Welcome Back—Happy New Year!
Here's to a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! Best wishes to all our students!
CHHS Dean Assumes Added Role
Dr. Linda Samson, CHHS Dean, has agreed to serve in the interim position of Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies. Dean Samson’s appointment was announced by Dr. Jane Rhoades Hudak, Provost.
In her announcement, the Provost noted that Dean Samson “brings a wealth of expertise to this position ... Under Dean Samson’s leadership, CHHS has successfully secured more than 10 million dollars in external grant funds. She also has achieved significant success in developing and implementing graduate programs, which is evidenced by new doctoral programs in CHHS…The GSU community will greatly benefit from Dean Samson’s leadership and expertise in developing GSU’s research profile and advancing graduate studies.”
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Assistant Dean Appointed
 Effective January 1, Dr. Gregory A. Blevins, chair of the Department of Addictions Studies and Behavioral Health, has been appointed Interim Assistant Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Blevins will provide assistance to CHHS Dean Dr. Linda Samson, who was recently named Interim Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies.
Dr. Blevins joined Governors State University 27 years ago.
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Advising Note
If you have not already done so, students in undergraduate CDIS, HLAD, and graduate ADDS should contact advisor Shavron Kelley to complete your program study plans. Also, please be sure to check your student IMail accounts on a regular basis.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your program and its requirements, please contact Ms. Kelly at s-kelley@govst.edu .
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Upcoming CHHS Degree Program Information Sessions
Master of Social Work
The Department of Social Work will sponsor information sessions for its Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program on the following dates:
Saturday, January 17, 2009
10 a.m. to noon Hall of Honors
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Reservations are not required. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kelly Robinson at 708.235.3997, or via e-mail at k-robinson@govst.edu .
Master of Occupational Therapy
The Department of Occupational Therapy will host information sessions for the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree program on the following dates:
Saturday, April 4, 2009
9:30 a.m. (Registration) 10 a.m. to noon G-127
Thursday, August 6, 2009
9:30 a.m. (Registration) 10 a.m to noon G-127
Additional information may be obtained by contacting Mary Tracy at 708.534.7270 or by e-mail at m-tracy@govst.edu
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Adding Courses for Winter 2009
Students are reminded that courses may be added any time during the registration period for Blocks 1, 2, and 3. Courses may NOT be added after the registration period ends. For Winter 2009, the following registration deadlines apply:
Classroom assignments are available online. Students can view and print their schedules and check room assignments using the computers outside of the Registrar’s Office during the first week of the Winter 2009 Trimester.
The College of Health and Human Services recommends you also check to ensure your financial aid is validated by the payment deadline to avoid being dropped from your classes.
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Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students
The Department of Addictions Studies and Behavioral Health continues to accept applications for the Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students (SDS). These scholarships can make a tremendous difference in students’ academic experience by easing monetary pressures and allowing them to concentrate on their studies.
The hitch? First, you have to apply. Second, you have to be qualified. Third, as part of the application process, you must have a completed FASFA and a Parental Income Affidavit.
You must fill out the Parental Income Affidavit no matter what age you are. Even if you have children or grandchildren, this form is required.
Our advice? Fill out the application. This is one of those opportunities you can’t afford to miss and which could make all the difference in your academic experience.
Forms for SDS scholarships for Master of Health Science in Addictions Studies students are posted on that Department’s website.
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students are funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Nursing Spotlight: Mary Maryland
Mary Maryland, R.N., Ph.D., a 1983 MSN graduate, has been elected the new president of the Illinois Division of the American Cancer Society. In this position, which is the highest medical and scientific volunteer office in Illinois, Dr. Maryland will provide leadership on the Society’s core mission strategies of research, education, advocacy, and patient services. She also will serve as its chief spokesperson on all medical and scientific matters.
Dr. Maryland is currently a board-certified adult nurse practitioner for NP Care of Illinois and is a staff nurse for Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. In her free time, she is a member of the Illinois Nurses Association and serves on the board of directors of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the ANA Political Action Committee.
