Healthy Connections Newsletter Fall 2016
Educate. Engage. Elevate
Note from the Dean
Someone once told me there is no heavier burden than a great opportunity. As you may know, I will be leaving Appalachian at the end of January to become the President of Lenoir-Rhyne University. While this is an incredible new opportunity, leaving Appalachian is bittersweet for me. When I returned to my alma mater as Founding Dean, it was a dream come true. I enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to return to my home state, begin a new college, and live and work in a region of North Carolina whose people and culture I love and respect. At the end of December, I completed 40 years in higher education. While every position and university has provided invaluable experiences, I have never enjoyed any experience more than I have the past seven years at Appalachian. I am forever grateful to Appalachian for the support during the past seven years. I am particularly appreciative to the faculty and staff of the Beaver College of Health Sciences and the many friends and alums who have been so supportive. Trusting my leadership, tolerating my entrepreneurial spirit, and being receptive to change and beginning new traditions have all been instrumental in the success our faculty and staff has enjoyed as a college. The Beaver College of Health Sciences has enjoyed many successful achievements due to the outstanding work of our faculty, staff and students. The naming of the college, breaking ground on our new building, growing to be the second largest college at Appalachian, our unique partnership with the Wake Forest School of Medicine, beginning new graduate degree programs and recruiting new faculty, staff and administrators are all significant accomplishments. However, I believe the most important attribute of our BCHS is the culture. You have helped to create a spirit of collaboration, a fun place to come to work, a caring and supportive environment, and a commitment to excellence in all that we do. However, there is still much work to be done. The foundation has been laid and I have great confidence the BCHS will thrive under new leadership. I am so pleased Dr. Susan Roggenkamp has agreed to serve at the Interim Dean. She has been a part of our leadership team from day one and she will continue to advance the strategic plan of BCHS. This position should attract many outstanding candidates. Thanks so much to each of you for all of your support. Please do not hesitate to call on me anytime. I will miss you more than you know. A Mountaineer Forever, Fred Whitt, Founding Dean
Note from Susan Roggenkamp It is my honor to be asked to serve as Interim Dean for the Beaver College of Health Sciences during the leadership transition. Founding Dean Fred Whitt did a fantastic job in establishing the college and creating a sound foundation that we can now build on. His presence in the college and on the Appalachian campus will be missed and we all wish him much success and happiness in his new endeavors. To introduce myself to those who don’t know me, I served as the Associate Dean for Academic Support for the BCHS since its founding in 2010. Prior to that I was a faculty member in the undergraduate Health Care Management Program since 2000 and the Program Director since 2003. My undergraduate degree is from Appalachian and my Master of Health Administration and PhD degrees are from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to entering academia, I had a career in health administration with approximately 17 years in various administrative and leadership roles. I was overjoyed to return to Appalachian in 2000. In my undergraduate experience here, I witnessed how a college education, both in and out of the classroom, truly forms a young adult’s future and I am so fulfilled to now be a part of that transformation for our students. We have so much to be proud of in the Beaver College of Health Sciences. With excellent degree programs delivered by outstanding faculty and a new physical location in the near future, we will indeed fulfill our vision of “innovation and collaboration in education, scholarship and service that produces high quality graduates, attracts superior faculty and staff, and transforms health and quality of life for the communities we serve.” During this period of leadership transition, we will continue to make progress on the important initiatives in the college – preparing to occupy the new building, expanding our degree offerings, and continued development of partnerships with key stakeholders, among others. I welcome the opportunity to meet more of our supporters and alumni, and I welcome your phone calls and emails. If you are ever in the High Country, please stop by for a visit. We’d love to show off all the great things that are happening in the Beaver College of Health Sciences!
