From-the-Dean Messages 2025
Read past issues from Dean Akinwuntan's weekly email message to faculty, staff, students and alumni.
From-the-Dean: December 24, 2025
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., presented a session on her research on swim lessons to prevent drowning at the 18th World Leisure Congress held August 25–28, 2025, in Breda, Netherlands. She also led a panel exploring international perspectives on inclusive aquatics and took part in board meetings and membership engagement activities. See photos. Nice job!
Members of the SleepWell research laboratory presented at the annual conference for the Society for Behavioral Sleep Medicine held October 23-26, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. Those presenting on sleep health topics included clinical research coordinators Allison Glaser and Jade Robichaud as well as graduate research assistants Garrett Baber and Matt Gratton, along with Anna Zanotto, postdoctoral fellow. Lab director and Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., presented "Sleep and Circadian Health in Medically Complex Populations" as part of a post-graduate course. Well done!
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Lauren Mann, Ph.D., was a special guest on "All Things Brain Health," a video series from The University of Kansas Health System. In the episode, she discusses her research on the effects of live music on individuals with tinnitus. Watch. Way to go!
With the holiday break here, may you find time for well-deserved rest and relaxation. I wish each of you the very best, and please know your efforts for our school and for our students are very much appreciated.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: December 19, 2025
Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, is a co-investigator on a significant five-year grant awarded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. An article from KU Medical Center News details how this effort has led to KU Medical Center becoming just the 12th institution in the prestigious Nutrition Obesity Research Centers Consortium. Excellent work!
The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care has granted continuing accreditation to our bachelor's degree program in respiratory care. The comprehensive program review recognizes substantial compliance with nationally established standards and covers the maximum 10-year term through 2035. Thank you to department chair Lisa Trujillo, DHSc, and her faculty and staff for their efforts and congratulations!
Rehabilitation science student Bria Bartsch was awarded a prestigious Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institutes of Health. This is believed to be the first such award to a student in our school. Her project is titled "Investigating the Impact of Load-Dependent and Structural Arterial Stiffness on Cerebrovascular Blood Flow in Individuals Post-Stroke," and her mentor is School of Medicine faculty member Sandy Billinger, Ph.D. Congratulations!
Occupational therapy student Haven Herndon presented at the Missouri Occupational Therapy Association fall conference held October 24-25 in Camdenton, Missouri. She hosted a workshop titled "Occupational Therapy in RTI/MTSS: Defining Roles, Overcoming Barriers, Driving Change," and presented a poster, "Occupational Therapists in Tiered Interventions in School-Based Practice in Missouri." Well done!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: December 12, 2025
Thank you to all who were able to attend our holiday luncheon for faculty and staff on December 3, 2025. See photos. It was great to see and speak with so many from across our school, honor our special guests and recognize several deserving award winners. I truly appreciate the hard work and dedication of all our faculty and staff, and I wish you each a happy holiday season.
Congratulations to Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Anna Arthur, Ph.D., as recipient of the 2025 Lou Loescher-Junge Service Award! It honors her demonstrated exceptional abilities to serve, inspire and lead with broad impact at the school, university and community levels.
Ryley Shinkle, administrative officer for the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, was selected for the 2025 Rising Star Staff Award. Kayla Bortka, administrative assistant in the Office of the Dean, was chosen for the 2025 All-Star Staff Award. Congratulations to both of you!
Current athletic training student Abbey Rose was selected for the Samuel Porritt Rehabilitation Excellence Scholarship, and current physical therapy student Caitlyn Kline received the Kovac Student Support Award for Health Professions. In addition, current rehabilitation science student Sodiq Fakorede was honored with the Dan Conyers Leadership Award, and genetic counseling student Lucy Holland was chosen for the James P. Cooney Leadership Award. Congratulations to each of you!
The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award went to Larry Massobos, B.S., a graduate of our respiratory care program. Lauren Vaughan, SLPD, a graduate of our speech-language pathology program, received the Early Career Alumni Achievement Award while Myles Wilcox was recognized with the Honorary Alumni Award. Congratulations to each of you!
Finally, we filled a large cart with a significant number of donated food and other supplies for Thrive, the on-campus food pantry for our students. This really does make a difference in the lives of so many of our students. We are very grateful for your generosity.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: December 5, 2025
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., formally received the designation of fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. This recognizes active members with an outstanding record of professional service who have also made contributions of national significance to the field of medical rehabilitation. She becomes the third member of our school to earn this honor, and she was recognized during the organization's annual conference held October 27-30, 2025, in Chicago. See photo. Congratulations!
Jake Sosnoff, Ph.D., our school's associate dean for research, was interviewed on The Larry Meiller Show, a production by Wisconsin Public Radio. He appeared in a segment titled "Runner-Turned-Author Still Raising Money for Multiple Sclerosis Research" and provided background on his path to taking on multiple sclerosis and explained the interventions and imaging available to patients today. Listen. Nice job!
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Lauren Mann, Au.D., was a special expert guest on All Things Brain Health, a regular YouTube series from The University of Kansas Health System. In this episode, "The Hearing-Brain Connection: How Hearing Loss May Be Linked to Dementia," they discuss the latest research and how early intervention could make a difference in the lives of patients. Listen. Well done!
Therapeutic science doctoral student Wafaa Alduraidi presented two research posters at the 2025 Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars. Her work is focused on urban vs. rural health care experiences among adolescents and young adults with autism, and she earned Honorable Mention Student Poster Award at the event held June 26-28, 2025, at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Her mentor is Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D. See photo. Congratulations!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: November 26, 2025
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., is co-first author on a paper published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. It is titled "TeleCARE: Adapting and Piloting Child Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) Workshop for Videoconferencing Delivery During the Pandemic," and co-authors include colleagues in the KU Department of Pediatrics and Makenzie Danley, Au.D., a graduate of our doctoral program in audiology. Nice work!
Aaron Smith, Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, is first author on a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. It is titled "Eight Weeks of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation is Associated with Increased Muscle Strength and Size in Alzheimer's Disease: Data from a Single-Arm Pilot Study." His faculty mentor is Matthew Taylor, Ph.D. Great job!
Office of the Dean staff member Tiffany Pollard earned a first place prize in the 20th Annual Rural Kansas Photography Contest. Appearing in the "Sky's the Limit" category, her entry titled "Break in the Day" is a striking landscape image from Linn County, Kansas. In all, 998 images were submitted by 224 photographers in this year's contest. See the winners. Congratulations!
I hope you have a fantastic and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday. Please join me in giving thanks for everything we have and where we are today given the many challenges we face. Let us also remember and help support those around us who are in need. One great way to do this is with a donation to Thrive, the on-campus food pantry for our students. You may also consider bringing food items to our holiday party next week, and I look forward to seeing you then.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: November 21, 2025
Research by Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Matthew Taylor, Ph.D., has received significant regional and national attention recently. He was interviewed by Time Magazine for its piece titled "Can Creatine Keep Your Brain Sharp?" and was a featured guest expert on an episode of the Modern Healthspan podcast and an episode of the Brain Docs podcast. He also appeared in studio on the "Show Me the Science" segment of an episode of Open Mics from The University of Kansas Health System. In addition, his work on creatine in patients with Alzheimer's disease was highlighted in an article by KU Medical Center News. In September he appeared at Cinderblock Brewing in North Kansas City to speak as part of the series Brews & Breakthroughs. Very impressive and great work!
Rebecca Bliss, DHSc, faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, was selected to receive an award for service to the Residency and Fellowship special interest group, which is part of the American Physical Therapy Association's Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. She was chosen for her training of physical therapists in the master adaptive learner framework and will be recognized at the association's combined sections meeting next February in Anaheim, California. Great work!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Adriana Queiroz, Ph.D., co-authored a chapter in the book "Cross-Cutting Dialogues in Leisure, Sport and Health," edited and published by the Federal University of Minas Gerais, a federal university of Brazil. The chapter explores traditional concepts of leisure and shifting societal dynamics, as well as the leisure practices in specific populations in Brazil and the U.S. Nice job!
Current speech-language pathology student Herman Cheah presented preliminary findings from his master's thesis at the annual conference of the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association held September 29-30, 2025, in Manhattan, Kansas. His poster was titled "Mandarin-English Bilingual Speech Sound Development in Preschool Children," and he was selected to receive the Margaret Byrne Sarricks Scholarship and the Dixie Heinrich Servant Leadership Award. See photos. Congratulations!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: November 14, 2025
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences faculty member Yan Zheng, Ph.D., presented a session at the 2025 Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions annual conference held October 14–16, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Titled "Does the New Blood Donation Guidance Enhance Blood Supply While Maintaining Blood Safety?" this research was supported by the association's interprofessional collaboration research grant, which promotes innovative team-based approaches to advancing health professions education and research. Well done!