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Health Admin 'Rookies' Take 5th Place at National Competition
Dr. Rupert Evans (top, center) and his star MHA students (left to right) Donna McCarthy, Jermaine Paul, and Monica Longmire
The College of Health and Human Services was represented for the very first time at the annual Everett Fox Student Case Study Competition sponsored by the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) last fall.
And while the three graduating seniors from the Masters in Health Administration program may have been rookies when it came to this prestigious competition, they performed like seasoned professionals, finishing fifth out of 22 universities from across the nation. The students – Donna McCarthy, Monica Longmire and Jermaine Paul – faced off against some formidable competition, including Ohio State (usually finishing first, second or third) and the University of Michigan. This year Ohio State failed to make the semifinals.
“Usually teams will compete three or four years before they place,” noted Assistant Professor and Associate Graduate Program Director of Health Administration Rupert Evans, DHA. Dr. Evans served as the team’s advisor and coach.
“This was a real nice feather in our cap," Dr. Evans said. "It really puts our program on the map. I’m extremely proud and it’s really a banner achievement for our students. They worked really, really hard. It’s a welcome award, and they deserve it.”
This year’s competition was based on a challenge presented by the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the world’s largest for-profit healthcare company. The students were asked to develop an entire executive business plan for a free-standing emergency facility in north Las Vegas.
“It was really taking theory to practice, in the real-world sense,” Dr. Evans noted.
Making the challenge even more daunting for the students was the fact that they were only given two weeks to develop their plan – all while balancing their final capstone courses, field placements, families and full-time jobs.
Needless to say, there were “a lot of sleepless nights and long days” involved in the students’ preparation for the competition, noted student Jermaine Paul. But the end result was well worth the effort.
“It was an honor to represent the school,” student Donna McCarthy said. Making it to the semifinals “says a lot about GSU and the education we’ve received,” she added. “They have, most assuredly, adequately prepared us for the work environment. They taught us everything we need to know.”
McCarthy credits the “excellent” instructors in the MHA program. “It’s not just a job for them; it’s a passion.”
Fellow teammate Monica Longmire, president of the GSU chapter of the Student Health Care Management Association (SHCMA), agrees. All in all, she said, “the experience (of competing) was so unexplainable, so empowering. Something I will never forget.”
Perhaps the greatest benefit for all three students was networking with fellow students, healthcare executives and other professionals – many of whom offered their assistance with mentoring and job offers.
“They were literally standing in line to offer help,” McCarthy noted.
The GSU students have already been asked to offer assistance and serve as judges at next year’s NAHSE conference. Not bad for a bunch of rookies.
Founded in 1968, the National Association of Health Services Executives is recognized globally as the premier professional association for African American executives, administrators, and practitioners working in the healthcare industry.
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PT Student Writes About Career Choice for National Magazine
Kristy Ton, Physical Therapy student, had her essay on why she decided to become a physical therapist featured in the September, 2008 edition of PT Magazine. The magazine regularly features a 600-800 word “This is Why” essay in which the writer explains what propelled him or her toward a career in physical therapy or confirms the reason why he or she became a PT in the first place.
In her essay, Kristy talks about being the classic “indecisive Gen Xer.” Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Kristy held a variety of jobs before eventually managing an animal hospital. But when she was assigned to four weeks of physical therapy for congenital hip dysplasia, Kristy was immediately impressed by the staff of the outpatient rehab clinic she attended.
“It was uplifting to find that every staff member in the gym had a smile on his or her face and a can-do attitude that spread to patients,” Kristy wrote in her essay.
She decided to change career paths and, three years and 79 credit hours of coursework to raise her self-described “pathetic GPA” later, Kristy was overjoyed to learn she had been accepted to GSU’s Physical Therapy program.
In her essay Kristy writes, “School will be extremely challenging and I know I’ll have my panicky moments. So, I’ve written this essay partly to remind myself, when I’m feeling the most scared, what I went through to get here and how much I want to become a PT.”