Faculty and Staff Awards 2016 Each year the Beaver College of Health Sciences recognizes members of the faculty and staff that represent excellence in teaching, research and service. These award recipients demonstrate a degree of excellence that the BCHS strives for in all areas. Individuals are nominated by fellow faculty and staff. Congratulations to our amazing recipients! Teaching Award (Tenure Track) - Dr. Lisa McAnulty, Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management. Teaching Award (Non-Tenure Track) - Melissa Bryan, Lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management. Service Award (Tenure Track) - Dr. Michael Howell, BSW Program Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work. Service Award (Non-Tenure Track) - Travis Erickson, Academic Advisor Outstanding Research and Scholarly Endeavors Award - Dr. Melissa Gutschall, Program Director for Nutrition and Health Care Management. Staff Award - Debe Jones, Administrative Support Specialist with Communication Disorders Clinic and Clinical Services. Making a Difference Award - Dr. Kim McCullough, Program Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. BCHS also recognized individuals across campus who “pack our parachutes.” This year’s parachute award recipients are Bronwen Sheffield, Sharon Jensen, Laura Crandall, Nancy Crowell, and the staff in the Office of General Counsel.
Pictured left to right: Travis Erickson, Kim McCullough, Debe Jones, Lisa McAnulty and Melissa Gutschall. Not pictured: Melissa Bryan and Michael Howell.
Transforming Health Series On October 19 the Beaver College of Health Sciences hosted Bryant Terry, a 2015 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award-winning chef, educator, author and equity advocate. Mr. Terry’s presentation was part of the BCHS Transforming Health Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Terry’s presentation focused on promoting healthy eating, with particular attention given to local foods. With a bit of humor and southern style, Terry prepared a quick dish of collards seasoned with olive oil, raisins and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Terry’s presentation quickly filled the Holmes Convocation Center with the scents of our past, while piquing our desires to change the way we look at food sustainability in our future.
Interprofessional Education Event Healthcare professionals work in interdisciplinary teams every day. The Beaver College of Health Sciences prioritizes interprofessional education as we prepare students for careers in health care.
The Fall 2016 IPE event took place on Monday, October 24 in the Holmes Convocation Center. Approximately 250 undergraduate seniors and graduate students gathered for 3 hours to review a clinical case study involving a gentleman who suffers from an acute stroke as a result of his ongoing battle with Type II diabetes. After an introductory presentation on diabetes and stroke by Appalachian nursing faculty Jean Bernard and Dana Brackney, students from athletic training, the physician assistant program, nursing, nutrition, social work, recreation management, exercise science, health promotion, health care management, and speechlanguage pathology gathered at round tables and worked their way through a the case from acute care through rehabilitation and back to education and prevention. Faculty from the Beaver College of Health Sciences and Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant program mentored students through the experience. Two special guests from Watauga Medical Center, physical therapist Katherine Graham and nurse educator Deborah Shook, assisted by visiting with tables and summarizing key clinical concepts at the end of the evening. Students learn the critical need for interprofessional collaboration and get to participate in a process that provides them with a glimpse into the future of clinical care.
Kayla Thompson, a Health Promotion major, took on her professor’s challenge to write an op-ed that could lead to policy, environmental and systems changes for improved health outcomes. Dr. Adam Hege, Kayla’s professor, encouraged students to submit their op-eds to their local newspapers, and Kayla did just that. Her “Challenge to the Community” letter was featured in the Watauga Democrat Sunday, October 16, 2016, and her op-ed also finished 4th in the North Carolina Society for Public Health Education’s inaugural Advocacy Op Ed contest. Congratulations Kayla!
Recognition from the Department of Health and Exercise Science
Dr. N. Travis Triplett, a professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science, received the 2016 Editorial Excellence Award in July for her work with the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the NSCA is an international nonprofit educational association with over 30,000 members in 52 countries. Dr. Triplett has been recognized by the NSCA on several occasions, receiving a Challenge Scholarship in 1992 and as the recipient of the William J. Kraemer Outstanding Sport Scientist Ward in 2010. In addition, she was the first female to receive the Terry J. Housh Outstanding Young Investigator award in 2000, as well as becoming the first female Fellow of the NSCA in 2006. The NSCA bridges the gap between the scientist in the laboratory and the practitioner in the field. By working to find practical applications for new research findings in the strength and conditioning field, the association fosters the development of strength training and conditioning as a discipline and as a profession. Congratulations Dr. Triplett!
Nursing First Time Pass Rates on NCLEX for Second Quarter 2016 The North Carolina Board of Nursing recently released the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rates for the second quarter of 2016. Appalachian State University was the only university in the University of North Carolina System with a 100% first time pass rate. Congratulations to our graduates and to the Department of Nursing on this accomplishment!