Diagnostic ultrasound students Abby Faulkner, Jentry Jenkins, Rachael Parks and Ava Schneeberg won second place in a competition held during the annual conference of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. In the Toltech XR Anatomy Tournament, students compete in teams to answer questions testing their anatomical knowledge and reasoning. The conference took place September 18-20, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. Congratulations!
The Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training hosted its annual Jessie Ball Lecture and student awards/pinning ceremony on October 9, 2025. In addition to recognition for outstanding achievement and leadership, students were honored with scholarships and awards for professional development, while clinical education partners were also acknowledged. See award recipients. Congratulations to each of you!
A recent article from KU Medical Center News highlights our master's degree program in athletic training. Among other points, it details the program's transition from the Lawrence campus to KU Medical Center, and notes the importance of this field in modern health care.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: November 7, 2025
LesLee Taylor, Ph.D., associate dean for academic and faculty affairs in the School of Health Professions, was conferred as a new fellow of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions. This makes her our school's third fellow of the nonprofit national professional association established to advance health professions education and discovery. This distinguished recognition is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a member of the association and recognizes outstanding leadership and innovation in health professions education. She was honored during the association’s annual conference held October 15, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo. Congratulations!
Therapeutic science doctoral student Krista Eckels participated in the fourth assembly meeting of the End of Life in Place project, an interdisciplinary group focused on research into end-of-life care. The event was held June 16-18, 2025, in Porto, Portugal, and brought together senior researchers, doctoral students, an ethical consultant as well as representatives from patient and caregiver organizations. Photos. Nice work!
An article by KU Medical Center News highlighted our school's steady growth in number of academic programs and student enrollment over the past decade. It also detailed our ongoing efforts in areas such as recruitment and financial support to attract more students to meet the increasing demand for workers in many areas of health care across the state of Kansas and the nation.
KCTV5 featured the work of Marlon Addison, DPT, a graduate of our physical therapy program, in starting a new pro bono clinic through Rockhurst University. The Community Uplift Through Rehabilitation and Advocacy Clinic provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy services to underserved populations in Kansas City while helping students learn in a real-world setting. Great job!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: October 31, 2025
Our respiratory care degree program was named a recipient of the 2026-2027 Apex Designation for Education Programs by the American Association for Respiratory Care. This exemplifies best practices in consistently preparing students to meet the ever-expanding scope of the respiratory therapy profession. Across the nation, only 20 others earned this prestigious honor, which distinguishes programs for their commitment to excellence in professional development and the education of respiratory therapists to deliver the highest quality of care. Great job!
Micha Bazemore, MHS, diagnostic ultrasound program director, and Turi Wiedner, MBA, cardiovascular sonography program director, were selected by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography to serve as accreditation site visitors. This is an outstanding acknowledgment of their professional excellence, leadership and ongoing commitment to high-quality education and student success. Congratulations!
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Marion Leaman, Ph.D., presented posters and oral talks at three conferences during the spring semester about her research involving Expanding Communication and Language Generated in Conversation Treatment (ECoLoGiC Treatment). This therapy is a conversation-level intervention she developed for people with the language disability aphasia to help improve skills for talking to other people in conversation. The conferences took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Uppsala, Sweden. Very nice work!
Two groups of students from our nurse anesthesia program recently completed international educational experiences. Riley Burghart, Kyra Friesen, Kayla Herl and Rachel Watson traveled to Guatemala with Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education faculty Timothy Gengler, DNAP, and Laura McDonald, DNAP. Lexi Rueger and Alisa Schemmel visited Peru with School of Medicine faculty member Anthony Kovac, M.D. Learn more about their trips and see photos in the department's latest newsletter. Bravo!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: October 24, 2025
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Susan Koerner, Ph.D., was selected 2025 Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year by the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This is a tremendous recognition of her outstanding work. Congratulations!
Research by Jacob Sosnoff, Ph.D., associate dean for research, was featured by National Geographic. Its article "Could learning to fall help you live longer?" highlights the interprofessional project with collaborators Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Tobia Zanotto, Ph.D., Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Linda D'Silva, Ph.D., and rehabilitation science doctoral students Lingjun Chen and James Fang. Read snapshot. Full article. Nice work!
Genetic counseling student Lucy Holland was awarded the Student Research Award by the National Society of Genetic Counselors for her project titled "Amplifying Disability Education for Genetic Counselors." This award is provided to support thesis research that exemplifies essential values in the genetic counseling field. Congratulations!
Respiratory care student Sabine Jean-Philippe was selected as the first School of Health Professions student to receive the Rural Explorer and Learner Clinical Experience Award through the Underserved Communities Have a Medical Provider (U-CHaMP) program. As recipient of this award, Sabine will travel to Pittsburg, Kansas, for a two-week clinical experience and shadow a physician treating patients with chronic respiratory disease. The program aims to improve health care in rural and underserved Kansas communities. Congratulations!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: October 17, 2025
Nancy Brady, Ph.D., faculty member in the Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders, received the 2025 Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This notable achievement recognizes distinguished contributions to the discipline of communication sciences and disorders and is the highest honor the association bestows. Congratulations!
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Sodiq Fakorede won first place in the R13 poster competition of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Science. He will be presented with a cash award at the organization's annual conference in Chicago later this month. The title of his presentation is "Standing Impairs Neural Efficiency in Alzheimer's Disease: ERP Evidence of Cognitive-Motor Interference," and his mentor is Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Hannes Devos, Ph.D. Congratulations!
The latest issue of Kansas Medicine + Science magazine highlighted Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Matthew Taylor, Ph.D., in its section "Rising Stars of Research." His exciting work is looking at brain energy metabolism through the prism of nutrition to possibly impact the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions. Read the article. Kudos!
I am excited to share our latest issue of "The Insider," our school's annual newsletter. This edition showcases the school's efforts to expand opportunities for our students, from new degree programs to significant outreach initiatives. If you'd like a printed copy, please send your mailing address to healthprofessions@kumc.edu. The current issue and all past issues of our newsletter are available on our website.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: October 10, 2025
We have issued From-the-Dean every week since the first edition appeared on February 19, 2016. The weekly write up is an initiative that recognizes the great works of our faculty, staff, students and alumni. Today, as we commemorate this, the 500th issue of From-the-Dean, I am truly amazed to see such a continuous output of impactful endeavors of our people. From development of new programs that has led to ten consecutive years of record student enrollment, to record numbers of grant awards and publications, from leadership initiatives to community engagement and recognitions far and wide, your efforts deserve being recognized and praised. As always, please continue to send Terry (terisman@kumc.edu) your accomplishments, and remember: all past editions are available on our website. Thank you all!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., is co-investigator on a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, part of the National Institutes of Health. The project is titled "Increasing Access to Evidence-Based Practices for Latino Families of Children with Autism: Development of the Embajadora Training and Outreach Program," and she will serve as a site principal investigator. Congratulations!
An article from KU Medical Center News highlighted research by Heather Gibbs, Ph.D., associate dean for student affairs. Her work in nutrition literacy examines the capacity of people to understand and then apply nutrition information to help them make informed food choices – increasingly a challenge given the abundance of nutrition misinformation found online. Congratulations!
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Melanie Somogie, M.A., has been guest hosting KSHA Chats, a podcast for the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, while her colleague Susan Koerner, Ph.D., is on leave. Inspired by a campus town hall calling for more attention on why our work matters, she has been highlighting the hidden value of academic programs in Kansas. A recent episode explored the JaySTART Clinic with special guest Stacia Troshynski Brown, DPT, of the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training. Listen to the episode. Nice work!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: October 3, 2025
The University of Kansas has announced 17 faculty members as recipients of KU's annual teaching awards, and two are from the School of Health Professions. Patty Kluding, Ph.D., Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, was chosen for the Chancellors Club Teaching Professorship. Jeannine Goetz, Ph.D., Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, was selected for the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award. They will be honored at the University Teaching Awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. All members of the KU community are invited to RSVP for the event, which will feature a reception and awards program. Congratulations to each of you!
A paper by Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Marion Leaman, Ph.D., was published in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Titled "Feasibility and Preliminary Data for a Training Protocol and Perceptual Rating Scale of Linguistic Conversation Measures in Aphasia," it provided valuable insight that will help refine the training for future research in this area. Nice work!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., co-authored a paper with Makenzie Danley, Au.D., a graduate of our audiology program, and colleagues in the School of Medicine. "TeleCARE: Adapting and Piloting Child Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) Workshop for Videoconferencing Delivery During the Pandemic" appears in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. Well done!