At this writing, Kristy has completed her seven-week summer session and her 15-week fall session. She’s well on her way. Best wishes, Kristy!
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Nursing Professor, Grad Student Attend National Human Genome Research Institute
Dr. Catherine Tymkow and graduate nursing student Lisa Lowe attended the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), August 3 through 8, in Bethesda, MD.
 Dr. Catherine Tymkow, Vence Bonham, Jr., J.D., Chief, Education and Community Involvement Branch and Senior Advisor to the Director on Social Implications of Genomics, NIH/NHGRI, and graduate nursing student Lisa Lowe
The goal of this intense, week-long institute is to create awareness of genomic advances and genomic research, and to foster the development of a community of genetic educators that share resources to assist in education, research, and promotion of health across communities.
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| Dr. Francis Collins, retiring Director of the Human Genome Project, and graduate nursing student Lisa Lowe |
Program attendance was competitive and included a diverse group of nurse educators, faculty, scientists, and selected students from across the nation.
Attendees interacted with experts in the field including Dr. Francis Collins, retiring director of the Human Genome Project; Dr. Alan Guttenmacher, newly-appointed acting director of the Human Genome Project; Jean Jenkins and Dale Halsey Lea, nurse leaders in genetics; and Dr. William Gahl, director of the new NIH Center for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases.
Lecture and lab topics included: bioinformatics; social and behavioral research, including genome-wide association studies; DNA sequencing; nanotechnology; genomics and health policy and ethical issues.
For more information about this program and other exciting programs available to nurses through the NIH, contact Dr. Tymkow or see www.genome.gov, or www.coge.nih.gov.
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Future MSN Grads Put Expertise
on Display
A tremendous amount of hard work, knowledge, and expertise was featured last month in the GSU atrium as soon-to-be MSN graduates showcased their table-top poster presentations. This was the final project required for completion of the MSN degree.
.JPG "MSN Student Somi Nagaraj")
MSN student Somi Nagaraj (above, right) discusses her final project with Dr. Nancy MacMullen, Associate Professor of Nursing and chair of the Nursing Department.
Krista Allen-Sanders, MSN student
Mary White, MSN student
Jeanette Averett, MSN student
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PT Students Take the 'Challenge'
Pictured, back row standing, left to right - Russell Carter, Ed.D., PT, chair of the Physical Therapy Department at GSU; Student Jena Zientek of Oak Lawn; and Dale Schuit, PT, PhD, MS, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at GSU. Seated, left to right - Student Tanya Anders of Crete; Tim Coleman, PT, MS, OCS, partner/owner of METT Therapy Services and Adjunct Professor of Physical Therapy at GSU; and Student Patricia Barker of Tinley Park. The students pictured are in their second year of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program.
Physical Therapy students in the College of Health and Human Services know a good challenge when they see one.
Since 1989, PT students at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have challenged students from other PT programs across the nation to raise money for research through the American Physical Therapy Association’s Foundation for Physical Therapy. The foundation raises money to help fund research grants for the development of the most effective physical therapy interventions.
For the first time, GSU Physical Therapy students accepted the Marquette Challenge this year, raising $1,000. Second year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students Tanya Anders of Crete, Jena Zientek of Oak Lawn, and Patricia Barker of Tinley Park served as key organizers for the GSU effort.
The students’ interest in the Challenge was sparked by Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Dale Schuit. After brainstorming several fundraising options, the students offered a continuing education seminar for physical therapy practitioners. All proceeds from the seminar were donated to the Challenge.
“We wanted to take a continuing education focus in our fundraising efforts,” noted Patricia Barker. “We were fortunate to tap into the expertise of our professors by asking them to teach a seminar for students and practicing physical therapists.
The daylong seminar, “A Commonsense Approach to the Management of Low Back Pain,” was presented by Dr. Schuit and Tim Coleman, PT, MS, OCS, a partner and owner of METT Therapy Services. Coleman, of Homewood, volunteers his time as an adjunct PT professor at GSU.