Presentations by the Department of Social Work Fall 2016 has been a busy semester for the Department of Social work. Faculty including Dr. Denise Levy, Ms. Heather Thorp, Dr. Emily Dakin, Dr. Kelly Williams, Dr. Leah Hamilton and Dr. Kellie Reed-Ashcraft presented at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work held in Atlanta. Dr. Rachel Wright presented at the Sexuality and Social Work Conference in Olten, Switzerland. In addition, Dr. Mike Howell presented at the Lilly Conference in Asheville, while Dr. Denise Levy and Ms. Heather Thorp presented at the North American Association of Christians in Social Work in Cincinnati. Drs. Kelly Williams, Emily Dakin and Maureen MacNamara presented at the Gerontological Society of America in New Orleans in November. Presentation and poster topics were wide-ranging in social work education: field placements, expressive arts, distance education, gerontological content in Master Social Work curricula, and written feedback and the use of technology to support team-based learning. Other presentation topics included LGBT older adults in southern Appalachia, social work’s agenda regarding women’s health, the use of labyrinths to promote spiritual and personal development, and an intergroup dialogue on Christianity and sexual orientation. We appreciate the active scholarship of our faculty at national and international conferences and look forward to their further scholarship in and out of the classroom.
Notes from the Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education This November, the North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport Management held their 68th annual convention in Winston-Salem. This year’s awards were dominated by Appalachian State University current faculty, retired faculty and alumni. The Linda Harrill Rudisill Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Donna Breitenstein. Dr. Breitenstein has taught health education at Appalachian for 41 years. She has managed grants through the Training Center for 23 years, providing professional development for teachers, counselors, nurses and administrators. Gabe Ervin was presented with the Norm Leafe Elementary Teacher of the Year Award. Gabe graduated from Appalachian in 2000 with a degree in Physical Education and he has worked as a Physical Education teacher at Startown Elementary School in the Catawba County School district for 14 years. While teaching at Startown, Ervin’s achievements include Teacher of the Year (2005-06, 2015-16) and National Board teaching certification. Dr. Derek Mohr, Professor in the Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education, was presented with the College/University Physical Education Teacher of the Year. Over the past two decades, Dr. Mohr has worked diligently to become an accomplished teacher and researcher. His area of expertise is in sport and fitness pedagogy, and he has written multiple textbooks and authored numerous scholarly papers in this area. He also holds a SPARK Elite level certification. The Mission Impact Award was presented to Caroline Niederhammer, a 2011 Physical Education graduate. Caroline has been teaching at Mountain View Elementary in Catawba County for the past two years, and prior to that she was a Fitness Teacher at Snow Creek Elementary. She is also a licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor. Caroline lives the mission of the American Heart Association and she challenges those around her to be active and engaged. Because of Caroline’s support of Jump Rope for Heart, over $24,000 has been raised in 2 years for lifesaving research and educational programs.
Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management
Dr. Laura McArthur and Professor John Arrowood collaborated with the nutrition graduate students on a nutrition fair at the Lois E. Harrill Senior Center in Boone. Dr. Lanae Ball presented research on food insecurity at the American Public Health Association in November. Also, Dr. Elizabeth McGrady presented research conducted by her and Dr. Sandi Lane regarding resilience as a contributing factor to nursing home emergency preparedness at the Gerontological Conference in New Orleans in November. Dr. Kyle Thompson successfully defended her dissertation for her doctoral program at Rutgers University. Congratulations Dr. Thompson!
Health Professions Advising Office As the Health Professions Advising Office prepares for our 10 th anniversary in March 2017, we celebrate our success in helping Appalachian alumni gain admission to graduate health professions programs. The HPA office works predominately with students and alumni interested in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry, veterinary medicine and similar graduate programs. The HPA Office assists students in understanding pre-requisite course requirements, clinical requirements, extracurricular experiences, service opportunities, research, and other opportunities or experiences that help develop our students into competitive applicants. The impact of having the information and resources centralized to a single office has been substantial. Since the creation of the HPA office, we have increased the number of Appalachian alumni successfully gaining admission to their programs of interest. We find Appalachian alumni as students or graduates of health professions programs at UNC, ECU, Duke, Wake Forest, Campbell, Wingate, Colorado, University of Tennessee, George Washington, NYU, and among many others. We look forward to helping more Appalachian students achieve success in becoming health care professionals in our second decade on campus.