On behalf of the entire faculty, staff and students of the KU School of Health Professions, please join me in thanking Dr. Dory Sabata for her dedication and leadership of the Department of Occupational Therapy Education over the past five years. Under her leadership, the department transitioned to an OTD program, advanced funded research and expanded opportunities for students and OT practitioners to serve Kansas and beyond. Dr. Sabata will step down as chair effective November 1, 2025, and will remain on faculty, eager to focus on teaching, practice and research. Dr. Jacob Sosnoff and Dr. LesLee Taylor, who have been appointed as interim co-chairs for the department, will work with Dr. Sabata over the next month to transition into their new roles. Thank you very much for your leadership, Dr. Sabata!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: September 26, 2025
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Danielle Christifano, Ph.D., received a research grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This will support her work on the "Maternal Intake of Eggs and Infant Neurodevelopment Study," and the award period is August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028. Congratulations!
Audiology doctoral student Ghina Fares was honored with a research excellence award for her poster presentation titled "Comparing the Effects of Concussion on Vestibular Function Across Frequency." She presented her work at a Starkey University workshop held July 18-20, 2025, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Her poster was also accepted for and she received a scholarship to attend the biennial conference of the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, held online September 17-19, 2025. Her mentor is Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Lauren Mann Ph.D. Great job! See photo.
The lasted issue of Kansas Medicine + Science magazine highlighted important research by Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D. The article, titled "Field of Dreams," detailed the challenges of sleep disorders, their impact on health and research currently underway at KU Medical Center to unlock secrets in this important area. Kudos!
In collaboration with the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, therapeutic science doctoral student Makenna Snyder co-facilitated a listening session at the Fire Keepers Elder Center on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation in north-central Kansas. The group including approximately 30 elders worked together last spring to identify health concerns in the American Indian community in Kansas. As a trained technology of participation facilitator, she assisted in building group consensus around this complex topic through real-time collaboration and analysis of results with community members. Well done!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: September 19, 2025
The Kansas Board of Regents named Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Laurie Steen, OTD, among its 2025 Faculty of the Year award recipients. This special honor recognizes the outstanding contributions of faculty at state universities to teaching, student success, research and Kansas communities. Nominees are selected by the faculty at each of the state universities, and she was honored at the board's meeting on September 17, 2025. Well-deserved congratulations!
KU Medical Center News published a recent article highlighting Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, and her impressive designation as one of three new University Distinguished Professors. It details her many contributions to significant research advancements at KU Medical Center as well as an amazing record of collaboration, including with this year's other two honorees. Excellent!
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Bria Bartsch was awarded a very competitive and prestigious Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (known as F31) from the National Institutes of Health. We believe this is the first such award granted to a student in the School of Health Professions. The title of her project is "Investigating the Impact of Load-Dependent and Structural Arterial Stiffness on Cerebrovascular Blood Flow in Individuals Post-Stroke," and her mentor is School of Medicine faculty member Sandra Billinger, Ph.D. Congratulations!
On September 10, 2025, we hosted the 2025 School of Health Professions Student Kickoff in the Health Education Building. This annual event aims to promote interaction between students across the many academic programs in our school, along with building connections with student senate leaders, school leadership, our faculty and our staff. In this welcome back to the new academic year, there were fun games such as Jenga blocks, corn toss, color match and video-based musical dance and sing. Thank you to everyone who attended, and best wishes for a very successful year! See photos.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: September 12, 2025
A paper authored by Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., was selected and highlighted on by Simons Powering Autism Research (SPARK). The organization is one of the leading research communities of autistic individuals, the families and scientists working to identify the causes of autism and informing more effective therapies, treatments, services and supports. The title of her work was “Pilot Rural–Urban Comparison of Health Care Experiences Among Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults," and therapeutic science doctoral students Wafaa Alduraid and Makenna Snyder contributed to the study. Congratulations!
KU Medical Center news recently published an article about the new hybrid pathway within our doctoral program in physical therapy. This addition to the already widely recognized strengths of our nationally ranked program will allow us to serve more communities across the country while providing increased access to new students, especially those from rural areas, since students complete most of the coursework in their local community and only have to come to our campus for specific integrated lab experiences each semester. Kudos!
Timothy Steele, Ph.D., was featured in the latest issue of Kansas Medicine + Science magazine. Has served as a dedicated and very supportive member of our school's board of advocates for many years. He is also a proud Jayhawk, having earned his master's degree in audiology and his doctorate of philosophy in audiology degree from the University of Kansas. In the magazine's section "Alumni Spotlight, Tim talked about the growing need for quality audiology care and how the education he received from KU gave him a strong foundation to build his career in audiology. Wonderful!
We have posted new photos from the "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament fundraiser held on August 28, 2028. We had the most golfers ever (100) participate in our three years of hosting this event. In addition, the initial tally shows we raised upwards of $45,000, and one hundred percent of these funds will go toward support for students in the School of Health Professions.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: September 5, 2025
The American Association for Respiratory Care has awarded a grant to our respiratory care program for the development and implementation of an advanced practice respiratory therapist degree. This new graduate program is part of a national effort to advance the profession and provide advanced care for patients. Thank you to Lisa Trujillo, DHSc, chair of the Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science, and Larry Stein, M.S., clinical assistant professor, for your leadership and hard work in making this happen. Great job!
An article by Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty members Lauren Foster, OTD, and Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. It was titled "Impact of a Responsive Feeding Intervention on Children and Caregivers: A Nonrandomized, Repeated-Measures Study." Nice work!
Jake Sosnoff, Ph.D., our school's associate dean for research, was recently the featured guest on the Modern Management of the Older Adult podcast. In the episode titled "Training People How to Fall," he talks about his research on fall training techniques and the surprising findings regarding head injuries. Well done!
We have posted photos from last week's "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament fundraiser to Facebook and LinkedIn [LINK]. We had the most golfers ever in the three years of hosting this event. In addition, the initial tally shows we raised upwards of $45,000, and one hundred percent of these funds will go toward support for students in the School of Health Professions.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: August 29, 2025
We had 25 teams of golfers – our most ever – compete in the third annual "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament held yesterday at Ironhorse golf course. The weather was spectacular, and the initial tally shows we raised upwards of $45,000! One hundred percent of the funds raised will go toward support for students in the School of Health Professions. Special thanks to our board of advocates members Teresa Gerard, Will Shields and Francie Stoner. I am extremely grateful to our faculty, staff, sponsors, participants, volunteers and supporters for such an outstanding effort. Rock Chalk!
I am excited to announce Tara Brewer, CPA, has joined the School of Health Professions as our new director of finance. She brings a wide depth of experience in accounting, auditing and finance in both the public and private sectors. Her first day on campus was August 20, 2025. Please do reach out to her on Teams or by email and introduce yourself. Welcome Tara!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Tobia Zanotto, Ph.D., was awarded a new research grant. The title of his project is "The Biology of Frailty in People with Multiple Sclerosis," and the award's sponsor is the U.S. Department of Defense. Well-deserved congratulations!
An article by clinical laboratory science doctoral student Eric Walradth was published in Clinical Laboratory News, the primary journal of the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine. The piece was titled "Should You Use Gel or Capillary Serum Protein Electrophoresis to Monitor Myeloma." Nice work!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: August 22, 2025
Current rehabilitation science doctoral student Maryam Sadeghi was selected as a University of Florida Neuromuscular Plasticity Scholar. She was invited to present her research at the 2025 Neuromuscular Plasticity Symposium held March 25-28, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. It was titled "Machine Learning-Based Wearable Gait Analysis for Differentiating Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Parkinson's Disease," and her mentor is Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Hannes Devos, Ph.D. Great work!
An article from KU Medical Center News highlighted Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Anna Arthur, Ph.D., and her work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians at KU Medical Center. The group has issued a call for more research into malnutrition in people with head and neck cancer and developed a roadmap to prioritize nutrition in this population, which historically has lacked access to registered dietitians. Kudos!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., participated in a Career Connections seminar, "Skills for Success in the Heartland," last spring. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, this professional development event provides attendees with opportunities to build upon their international exchange experiences by connecting with leaders from the business, government, civil society and nonprofit sectors. Held March 27-28, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri, the seminar aims to raise awareness of the value and impact of exchange programs. See photo. Well done!
Today is the last day to register to play in our "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament next Thursday at Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood, Kansas. Funds raised from this event will specifically be used to benefit students in our academic programs. Look for more information about our online auction to arrive soon. Find event details, sponsorship opportunities and more on our website at kumc.edu/healthcareheroes.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: August 15, 2025
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty members Susan Koerner, Ph.D., and Kelley Nelson-Strouts, Ph.D., presented at the spring conference of the Missouri Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The title of their talk was "The Ethics of a Comfort Zone." The event was held April 3, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. Nice job!
An article from KU News spotlighted research by Susan Carlson, Ph.D., AJ Rice Professor of Nutrition in our KU Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. In an article appearing in the journal NeuroToxicology, she joined colleagues from around the world in calling on changes to federal food and nutrition guidance during pregnancy. The researchers called for updating scientific advice to give health care providers and patients accurate information about the need for omega-3s found in fish. This was also featured in KU Today. Well done!