Each year approximately 45 schools contribute to the Marquette Challenge. Since the inception of the Challenge, students nationwide have raised more than $1.3 million dollars for the Foundation for Physical Therapy. Dr. Schuit and Dr. Russell Carter, chair of the Physical Therapy Department at GSU, were both thrilled to be a part of their students’ fundraising efforts.
“We’re extremely proud of our students,” Dr. Schuit added. “We are looking forward to raising even greater participation in the coming years.”
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PT Students Shine at Final Case Report Presentations
All hail the future graduates (above), looking relaxed and happy following a day of final case report presentations from their clinical experiences for the Masters in Physical Therapy program.
GSU Provost Dr. Jane Rhoades Hudak (left) and Dr. Russell Carter (right), Physical Therapy Department Chair, congratulate the Physical Therapy students for their achievement. The students will be graduating at the January 31 commencement exercises.
Physical Therapy student Marie Falco discusses her case report.
PT lecturer Joyce Sligar (left) introduces PT student Janet Hill.
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Alpha Eta Honor Society Chapter
to Form
The College of Health and Human Service’s departments of Physical Therapy, Communication Disorders, Addictions Studies, and Health Administration have been granted permission to establish a local chapter of the National Scholastic Honor Society known as Alpha Eta. (The three other departments within our College—Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Social Work—have already formed alignments with their respective National Honor Societies.)
Students and alumni who meet the high academic standards required by the Alpha Eta Society will be invited to particpate in the organization.
In her letter of request for the chapter’s establishment, Dean Linda Samson noted that the College’s students “truly exemplify the motto of the Alpha Eta Society—‘Together We Serve.’ They’ve devoted themselves to helping promote the health, well-being and improved quality of life for some of the region’s most vulnerable populations. These highly engaged individuals, I am certain, will distinguish themselves through their scholarship and achievements as members of the Alpha Eta Society."
The Chapter is currently in the process of being formed. Additional information about Alpha Eta may be obtained by contacting Nancy Burley at n-burley@govst.edu.
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The Writing Center: At Your Service
“Writing is an adventure,” believed Winston Churchill. It’s also a challenge, and one of the most powerful skills health and humans services professionals must possess.
If you’re feeling a bit shaky about your writing skills, the The Writing Center at GSU has an excellent team of consultants who are there to help you with that term paper, research project, documentation conundrum, or even that scholarship essay.
The Writing Center helps students
in three ways:
Writing Center tutors are on duty in the University Library from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tutors can help you narrow your research focus and answer questions about documentation.
The Writing Center provides online assistance as well. The online writing center offers a twenty-four hour response to your writing with revision suggestions for making your paper better. The online writing center also offers links to resources, such as documentation styles (APA and AMA) and where to put that comma.
The Writing Center offers one-on-one assistance in half-hour appointments for students who prefer a face-to-face consultation. Appointments must be made in advance. To make an appointment, call 708.534.4508.
Whatever writing issues you need to work on, the Writing Center provides outstanding support. Our advice: see the University Writing Center pros early, and see them often.
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Stressed? Need help?
Governors State University’s Counseling Center provides confidential counseling services for currently enrolled GSU students. For personal counseling, contact Katherine Helm at 708.235.7334.
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Take Advantage of Career Assistance
The Office of Career Services (OCS) is ready and able to help you get your career off the ground. OCS can meet with students and alumni one-on-one to develop resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, and more. The OCS also holds workshops and keeps postings for local employers.
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Disability Accommodations
Students who have disabilities, and who intend to request extended time on professional licensing exams, should contact Access Services for Students with Disabilities, located in the Academic Resource Center.
Registering will ensure students with disabilities receive the accommodations they need as CHHS students and, when they seek additional time on licensing exams, provide necessary documentation that accommodation was provided in their undergraduate or graduate program.
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