Jan. 15, 2021
Special interests can be assets, not hindrances, for youth with autism
Jan. 15, 2021 Kerri Nowell, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Health Psychology and a pediatric clinical psychologist at the MU Thompson Center, together with colleagues Stephen Kanne, Cynthia Brown and Courtney Jorgenson, developed the survey for caregivers of youth with autism to assess various special interests they may have and determine if those special interests were interfering with the child’s development. After analyzing nearly 2,000 responses, in addition to possible reductions of anxiety and improvements of mental health, Nowell found that many caregivers also recognize the child’s special interests as outlets that can potentially benefit them in social…
Jan. 12, 2021
OTA program receives candidacy status for accreditation
Jan. 12, 2021 Early last month, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy (ACOTE) voted to grant candidacy status to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Baccalaureate Program, which is set to enroll students for Fall 2021. Candidacy status means that the Department of Occupational Therapy is now eligible to begin admitting students to the BHS-OTA program. “We are excited to be at the forefront of this new era in OTA education and proud to be offering this unique opportunity at the University of Missouri,” says Tim Wolf, occupational therapy department chair. During the review process, ACOTE identified the following strengths with the…
Jan. 7, 2021
Mizzou students recognized by Missouri Public Health Association
The Missouri Public Health Association has announced their award winners! Each year, MPHA makes awards to deserving students in the field of public health. Two Mizzou Master of Public Health students won awards this year: Devin Hursey received The Edna Dell Weinel Scholarship, and Kayla Reil received the Health Profession Scholarship. MPH student Kayla Riel Hursey,…
Jan. 5, 2021
Botswana Blackburn named Associate Chair of Health Sciences
Botswana Blackburn has been named associate chair of the Department of Health Sciences effective Jan. 1. An associate teaching professor, Dr. Blackburn has served as the Health Sciences program director since July of 2018. “Dr. Blackburn has demonstrated outstanding performance and made important contributions to helping the Department of Health Sciences accomplish its educational mission,” said Li-Wu Chen, department chair. “She is well respected by our faculty, staff and students.” As the associate chair, Dr. Blackburn will assist Dr. Chen with issues related to DHS’s educational program, student affairs and teaching-related faculty affairs. She will also assist with strategic initiatives…
Dec. 21, 2020
Nuclear Medicine program earns reaccreditation
Dec. 21, 2020 The Mizzou Nuclear Medicine program earned reaccreditation for seven years from the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT) in November. In its report, the JRCNMT noted several strengths of the Mizzou program: Variety of clinical affiliates and support from affiliate educational supervisors Excellent faculty who are passionate about nuclear medicine Unique partnerships with Northstar, NextGen and the MU Research Reactor, which provide learning and research opportunities for students Excellent administrative, advisement and records support Support from administration at both department and college level, including advocating for faculty development funding Over the…
Dec. 16, 2020
Thank you, Dale Fitch!
Dec. 16, 2020 Associate Professor Dale Fitch has directed the School of Social Work since 2017. His term comes to an end this month as School of Health Professions Dean Kristofer Hagglund prepares to announce a permanent director. “In working closely with Dale these past few months, I have come to appreciate his dedication to the mission of the School of Social Work and his commitment to supporting his colleagues, students and the community,” Dean Hagglund said. “Dale successfully guided the School of Social Work to the School of Health Professions, much to the delight of the faculty and staff…
Dec. 16, 2020
Mizzou student goes from intern to executive director
Plenty of Mizzou grads use an internship to launch their career, though likely few have made the jump from unpaid intern to head of an organization in eight months. But Nicole Cope, who is graduating this week with her master’s of public health, is doing just that. Cope is set to become executive director of the Missouri Immunization Coalition, a nonprofit raising vaccine awareness. It’s a new beginning for Cope, who is also retiring from the Army Medical Corps after a decorated 23-year career, having earned the rank of master sergeant.
Dec. 14, 2020
Faculty mentor students at Health Sciences Research Day
Mentees of three School of Health Professions faculty presented their research studies during Health Sciences Research Day in November. The event featured more than 200 research projects from MU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as pre- and post-doctoral trainees. The projects covered various health topics including immunology, nutrition and exercise physiology, diabetes, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and health psychology. By investing time and energy in the mentorship of students, these three faculty members are true exemplars of our school’s mission. Congratulations to all who participated! Nancy Cheak-Zamora (Health Sciences) Mentee: Andrew Tate, undergraduate student Project:…
Dec. 9, 2020
Season of Giving: Mitch Vandel-Holm
Dec. 3, 2020 This story is part of the School of Health Professions Season of Giving series in which we highlight scholarship recipients who are driven by giving back – to their patients and clients, and to their communities. Thanks to the generosity of scholarship donors, recipients are not only able to focus on their education, but also enrich their communities through their passion and their work. It’s a cycle of generosity that just keeps giving. __________________________________ Mitch Vandel-Holm is a Physical Therapy student who received the Raymond E.
Dec. 3, 2020
Health Professions faculty receive research funding
Congratulations to the Health Professions faculty whose research projects were selected for Tier 3 funding of the UM System’s Research and Creative Works Strategic Investment. This initiative aims to invest in research and creative works over the next five years to support and address grand challenges, foster collaboration system-wide and provide instrumentation to enhance faculty research. The UM System received 74 formal proposals for Tier 3 funding, and the 23 projects that were awarded the highest ranks were approved. Six of nine Health Professions research proposals received funding. Below, in alphabetical order, are the six projects created by seven Health…