Current rehabilitation science doctoral student Sodiq Fakorede published his first, first-author paper. "Neural Evidence for Attentional Resource Allocation to Postural Control Using Brain-Body Imaging" appears in the journal Behavioural Brain Research. He used machine learning of brain activity signals to investigate how standing takes attentional resources away from a memory task compared to sitting. Co-authors are fellow doctoral student Fatimah Alkhameys, with Ke Liao, Ph.D., and Laura Martin, Ph.D., from the Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center, as well as his mentor, Hannes Devos, Ph.D. Excellent work!
One week remains to register to play in our "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament, August 28, 2025, at Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood, Kansas. You can also help us by sharing our recent posts on Facebook and LinkedIn with your networks. Funds raised from this event will specifically be used to benefit students in our academic programs. In addition, our online auction will open next week – if you are able to donate an item, we would be very grateful. Find event details, player registration, sponsorship opportunities and more on our website at kumc.edu/healthcareheroes.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: August 8, 2025
Nearly 100 students from programs in the School of Health Professions earned honor roll distinction for the spring 2025 semester. This recognition requires a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher and completion of at least 12 credit hours during the term. Congratulations!
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Felicia Steger, Ph.D., received national attention in her field for research she presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions. Nutrition and Dietetics SmartBrief, the primary publication of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, highlighted her talk during the session "Next Generation Efforts to Prevent Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes." The event was held June 20–23, 2025, in Chicago. Nice job!
The University of Kansas recognized Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., with its Spotlight on Faculty Excellence. The program honors scholars of national or international stature who have contributed significantly to society, their disciplines and the local community who also develop future leaders through mentoring. Chosen from nominations submitted by deans, department chairs and center directors, she was recognized on the court during a TV timeout at the KU women's basketball game on March 2, 2025. Kudos!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., is first author on an article published in the journal Prevention Science. Titled "Health Access for Independent Living (HAIL): a Pilot Study Examining a Health Management Program for Adults with Physical Disabilities," it details an innovative, structured health management intervention delivered for individuals with disabilities. Great work!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: August 1, 2025
We were excited to host the first group of students in our physical therapy program’s new hybrid pathway, as they attended the inaugural “intensive lab immersion” activities. Following an orientation session on July 11, they participated in six days of hands-on learning experiences focused on advanced and applied anatomy in Orr-Major and School of Nursing buildings on campus. This milestone marks an exciting beginning and reflects the department’s dedication to fostering excellence in innovative, accessible physical therapy education. Excellent! See photo.
An article by Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., was published in the journal Education and Treatment of Children. Titled "Interventions Benefitting Young Autistic Children," it was a collaboration with the KU Juniper Gardens Children's Project and School of Medicine faculty member Linda Heitzman-Powell, Ph.D. Nice work!
Speech-language pathology student Rebecca Smuck presented her thesis work at the annual conference of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The poster was titled "How Communication and Family Relationship Quality Relate to Dementia Impairment," and her mentors are Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Marion Leaman, Ph.D., and School of Nursing faculty member Kristine Williams, Ph.D. The event was held March 13-16, 2025, in Pasadena, California. Great job!
With August now here, it is the countdown to our upcoming "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament, August 28, 2025, at Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood, Kansas. Funds raised from this event will greatly support students in our programs. We will again host an online auction with many great items – if you are able to donate an item, we would be very grateful. Find event details, player registration, sponsorship opportunities and more on our website at kumc.edu/healthcareheroes.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: July 25, 2025
I am honored to be invited to serve with Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Hannes Devos, Ph.D., on the Lancet Neurology Commission on Neurorehabilitation. This group aims to reduce deaths and disabilities and improve the wellbeing of people with neurological conditions. As commissioners, our roles will include assessing current needs in this field, evaluating existing services, and making evidence-based recommendations to improve outcomes.
Medical nutrition science doctoral student Xin Chen is first author on an article published in the journal Lancet Oncology. Titled "Nutrition in Head and Neck Cancer Care: A Roadmap and Call for Research," the manuscript's co-authors included her mentor, Anna Arthur, Ph.D., and Heather Gibbs, Ph.D., both of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. Nice work!
Sarah Behrens, Ph.D., a graduate of our therapeutic science doctoral program, presented a poster on her dissertation research at a conference of the Society for Research in Child Development. It was titled "Exploring Home Visitors' Use and Perceptions of Developmental Monitoring: A Mixed Methods Study," and the event was held May 1-3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Great job!
During spring break, a team from our Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders spent nine days in the Caribbean island nation of Dominica delivering services to local communities. Led by faculty members Krysta Green, Au.D., and
Kate DeJarnette, M.S., the group of audiology and speech-language pathology students conducted screenings, assessments and caregiver training sessions. These services were provided at a variety of clinical sites, including home visits for the elderly, local schools and an infirmary for adults. Well done!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: July 18, 2025
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Veronica Vabishchevich was awarded a competitive fellowship through a T32 training program funded by the National Institutes of Health. Her research and training will focus on the impact of resistance training on glycemic control in adolescents with obesity and prediabetes, and her mentor is Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Bethany Forseth, Ph.D. Congratulations!
An article by Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Lindsey Heidrick, SLPD, was published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. Lawrence campus colleague Panying Rong, Ph.D., was co-author on the piece titled "A Novel Muscle Network Approach for Objective Assessment and Profiling of Bulbar Involvement in ALS." Nice work!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis International 51st Annual Convention. The event was held May 24-26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., and her talk was titled "Children's Preferences in Autism Interventions: Social Validity of the Telehealth Delivered FITBI Program." Great job!
Respiratory care student Sabine Jean-Philippe presented a poster at the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol held earlier this year in Topeka, Kansas. The poster was titled "Improving Health Care Workforce Capacity in Rural Kansas," and Ashley Barry, MPH, Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science faculty member, and Dave Burnett, Ph.D., associate dean for community engagement and workforce initiatives, served as mentors. Well done!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: July 11, 2025
Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., chair of our Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, will be recognized as a University Distinguished Professor during an event next Wednesday. This prestigious honor is reserved for faculty who have made significant and sustained contributions to research, scholarship, teaching and education. Read about her career highlights. The event will be held 3:30-5:30 p.m. on July 16, 2025, in the Ad Astra room on floor 5 of the Health Education Building, with remarks starting at 3:45 p.m. Well-deserved congratulations!
Three new faculty recently joined the School of Health Professions. Tyler Titcomb, Ph.D., started July 1 as an assistant professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. On July 7, Cory Lundgren, DCLS, and Curtis Tobaben, MMB, both clinical assistant professors, started in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Please do reach out and welcome them to our campus!
Respiratory care student Sabine Jean-Philippe was one of four students from our campus to present at the Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol earlier this year. The poster's title was "Improving Health Care Workforce Capacity in Rural Kansas," and they are mentored by Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science faculty members Ashley Barry, MPH, and Dave Burnett, Ph.D. Nice job!
Our third annual "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament will be held on August 28, 2025, at Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood, Kansas. Funds raised from this event will specifically be used to expand financial aid for students in our programs. Last year's event was a big success, and we will again host an online auction with many great items. Find event details, player registration, sponsorship opportunities and more on our website at kumc.edu/healthcareheroes.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: July 3, 2025
Eight faculty from the School of Health Professions were approved for promotion by Chancellor Girod effective July 1. Previously tenured faculty member Wen Liu, Ph.D., received promotion to full professor. Anna Arthur, Ph.D., Aaron Carbuhn, Ph.D., and Matthew Taylor, Ph.D., were promoted to associate professor with tenure. Kasey Edwardson, Ph.D., and Scarlett Morris, DPT, were promoted to clinical associate professor, non-tenure track. Crystal Funke, DPT, and Mary Crouch-Young, DPT, received promotion to clinical assistant professor, non-tenure track. Well-deserved congratulations!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Tobia Zanotto, Ph.D., is first author on a paper published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. It is titled "Strategies to Minimize Fall-related Injuries in Older Adults at Risk of Falls: The Falling Safely Training Study" and showcases interdisciplinary research collaboration on our campus. This work stems from the active collaboration of the Mobility and Falls Laboratory, directed by Jacob Sosnoff, Ph.D., associate dean for research, and includes contributions from rehabilitation science students Lingjun Chen and James Fang, post-doctoral fellow Amir Tabatabaei, and School of Medicine faculty Shelley Bhattacharya, D.O., and Jianghua (Wendy) He, Ph.D. Nice work!
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Bethany Forseth, Ph.D., presented her research at Brews and Breakthroughs, an event held April 14, 2025, at Cinder Block Brewery in North Kansas City. The session was titled "From Stress to Solutions: Science for Caregivers and Families," and she was joined by her collaborators including Amy Bodde, Ph.D., from the School of Medicine. See photos. Excellent!
