? For example, over the last year, many clients have been struggling with their back-office strategy and employee retention. Should they require people to come in, do they adopt a hybrid model? I have exposure to a large client base and some clients feel my abilities to benchmark and bring a perspective on these issues are valuable.

If you become a trusted business advisor to your client, it can make your relationship a lot broader. It can lead clients to come back for more assistance and can help you to continue to succeed.

HOW DID YOUR TOURO EDUCATION PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR CURRENT SUCCESS?

It played a huge role. The person who helped me get my first job at PwC was another woman at Touro. Because of Touro’s effective accounting program, I felt well-prepared for the CPA exam and for success in the field.

From Touro’s California Campus to the White House

DR. KAMAL KALSI IS WHERE THE ACTION IS

Most first-year medical students find their studies to be challenging enough on their own. But Dr. Kamal Kalsi has never resisted the call to use each and every day to make the biggest impact possible.

While in his first year at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Kalsi joined the army. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but it kicked off a whole other aspect of my life,” he says. “I became a civil rights advocate for religious freedom in the military.” In 2009, Dr. Kalsi was granted the first religious accommodation for a Sikh in the military in nearly a generation. This accommodation paved a path not just for himself, but for all service members who wear religious articles of faith like beards, turbans, hijabs and yarmulkes.

Enlisting in the army during graduate school also kicked off another key aspect of Dr. Kalsi’s life: pursuing multiple passions at once. Over the course of his pioneering career, Dr. Kalsi earned a Bronze Star Medal while serving in Afghanistan and oversaw the largest EMS system within the military as the EMS director at Fort Bragg. He founded the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) and serves as a fellow at the Truman National Security Project. Dr. Kalsi balances all this with his service as both a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and as a White House commissioner for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAHPI) communities.

Dr. Kalsi says his time at Touro prepared him well for a richly varied career. “Some medical students have a really concrete vision of what kind of doctor they want to be, and others, like me,

like everything. Which is why I enjoy emergency medicine—it’s the first five minutes of everything.” On campus, his classes and professors nurtured this wide-ranging interest, rather than pressuring him to narrow it down. He fondly recalls the one-on-one attention he received in classes that were tough for him, like anatomy. The educators at Touro go “above and beyond to help their students understand the material,” he says. “There’s beauty and humanity in that approach. It’s a place of passion and learning.” What advice would Dr. Kalsi have for the next generation of medical students? “I would tell them to expect change.” Dr. Kalsi believes that Touro fosters the kind of creativity and innovation that will serve future doctors well. “Medicine in the next decade or two is really going to flourish. It’s changing dramatically even as we speak. Preparing your students in a way that allows them to think outside the box will allow them to serve their patients better.”

Stoic and Skilled

WHETHER IN ROUTINE OR WAR, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT MICHELE FREUND CARES FOR PATIENTS WITHOUT FLINCHING

Michele Freund demanded far more than a paycheck when she chose her career. “I wanted to work in a field that was meaningful,” she says. “Every single day.” A 2021 graduate of the Touro’s School of Health Sciences, Freund is now a physician assistant (PA).

On October 7th, she was in Israel. There to visit relatives, she was awakened before dawn that Saturday to emergency sirens and rocket explosions. She quickly learned of the horror of murders and kidnappings by Hamas terrorists. “Israelis cannot afford to take the time to mourn,” says Freund, 29, whose father is Israeli-born and whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors. “There’s no time to sit in their pain. They must get up and act.”

Freund headed to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where she spent the remaining week of her vacation volunteering. She was dispatched to the neurosurgery department, where she triaged patients, inserted IVs, prepared patients for surgery and did whatever was needed in a hospital short on doctors who had left their medical posts for military service.

Freund graduated from New York University, where she majored in psychology and pre-med, but she struggled balancing her education with her Jewish identity before coming to Touro. “I didn’t have to sacrifice my religion for my academics,” she says, simply. “The PA education is somewhat like medical school but accelerated. At Touro, I could work hard and still be with my family for holidays without feeling pressure of falling behind or having to explain what Jewish holidays are.”

She appreciated her professors—professionals in the field who prepared students for what to expect as PAs in the real world.

Freund was hired in Lenox Hill’s OB-GYN department straight out of Touro. She does everything from seeing patients to performing Cesarian section surgeries. “When there is something that has to be done, I can’t sit.” Nowhere was that more evident than when Freund was in Israel. “I couldn’t be in a country I love that was being targeted by terrorists and do nothing.” The hospital she chose was the very same institution in which her late grandmother, who had fled Hungary during World War II, had worked as a nurse. “I felt very close to her,” Freund says. “I know she would be very proud.”

Freund fought through the chaos. She happened upon a young victim of the attack. She stared at the unconscious patient, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. “That patient was so hard for me,” Freund says. “Seeing her so young, so vulnerable… it could have been me.”

AUNIVERSITY The FOR YOU

ANTISEMITISM IS RISING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS AMERICA

At Touro’s Lander Colleges you’re home—a place where Torah study and values are celebrated. We are proud of our Jewish heritage—it is the foundation upon which our university was created. It is where you’ll always be safe and a cherished member of the academic community. Where your professional goals will be nurtured in a supportive environment dedicated to your success.

Learn more at touro.edu/poweryourpath.

supportive academic environment.

Recipients of the new scholarship receive 25 percent of tuition per semester needed to attend Touro’s New York School of Career & Applied Studies (NYSCAS). Additionally, the school implemented a policy that allows qualified transfer students who feel unsafe at their current schools to apply for same-day acceptance at Touro.

“Our students select Touro because they know they will receive a rigorous education in an envi-

ronment committed to diversity of students and ideas. Our students should be exclusively focused

ing academic achievement,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, president of Touro University. “Like many, we’ve been appalled by the inaction of some university leaders in the face of growing antisemitism and the reluctance to treat all forms of racism equally. This has inspired Touro to create new solutions tion while staying true to our school’s founding Touro is also maintaining that sense of security

tal healthcare at a free, walk-in clinic at its Times

ease and a sort of pervasive sadness,” says clinic head Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman. Whether students just need to talk after a bad day or they’re feeling overwhelmed by the current state of the world, they can stop in at any time, no appointment needed. As Dr. Lichtman puts it, “We’re trying to support our students in ways that will speak to them.”

In light of recent events, giving students and faculty a safe space where they’re supported and their values are celebrated, Touro is creating a place to call home.

Dr. Alan Kadish President

Mr. Abraham Biderman

Mr. Shmuel Braun

Dr. Benjamin Chouake

Mr. Allen Fagin

Mr. Howard Friedman

Dr. Zahava Friedman

Mr. Gilles Gade

Rabbi Menachem Genack

Mr. Solomon Goldfinger

Mr. Abraham Gutnicki

Mrs. Debra Hartman

Mrs. Judy Kaye

Mr. Zvi Ryzman Chair

Rabbi Doniel Lander

Mr. Brian Levinson

Mr. Dovid Lichtenstein

Mr. Martin Oliner

Dr. Lawrence Platt

Mrs. Margaret Retter

Mr. Stephen Rosenberg

Mr. Israel Sendrovic

Mr. Gary Torgow

Mr. Jack Weinreb

Rabbi Shabsai Wolfe

Mr. Steven Zuller