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Gary McCullough, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education for the Beaver College of Health Sciences was recently named a Fellow of The American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA) for 2016. ASHA is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for 186,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speechlanguage pathologists; and speech, language and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speechlanguage pathologists identify, assess and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders. Dr. McCullough has published approximately 40 peer-reviewed research articles, presented nearly 100 presentations, and has been awarded nearly $4 million in grant funds from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans affairs - mostly in the area of swallowing disorders, or dysphagia. He currently serves as president-elect of the international Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) and will become president of DRS in 2017. Fellowship is one of the highest honors the Association bestows. To be awarded Fellow, the nominee must have made outstanding contributions to the discipline of communication sciences and disorders. The key word for this award is "outstanding" and the nominee must truly stand out among one's peers, with significant contributions within and beyond one's community or state. While there are thousands of members who fulfill their professional responsibilities competently, only a small percentage have, by virtue of the quality, and amount of their contributions, distinguished themselves sufficiently to warrant recognition.
Office of Advising and Academic Support - Notes from the Director
Last time this newsletter was published I thanked faculty and staff for beginning to use DegreeWorks and the Internship Inventory. Time does fly as those two pieces of technology have become so engrained in our culture as to be necessary to our daily lives. As I type I am awaiting training information for the new Student Educational Planner, and as I learn more about how this will be used on campus, I’ll share updates. We continue to move forward with the charge from Academic Affairs to work in a paperless environment, having implemented Fortis Imaging which will soon transition to Docuware. Internally we identified and began using AppointmentPlus scheduling software and we’ve written and distributed an advising survey which is used as an assessment tool. While it’s great that we have continued to keep pace with available technology, I’m most proud of additions to my team. Hera Haas, formerly of the Registrar’s Office, joined us as records specialist. Daniel Byrd, Matt Crump and Janice Koppenhaver are in their second year as academic advisors and currently serve as liaisons to six of our academic areas. Earlier this year Tron Buff and Travis Erickson were welcome additions to our advising staff. Lastly, Caroline Grooms recently became a member of our staff and is serving as administrative assistant. This team, in addition to records specialists Catherine Greene and Tanya Randall, has done a phenomenal job completing extensive training, learning about academic programs, suggesting efficiencies, meeting with students and working with faculty. I can’t be more pleased with the transition to a full-service Office of Advising and Academic Support and know all successes have been the result of the hard work of my team in conjunction with BCHS faculty. I’m grateful for this opportunity to thank everyone for their flexibility, participation and feedback as our office transformed over the past few years. I have a goal of hiring at least one additional academic advisor to further expand services offered to both faculty mentors and students in the new building and on the main campus. I look forward to working with you to reach this goal. Tina Proctor, Director
Invest in our future Because of you, Appalachian is able to dramatically enhance The Appalachian Experience for our students in the Beaver College of Health Sciences, who will in turn be able to improve access to quality health care for rural North Carolinians. Your support will make a difference in Western North Carolina and beyond. Learn about how you can support the college.
With your support, the Beaver College of Health Sciences at Appalachian is poised to become the preeminent and most comprehensive academic center for health professionals in the western half of North Carolina. We are educating health care providers today for the existing and future health care needs of tomorrow. Stay tuned as more details unfold in the new year and look for the webcast of our new building’s progress as we go live later this month. We look forward to welcoming you to our new building in August, 2018!
Your Newsletter As we continue to work to create a cohesive college and pull departments together, Healthy Connections will be a place to share our news, successes and information. So as you receive news regarding someone from your department, please forward the information to me so that it can be shared. This is a work in progress and I would love to hear from you with any ideas or suggestions for future issues. This is YOUR newsletter and should reflect your thoughts and ideas. Future issues of Healthy Connections will be published quarterly and will include a section for announcements from each department/unit, so be sure to forward your news to me at gurkinat@appstate.edu or 828-262-7798. Thank you! Audrey Gurkin The Beaver College of Health Sciences is on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to friend and follow us!