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Lauren Mann, Ph.D., was featured in a video from KMBC 9 News discussing the widespread need for hearing aids. She is part of a team with staff of The University of Kansas Health System that recycles and redistributes used hearing aids. The Hearing Aid Project is an upcycling program housed on our campus and it reached a major milestone, fitting its 1,000th patient. Our audiology students sort and refurbish the devices, which are then offered at no cost to patients across the country. Great job!
Please have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: June 27, 2025
KU Medical Center's Office of Faculty Affairs selected Patricia Kluding, Ph.D., chair of our Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, as the recipient of the 2025 GlenBob Leadership Award. This honor recognizes contributions in leadership and service made at a consistently high level over many years. Congratulations!
An article by Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member E (Alice) Zhang, Ph.D., was published in the journal Autism. Coauthors include current therapeutic science doctoral students Wafaa Alduraidi and Makenna Snyder, along with collaborators from the School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics. Titled "Pilot Rural–Urban Comparison of Health Care Experiences Among Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults," their work found significant disparities in health care access, provider expertise and dental care coverage between rural and urban participants. Nice work!
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Bria Bartsch was impressive during this year's KU Medical Center Student Research Forum, held April 7-11, 2025. During the banquet and awards presentation, she was recognized with her department's award for outstanding presentation in rehabilitation science research and also the award for best overall presentation in our school. In addition, she was honored as co-winner of the research award from the Office of Graduate Studies. Way to go!
An article from KU Medical Center News highlights Peyton Still, a member of our graduating Class of 2025. It follows his academic journey and ultimately finding success in our bachelor's degree program in health information management. He also discusses his ambitions and interests as he moves forward into his career.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: June 20, 2025
I am happy to announce the promotion of Heather Gibbs, Ph.D., to the position of associate dean for student affairs and LesLee Taylor, Ph.D., to the position of associate dean for academic and faculty affairs, effective June 8, 2025. They have each served our school well as assistant deans for the past year. Thank you for your continued service in leadership of our school.
Renee Hodgkins, Ph.D., took over responsibilities as chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences starting June 16, 2025. Welcome to the school's leadership team, and thank you to Eric Elsinghorst, Ph.D., for more than a decade of dedicated service as department chair.
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Carolina Quintana, Ph.D., is the new director of our master's degree program in athletic training, effective June 8. Thank you to LesLee Taylor, Ph.D., for successfully leading the program since she helped establish it in 2021.
Out of 20 total students selected from across KU to receive the Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship, an impressive five are from the School of Health Professions. Chosen to receive the award for the 2025-2026 academic year are incoming speech-language pathology students Jenna Ghannam, Archisa Ghimire, Maddie Peterson, Daisy Torres and Megan Tucker. This award recognizes outstanding KU undergraduate students transitioning to graduate programs at our university, and recipients are chosen for demonstrated achievement in leadership and scholarship. Congratulations!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: June 13, 2025
The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition received notice of continuing accreditation for our dietetic internship graduate certificate program. This follows a very successful on-site visit in November 2024. The full reaccreditation is now secured through December 31, 2032. Great job!
Dave Burnett, Ph.D., associate dean for community engagement and workforce initiatives, attended a grantee meeting of the Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network held April 30-May 1, 2025 in Rockville, Maryland. While there, he gave a "Ted Talk"-style presentation on increasing access to chronic respiratory disease management in rural areas. At the session titled "Big Ideas for Rural Health: A Grantee’s Perspective," the audience included leadership of the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to help identify needs for future funding. See photo. Well done!
Our Department of Occupational Therapy Education is hosting a visiting scholar from Turkey through this September. Sinem Kars, Ph.D., mentored by faculty members Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., and Alice Zhang, Ph.D., is contributing to their current research projects and participating in autism-related education opportunities. She also is preparing manuscripts for publication during her time here with us. Wonderful!
Our third annual "Making Health Care Heroes" golf tournament will be held on August 28, 2025, at Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood, Kansas. Funds raised from this event will specifically be used to expand new scholarship awards and international educational experiences for students in our programs. Last year's event was a big success, and we will again host an online auction with many great items. Find event details, player registration, sponsorship opportunities and more on our website at kumc.edu/healthcareheroes.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: June 6, 2025
Graduating KU occupational therapy students Alexis Chambers, Abriel Jarrett, Mikayla Quinn, Daisy Valeo, Jessica Williams and Nida’ Al Worikat were honored with awards during the KU Department of Occupational Therapy Education Class of 2025 recognition ceremony held May 16. Paige Molstad, Mikayla Quinn and Caroline Shearer received recognition for their capstone projects. Research-related awards were presented to therapeutic science graduate Jarrod Dusin and occupational therapy graduate Grace O’Grady. Faculty member Denise Sangoi, OTD, was recognized for excellence in teaching. Kayla Hamner, OTR/L, was selected fieldwork educator of the year. In addition, several students received scholarships during the event. Find the complete list of award descriptions and recipients on our website. Congratulations!
The Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training held its ceremony for graduates on May 16. Honors were presented to Class of 2025 athletic training graduates Faith Baxter, Tanner Ramirez and Evan Zars. Our physical therapy program presented awards to Jena Berkland, Mackenzie Bohn, Elleann Kohl and Abby Puckett. Recognized for their research efforts were Kade Brennaman, Courtney Goetz, Madison Lysaught, Lydia Pemberton and Precious Starlin. Congratulations!
KU Medical Center News published an article about this year's student recognition events held May 17, 2025, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. It recaps some remarks from each school's dean, as they note a very impressive group of graduates are poised to make a real impact in health care.
We have posted photos from graduation weekend to our Facebook page. You can also watch the video recording from the student recognition ceremony on our website. Congratulations to all our graduates!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: May 30, 2025
During a farewell reception held May 16, 2025, the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences honored Alexandria Nicole Fiscus with the academic excellence award, Catherine Maria Greub received the professionalism award, and Jenna Renae Wike earned the outstanding student award. Marcela Medrano Mitchell was recognized with the outstanding student award from the Kansas chapter of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. Congratulations!
Students graduating from the Department of Hearing and Speech were recognized during the Audiology White Coat Ceremony held May 16. Olivia Boorom and Becca Smuck were honored with graduate research awards. Sahand Rahimi Pour received the graduate teaching award, while professionalism awards were given to Brenna Brown and Karlee Seevers. Outstanding student awards were presented to Christine Caudle, Ali Jamos and Becca Smuck. Megan Martinez was presented with the outstanding graduate student clinician award, and Annie (Taggert) Stein received the Jacob Rockwell Osman Award. Congratulations!
The Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education held its white coat ceremony May 16. Nicole Harder and Caitlyn Lenard were honored with the George DeVane Excellence Award. Holly Avey received the Nurse Anesthesia Alumni Scholarship, while Ashley Fitch and Natalie Krizek received Norton Ringle Scholarships. The Carol Elliott Nurse Anesthesia Excellence Award was presented to Elijah Penny and Josie Wolters. Congratulations!
During a graduation ceremony and reception held May 16, the Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science recognized Nick Eulberg and Grant White with student of the year awards. Alicia Housley was recognized for outstanding service, and Luisa Morales was honored as Respiratory Care Catalyst for Change. Grace Anderla received the First Rate Award, and Courtney Kinzel was presented with the Gary Rummel Award. Congratulations!
I look forward to sharing award winners from more of our department-level graduation events in next week's message.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: May 23, 2025
The School of Health Professions honored and celebrated its Class of 2025 graduates during our annual recognition ceremony held May 17 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. More than 200 of our graduates attended this year's event. Check out these photos.
During the ceremony last Saturday, Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education faculty member Paul Bennetts, Ph.D., CRNA, was recognized with the 2025 Stata Norton Distinguished Teaching Award. It recognizes a faculty member for an enthusiastic commitment to teaching, for effectively imparting knowledge to students, and outstanding contributions to their profession. Congratulations!
Meanwhile, respiratory care graduate Luisa Morales Uribe and medical nutrition science graduate Austin Sullivan received Akinwuntan Leadership Awards in honor of demonstrated excellent leadership in their academic programs as well as for significant contributions to their professions and the community. Finally, respiratory care graduate Grant White is this year's winner of the James P. Cooney Leadership Award in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions to their program, our school and the community. Congratulations!
On May 18, we further celebrated our Class of 2025 prior to the KU Commencement ceremony on the Lawrence campus. We greeted students and their families at the Jayhawk Welcome Center for refreshments and school SWAG before staff led graduates to their spot for the traditional walk down The Hill – the academic procession from Memorial Drive, through the Memorial Campanile and into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for the ceremony. See photos.
I look forward to sharing award winners from more of our department-level graduation events in next week's message.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: May 16, 2025
Well-deserved congratulations to all our graduating students for their hard work and accomplishments during a truly challenging and rapidly changing period. Their commitment and resilience, flexibility and adaptability are really admirable. A special thank you to all our faculty and staff for helping our students to complete their programs successfully.
During an event held on May 14 to honor its Class of 2025, the Department of Health Information Management recognized Peyton Still with the Faculty Award for Outstanding Health Information Management Student and the Academic Achievement Award for Health Information Management Student. Ariana Lacher received the Academic Achievement Award for Health Information Management Student, as well. Congratulations!
The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition celebrated its graduating students during an awards luncheon held on May 5, 2025. The Ruth Gordon Award was presented to Jade Valdez-Gomez. The Luke & Marilyn Lucas Award went to Josie Randall, and the Rowena Sherill Award was given to Sydney Burton. Congratulations!
Graduating students from the school's other programs will be celebrated during departmental events held today. Those award winners will appear in upcoming From-the-Dean messages, along with those recognized yesterday at the ceremony for the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training.
Tomorrow, the School of Health Professions honors and celebrates all of its Class of 2025 graduates during our annual student recognition ceremony at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. You are invited to attend in person or online via the livestream link available on the school's graduation events page.
Finally, join us on Sunday prior to the 2025 University of Kansas Commencement ceremony between 9-10 a.m. at the Jayhawk Welcome Center on the Lawrence campus. There will be free food and SWAG, and we'll take a group photo around 10 a.m. before leading our students to their starting place on The Hill. Your family, friends and guests are invited.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: May 9, 2025
In recognition of her expertise in adapted physical activity, Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., was selected for the Fulbright Specialist Roster for a three-year term. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Specialist Program offers the opportunity to participate in short-term, project-based exchanges lasting two to six weeks at institutions around the world. As a member of the specialist roster, she is eligible to be matched with projects proposed by host institutions in more than 150 countries. Congratulations!
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Joo Hyun Lee was selected the 2025-2026 Staudacher Fellow in Digital Health Research and Commercialization. This fellowship supports the trainee's career advancement through mentorship and provides focused support and expertise in developing advanced diagnostic tools, evidence-based therapeutic interventions and innovative solutions that can improve patient care. Their mentor is Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Linda D'Silva, Ph.D. Congratulations!
The Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education released its spring 2025 newsletter. This issue includes personal profiles of each member of its Class of 2025, an affiliate spotlight on Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, introduction to a star clinical supervisor, and more. Well done!
If you're on campus around Murphy Administration Building, please stop by to say "hi" and see the new home of the Office of the Dean in room 1028. We've completed our move across the hallway to the space formerly occupied by the Office of Alumni Relations. Our administration and business offices, formerly on floor 4 of the School of Nursing Building, are now more conveniently located next door to the Office of the Dean, in room 1024.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: May 2, 2025
An article from KU News highlighted the five programs in the School of Health Professions eligible to be ranked by the U.S. News & World Report – audiology, nurse anesthesia, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology – which were again recognized as among the top nationally. These rankings are a testament to the continued commitment of our hardworking faculty and staff to enroll, train and graduate excellent health professionals. A companion article was published by KU Medical Center News.
Dave Burnett, Ph.D., our school's associate dean for community engagement and workforce initiatives, co-presented on two sessions for the I-CAN 2025 ECHO series titled "Improving Access to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Rural Communities." Held March 4 through April 1, 2025, these online sessions aimed to support efforts to close health disparity gaps in Kansas communities for people with long COVID and chronic respiratory diseases. Nice work!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Natalie Scott, OTD, successfully passed the exam for board certification in gerontology from the American Occupational Therapy Association. Occupational therapists with board certification are formally recognized for engaging in a voluntary process to demonstrate advanced skills, knowledge and practice experience; it distinguishes therapists with knowledge of current, evidence-based practice and commitment to continuing professional development in this specific area of practice. Great job!
Medical nutrition science doctoral student Austin Sullivan was one of only ten students across the university to be selected for the 2025 Tradition of Excellence Award. This recognizes significant enhancement to the KU community through efforts such as serving as teaching assistants, leading student organizations and/or volunteering in the Lawrence community. He was honored during a ceremony held April 24, 2025, on the Lawrence campus, and his mentor is Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., not related. Award recipients were published in a recent article from KU News. Congratulations!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: April 25, 2025
The School of Health Professions was very well represented at the spring conference of the American Physical Therapy Association – Kansas chapter, held March 14-15, 2025, in Olathe, Kansas. Four studies were presented awards in total, and an impressive three of these were by students in our rehabilitation science program. Best Scientific Inquiry Platform Presentation Award was given to Lingjun Chen for "Strategies to Minimize Fall-Related Injuries in Older Adults at Risk of Falls: The Falling Safely Training (FAST) Study." Best Scientific Inquiry Overall Poster was awarded to Samuel Durairaj for "Clinical Driving Assessments and Predictive Factors for Fitness to Drive." Best Scientific Inquiry Overall Poster was also awarded to Veronica Vabishchevich for "Markers of Clinical and Mitochondrial Adaptation in Response to Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Congratulations to each of you!
Lisa Trujillo, DHSc, chair of the Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science, is co-author of an a article recently published in the Canadian Journal of Respiratory Care. "Respiratory Therapy Education in Ghana: A Perspective" details how KU helped establish an undergraduate program at the University of Ghana, the first of its kind in Ghana and most of West Africa. Nice job!
Therapeutic science doctoral student Wafaa Alduraidi presented a poster at the Autism Across the Lifespan Conference held March 14, 2025, at KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park, Kansas. Their work is titled "Pilot Rural-Urban Comparison of Health Care Experiences Among Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults" and their advisor is E (Alice) Zhang, Ph.D. Well done!
The Department of Occupational Therapy Education released its spring 2025 newsletter. It highlights recent achievements by faculty and students, capstone poster presentations, research highlights and more.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: April 18, 2025
The Department of Hearing and Speech hosted a reception on February 28, 2025, to celebrate the impact of its CARE Fund. Established in 2018 thanks to a $1 million gift by the late Mary A. Carpenter and Donald L. Robinson, the fund provides speech-language pathology services for residents of Kansas and Missouri at no charge. Both were faculty in the School of Health Professions, Carpenter for 35 years. See photo.
An article by Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty members Lauren Foster, OTD, and Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., along with Kayla Hamner, MOT, program manager, Sensory Enhanced Aquatics, was published in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal. It was titled "The Essential Role of Recreational Therapy in Aquatics Programming for Children with Autism." Nice work!
Eight seniors from our health information management program recently completed the SNOMED-CT Foundation Course. This seven-hour online training is offered by SNOMED International, the non-profit entity which maintains the SNOMED-CT terminology – the world's most comprehensive clinical terminology used by clinicians and essential for interoperability among health information systems. Great job!
In March 2025, Molly Myers joined the Department of Occupational Therapy Education as its new administrative officer. This month, Jen Chow, DNAP, joined the Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education as clinical assistant professor. A warm welcome to both of you!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: April 11, 2025
Please join me in welcoming Tracy Brillos, B.S., CNMT, NCT, PET, to the School of Health Professions. A graduate of Saint Louis University, she started on March 24, 2025, and serves as director of our nuclear medicine technology program. Her wealth of experience will greatly benefit our program, as it expands from a certificate to a bachelor's degree for students starting fall 2025.
The American Occupational Therapy Association announced Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Gina Baker, OTD, was elected chair of its Mental Health Special Interest Section. In this role, she will contribute in this important area for the profession at the national level. Congratulations!
Two individuals from the School of Health Professions were recognized as “Women In Leadership at KU Medical Center” in celebration of Women’s History Month 2025. Micha Bazemore, MHS, program director, diagnostic ultrasound and vascular technology, and LesLee Taylor, Ph.D., assistant dean for academic and student affairs, were featured on posters this month displayed in the skywalk to our Health Education Building. In addition, Dr. Taylor participated in a panel discussion with other women leaders on our campus on March 24, 2025. See photo. Nice job!
Current doctoral student in rehabilitation science Bria Bartsch was one of five from our campus to present research at the Capitol Graduate Research Summit. The title of her project was "Understanding the Relationship Between Fitness and Cognitive Domains Post-Stroke." The annual event was held on March 25, 2025, at the Kansas state Capitol in Topeka. Great work!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: April 4, 2025
The American Society for Nutrition selected Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Susan Carlson, Ph.D., a Top Reviewer for The Journal of Nutrition. This selection is based on the quality, number and timeliness of the manuscript reviews she completed in 2024. She will be recognized at the society's annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, on June 2, 2025. Congratulations!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member E (Alice) Zhang, Ph.D., co-authored a chapter on telehealth. "Digital Mental Health Improves Access to Care, Facilitates Early Intervention and Provides Evidence-Based Treatments at a Distance" was published in the journal Digital Mental Health. Great work!
KU was very well represented at the state leadership conference of Kansas HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) held March 26-27, 2025, in Manhattan, Kansas. The organization holds competitions to test students' knowledge and skills in various health-related fields, and two of our current health information management student took home honors. Peyton Still placed first in the "Health Informatics, Medical Law and Ethics, and Medical Terminology" competitions, while Kealeigh Goreham placed first in "Epidemiology" and second in "Pathophysiology" competitions. Well done!
On March 25, 2025, current occupational therapy student Shalee Mog presented a webinar hosted by the ALS Association. Part of her capstone project, her session was titled "Sex, Intimacy and Living Fully with ALS" and drew a large audience, with attendees from 24 different states. It will remain a resource online for people and caregivers facing the disease. Impressive!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: March 28, 2025
It is National Athletic Training Month, and our program continues to be a national leader in this important field of health care.
At the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association meeting, faculty member Carolina Quintana, Ph.D., presented a learning lab titled "Vestibular Rehabilitation, Where Do I Even Begin?" The event was held March 13-15, 2025, in Chicago. Nice job!
At the Mid-America Athletic Trainers' Association Meeting, current physical therapy student Claire Keeten was awarded the Post-Professional Athletic Training Student Scholarship. Faculty member Carolina Quintana, Ph.D., was awarded a research grant for a project titled "We Gotta Start Makin' Changes: The Development, Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Survey to Measure the Impact of the SDOH on Concussion Outcomes." This event was held March 13-15, 2025, in LaVista, Nebraska. Congratulations and great work!
Another big piece of news is that Governor Kelly signed a bill that modernizes the practice act for athletic training in the state of Kansas. This is a major win for the profession and the state of Kansas to improve care and access to patients in the state. Our program visited the Kansas Capitol in Topeka to advocate for this cause in February. Amazing!
If you would like to help support the KU master's degree program in athletic training, you might consider a gift to provide "field kits" to our incoming students arriving in late May.
I was honored to be accepted by the National Academies of Practice as a distinguished fellow of its Public Health Academy. This recognizes outstanding achievements and leadership in the profession and interprofessional care. The organization formally recognized me during its annual meeting and awards ceremony held on March 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. See photos.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: March 21, 2025
Alexis Carpenter, Ph.D., and Andrew Jones, MBA, presented at the Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference. Their talk was "Dating Profiles, Twilight, and Pokémon Cards: Fun and Unique Ways to Flip the Microbiology Classroom." Hosted by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, the event was held March 6-8, 2025, in Atlanta and online. Great job!
Dissertation research by Sarah Behrens, Ph.D., a graduate of our therapeutic science program, was published in the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Co-authors include another program alum, Evan Dean, Ph.D., and Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty members Lauren Foster, OTD, Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., and Alice Zhang, Ph.D. It was titled "Exploring Home Visitors' Use and Perceptions of Developmental Monitoring: A Mixed Methods Study." Additional co-authors were Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Mindy Bridges, Ph.D., and Kathryn Bigelow, Ph.D., from KU's Juniper Gardens Children's Project. Nice work!
Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., chair of our department of Dietetics and Nutrition, was featured in a recent article by KU Medical Center News. In it, she explains research into the impact of protein in our diet, and how more of the right proteins may help boost weight loss and could have long-lasting health benefits for older adults. Well done!
A group of students from our respiratory care program served as volunteers during the Fight For Air Climb held March 2, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. They served on the medical support team to ensure safety and monitor participants for signs of distress during the fundraising event to benefit the American Lung Association. Thank you to Ashley Barry, MPH, for leading our efforts in this important cause. Kudos!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: March 14, 2025
The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology has approved our proposal to expand our certificate in this important field. Starting in fall 2025, we will now be able to offer a new bachelor's degree in diagnostic science with a concentration in nuclear medicine. Thank you to department chair Lisa M. Trujillo, DHSc, and her team for their efforts. Great job!
The American Society for Nutrition selected Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Susan Carlson, Ph.D., as one of the top reviewers for the Journal of Nutrition. This selection is based on the quality, number and timeliness of the manuscript reviews she completed in 2024. She will be recognized at the society's annual meeting on June 2, 2025. Congratulations!
Therapeutic science student Nida' Al Worikat is first author on a paper recently featured in the American Journal of Managed Care. Titled "Frailty in Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review," it is a product of her doctoral research project, and Department of Occupational Therapy faculty member Tobia Zanotto, Ph.D., is her mentor. The work was also spotlighted in a story from online publisher Business and America. Nice work!
In honor of National Inventors Day last month, celebrating the innovative spirit embodied by America's past and present inventors, the University of Kansas published a list of KU innovators who were finding creative solutions for the challenges facing our world in 2024. Included in the article is Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Neena Sharma, Ph.D. Kudos!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: March 7, 2025
Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., was the invited speaker for the Physical Therapy Forum 2025, co-hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Chattanooga State Community College. Her presentation was titled "Promoting Sleep Health: Practical Information for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants." The event was held at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on January 30, 2025. Great job!
Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science faculty member Ashley Barry, MPH, was selected to present a lecture on her research at the Congress of the American Association for Respiratory Care held November 22, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. Her talk was titled "Impact of Sleep on Chronic Lung Disease." She also presented a poster titled "Impact of Sleep on Asthma: A Scoping Review." Nice job!
Current occupational therapy student Caroline Shearer is featured in a recent article from KU Medical Center News. It details her efforts to lead wheelchair safety training at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for the art teachers and guides, aimed at boosting access and improving the experience of museum guests, staff and volunteers. See photos. Well done!
An article by Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Lauren Mann, Au.D., was chosen to highlight Rare Diseases Day 2025 by the publisher Springer Nature. She provides commentary and photos on her research on hearing loss in individuals with Turner syndrome. Way to go!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: February 28, 2025
Last week's One Day One KU 2025 was a tremendous success, with an impressive 64 gifts to the School of Health Professions totaling $35,025 received by the end of the 24-hour fundraising campaign. This will be of significant help to our students, and I am extremely grateful for each of our dedicated supporters. Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity!
David Burnett, Ph.D., associate dean for community engagement and workforce initiatives, was invited to speak at the Congress of the American Association for Respiratory Care held November 22, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. His presentation was titled "Novel Strategy for Increasing Access to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Rural Communities." Great job!
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Fatimah Alkhameys and Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Neena Sharma, Ph.D., co-authored a manuscript published in the Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Reports. Titled "Rehabilitation of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction After Radiation Therapy for a Rare Gynecological Cancer: A Case Report," it was a collaboration with Eileen Coughenour, DPT, from The University of Kansas Health System. Nice work!
Our Department of Dietetics and Nutrition is currently hosting Alejandra Espinosa Repenning, M.Sc., assistant professor, from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Under KU Medical Center's International Individualized Research Program for the 2024-2025 academic year, she's been observing classes, simulations and research. While she is learning from us, we gain from her an important international perspective.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: February 21, 2025
Anna Zanotto, Ph.D., post doctoral fellow in the Sleep, Health, and Wellness Lab led by Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., attended the European Association of Neuro-Oncology 2024 Annual Conference. As an invited speaker she presented "Patient and Caregiver Experience of Coping with a Brain Tumor." She also presented a poster titled "It Feels Like I'm Grieving for Someone that is Still Alive: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Neuro-Oncology Caregivers." The event was held October 17-20, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. Great job!
A paper by Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Becky Bliss, DPT, was published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Education. It is titled "Changes in Self-Directed Learning Among Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Across Didactic Curriculum: A Mixed-Methods Analysis." Nice work!
Current respiratory care student Grant White received a merit scholarship from the American College of Respiratory Therapy Education. A very competitive national award, it recognizes his promise and potential in advancing the respiratory therapy profession. Congratulations! See photos.
We are in the final stretch of this year's One Day One KU fundraising campaign. Current respiratory care student Luisa Morales is featured in this year's video to highlight the significant impact international educational experiences have on our students. This year's format was moved to span from noon yesterday to noon today to better accommodate our donors across all times zones, so there is still time to make your gift. Thank you in advance for all of your support of our school and our students.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: February 14, 2025
A paper by Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., was recently celebrated as one of the Top 10 most-viewed articles of 2024 in the International Journal of MS Care. This honor was for her work titled, "Behavioral Interventions to Improve Sleep Outcomes in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review." Congratulations!
A recent article by KU Medical Center News highlighted the work of Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Anna Arthur, Ph.D. Titled "KU-Led Multicenter Trial to Address Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in Cancer Patients," it looks at her five-year, nearly $4 million grant awarded last fall by the National Institutes of Health, to tackle food insecurity in people with blood cancers who are receiving transplant or cellular therapy. Bravo.
Areum Han, Ph.D., a graduate of our doctoral program in therapeutic science, was awarded a two-year Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging. This will support their work to adapt and pilot test an AI-enabled web app based on acceptance and commitment therapy for family caregivers of people with dementia. Congratulations!
On December 11, 2024, KU respiratory care students Belanna Bryant and Hunter Bishop helped lead an asthma management educational session at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools’ central office. While there, they presented to more than 50 nurses from schools across Wyandotte County in Unified School District 500, and they provided resources on asthma health for school-aged children. Nice work! See photo.
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: February 7, 2025
KU was well represented at the annual award banquet for the American Speech Language Hearing Foundation, held December 5, 2024, in Seattle. Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Susan Koerner, Ph.D., was selected for a state Clinical Achievement Award for Kansas. Colleague Margarethe McDonald, Ph.D., was awarded a New Century Scholar Research Grant. Speech-language pathology student Olivia Boorom received a New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship, and audiology student Ghina Fares was awarded the foundation's International Student Scholarship. Congratulations to each of you! See photo.
Rehabilitation science student Taylor Rees is first author of a manuscript published in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. The paper is titled "Yoga as an Adjunct Treatment to Manage Pain, Anxiety, Depression and Stress During Hospital Stays: A Systematic Review." Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Neena Sharma, Ph.D., is Taylor's mentor and senior author on this publication. Nice work!
KU Medical Center News published an article featuring Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Caitlin Lisk, Ph.D. It highlights her work to quantify the long-term effects of pet ownership on children with autism spectrum disorder. Kudos!
Our Department of Health Information Management hosted the annual fall symposium of the Kansas City Health Information Management Association last fall. A large group of industry colleagues from across the KC Metro area discussed the challenges facing the profession and industry trends while providing an opportunity for current faculty and students to connect with our alumni. They also hosted an open house, where the graduates returned to find their department in a different spot on campus and the building where they once took classes long gone. Faculty members Kaitlyn Brown, MHSA, and Mary-Kate Rush, MHSA, led the effort and were supported by current students Nitisha Bagchi, Isabelle Berutti, Hua Fang, Jesse Garcia, Anneliese Paulsen and Olivia Wilber. Great job!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: January 31, 2025
An article by Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Hannes Devos, Ph.D., was published in the journal Human Factors in Design, Engineering, and Computing. Titled "Assistive Technology System for Highly Automated Vehicles to Support People with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Human-Centered Design Approach," it highlights the potential of innovative technologies to support aging drivers and improve road safety. School of Medicine faculty member Shelley Bhattacharya, D.O., was a co-author, and the project was a collaboration with the KU Department of Engineering. Great work!
A paper by therapeutic science doctoral student Wafaa Alduraidi was published in the journal Occupational Therapy International. It was titled "Exploring Goal Attainment Scaling Among Occupational Therapy Students: A Retrospective Descriptive Analysis," and was developed from her thesis while in our master's degree program in occupational therapy. Her mentor was Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D. Nice work!
Students from our clinical laboratory science program attended an event hosted by faculty and staff from our respiratory care program to learn about intubation of adults and neonates as well as arterial blood gas sampling. It was a great interprofessional opportunity – two hours of exploring and discussing their respective professions and learning from each other. Interestingly, the event, held December 12, 2024, in the renovated respiratory care practical skills lab, stemmed from an encounter during the school's 50th anniversary event in September. Great job! See photos.
KU Medical Center News published an article about the hybrid pathway in our doctoral program in physical therapy. Recently approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the pathway greatly expands the number of students we can train to be physical therapists and allows students greater flexibility to pursue their degree online. This also appeared in KU Today. Kudos!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: January 24, 2025
Dave Burnett, Ph.D., associate dean for community engagement and workforce initiatives, was invited to submit an editorial for the journal Respiratory Care. Titled "Supporting Evidence For Pulmonary Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Long COVID," his piece discusses the conflicting results shown by numerous published studies into post COVID-19 syndrome and how it has resulted in uncertainty of the benefits of a supervised rehabilitation program for this population. Nice work!
An article by Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Alice Zhang, Ph.D., was published in the journal Autism. It is titled "Health Care Transition for Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults: A Pilot Rural and Urban Comparison Survey Study." Co-authors include faculty colleague Lacy Wright, OTD, and therapeutic science doctoral students Wafaa Alduraidi and Makenna Snyder.
Great job!
The American Society for Nutrition selected Juliana Camargo, Ph.D., a graduate of our medical nutrition science doctoral program, for its prestigious Science Policy Fellowship. The organization published an interview discussing her experience. Currently she is a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, and her mentors were Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty Heather Gibbs, Ph.D., and Susan Carlson, Ph.D. Outstanding!
A member of our school's board of advocates, Rick Couldry, Pharm.D., was honored with the 2025 Distinguished Graduate Award by the KU School of Pharmacy. Currently vice president of pharmacy and health professions at The University of Kansas Health System, he accepted the award January 15, 2025, and delivered the keynote presentation. This honor was included in a recent issue of KU Today. Congratulations!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: January 17, 2025
KU alumna Emily Hall, DNAP, was co-author with Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education faculty members Jen Bendure, DNP, and Brittany Hollabaugh, DNAP, on an article published in the journal of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. It is titled "Anesthesia Management of the Patient With Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Undergoing Lung Lavage." Nice work!
Students Tori Pezdirtz, Madeline Walker, Tara Woods and Ashlyn Zachgo, from our physical therapy program and Bria Bartsch, James Fang and Maryam Sadeghi from our rehabilitation science program presented their research during the fall retreat of the NIH-funded T32 Training Program in Neurological and Rehabilitation Sciences at KU Medical Center. During the event held on November 18, 2024, Bartsch was awarded Best Presentation by a Full-Time Trainee for "Preliminary Efficacy of High-Intensity Interval Training on Vascular Function in Chronic Stroke." She also was honored with Best Publication by a Full-Time Trainee for "Feasibility of a Recumbent Stepper for Short-Interval, Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Stroke. Her mentor is Sandy Billinger, Ph.D. Great job and congratulations!
During the most recent fall semester, respiratory care faculty member Larry Stein, M.S., led training in Basic Life Support for our first cohort of students in the master's degree program in genetic counseling. Current respiratory care students Alicia Housley and Grant White assisted in the training held in the respiratory therapy clinical skills lab at KU Medical Center. See photos. Bravo!
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition faculty member Matthew Taylor, Ph.D., was a featured guest on the popular podcast "Your Brain On." In the recent episode, he discusses how ketogenic diets affect brain metabolism and potential impacts on people with Alzheimer’s disease. Well done!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: January 10, 2025
Department of Hearing and Speech faculty member Mindy Bridges, Ph.D., was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Wohlgemuth Faculty Scholar Award. Presented by the Office of Faculty Affairs and Career Development, the award provides research and salary assistance to non-tenured faculty members who are recognized as some of KU's brightest young professors. This recognition is a testament to her outstanding contributions to education and research in speech-language pathology, dedication to academic excellence, and the positive impact made upon KU Medical Center. Congratulations!
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences faculty member Yan Zheng, Ph.D., was selected for a new research award from the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions. This will support her project titled "Enhancing Blood Supply While Maintaining Blood Safety: An Interprofessional Collaboration to Address the Gender Inclusivity of Blood Donation." Congratulations!
Lisa Trujillo, DHSc, chair of our Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science, presented at the annual business meeting of the International Council for Respiratory Care held November 22, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. Currently serving as governor for the U.S., she promoted our new bachelor's degree-advancement program for international students to the audience of representatives from around the world. Her presentation was very well received; the council expressed strong support for this new educational opportunity and offered to promote our new program across their regions. Great work!
Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., was interviewed for a special feature by KSHB-TV Kansas City focused on people in our community who are making a difference. In it, she shares how her passion for swimming and teaching led to developing an innovative program in 2012 to teach kids with autism how to swim. Kudos!
Please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.
From-the-Dean: January 3, 2025
I am happy to announce the selection of Renee Hodgkins, Ph.D., as chair of our Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, beginning June 16, 2025. She has been with the School of Health Professions since 2014 and also serves as director of the doctorate program in clinical laboratory science. Please join me in congratulating her and sending a very special thank you to Eric Elsinghorst, Ph.D., for his approximately 12 years of steady leadership of the department!
Our online bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy program was included in "Best Online Colleges 2024" by OnlineU, a publisher focused on online education. Specifically, it was selected among the top five nationwide in the "Highest Rated by Students" category which highlights programs with strong student satisfaction based on alumni reviews. Thank you to Lisa Trujillo, DHSc, chair of the Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science, and Cheryl Skinner, M.Sc., program director, for their efforts in leading the program. Congratulations!
Rehabilitation science doctoral student Sodiq Fakorede is co-author on an article published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology. It is titled "Machine Learning Based on Event-Related Oscillations of Working Memory Differentiates Between Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease and Normal Aging" and was a collaboration with the Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at KU Medical Center. Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training faculty member Hannes Devos, Ph.D., is senior author on this publication. Nice work!
Therapeutic science doctoral student Nida' Al Worikat is first author on an article published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Titled "Frailty in Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review," it was developed as part of their written comprehensive examination requirement. Department of Occupational Therapy Education faculty member Tobia Zanotto, Ph.D., served as mentor. Well done!
Happy new year, please be safe, and thank you for all that you do.