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COLLEGE OF
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COLLEGE OF
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SPRING 2021
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Dean’s
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SOCIAL WORK JOINS COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH AND NURSING
HELPING PEOPLE ENJOY THE OUTDOORS
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CONNECTING PLAY TO THE REAL WORLD
INSPIRED TO HELP HEAL
SUMMER SERVICES FILL A GAP DURING PANDEMIC
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EYES ON DENTAL RESEARCH
BACK IN THE BULLPEN
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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FELLOWS WELCOMES FIRST COHORT
MAKING THE ROUNDS: NEWS FROM AROUND THE COLLEGE
About the cover: This year’s cover photo is of Minnesota State University, Mankato nursing students at the height of the pandemic in full PPE.
College of Allied Health & Nursing Dr. Kristine Retherford, Dean
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Greetings, Last year I opened my remarks by pointing out that the most frequently used word was unprecedented to describe the pandemic, the shutdown, the lives lost to COVID, and social unrest. This year, as we are starting to return to some sense of normalcy, the word I hear the most is resilience. We have endured these challenging circumstances and we are coming back. In this issue we will examine many of the things we have accomplished despite the pandemic and social injustice. We have received donations to support our nursing students’ PPE needs. We have identified ways in which we can do our part to seek social justice and equity and inclusion. We’ve figured out how to manage the extra gowns needed in the dental clinic. And we’ve learned how to deliver clinical speech and language services remotely. Despite being in the midst of the pandemic, the Department of Social Work joined the College of Allied Health & Nursing in January. We have long partnered with faculty in Social Work to engage in research and clinical collaborations. Now we can increase those partnerships and strengthen the bonds that will enhance all of our graduates in their chosen profession. We showcase an alumna of our Family Consumer Science program who is working at the YWCA to address equity and women’s justice issues. We feature another alumna, this one from Health Science who is working on the Lower Sioux Reservation helping individuals to leave their addictions behind. Other stories examine cultural barriers, oral care, and a love for the outdoors. You will find stories of internship opportunities for nursing students in urgent care settings and for our student to gain clinical experience at Health Commons at Pond in Bloomington, Minnesota. We also showcase our new Diversity Fellows in the graduate program in Communications Sciences and Disorders. And I know you will enjoy a story about a former student worker in the Bullpen who is now a billiard instructor in that very same facility. In March, we hosted the third annual Health and Biomedical Sciences Summit. This completely remote event was a huge success. We were honored to have Dr. Yusef Salaam give our keynote address. He also met with students to continue the discussion. The day-long event also included presentations by community members, faculty and students. This is another example of how we are addressing health equity, access to care, and social justice as we prepare our students for important careers. And we had the highest participant total! This tells us that we need to continue to offer participants multiple ways to engage! We have learned much during these challenging times. But we have persevered, and we have been resilient. I am optimistic that we have learned important lessons that will serve us well in the future. And we will continue to serve our students in typical and new ways. As always, thank you for keeping your finger on the pulse of the College of Allied Health and Nursing! Warm regards, Kris Retherford, Dean
Departments Dental Education Family Consumer Science Health Science Human Performance Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services School of Nursing Social Work Speech, Hearing & Rehabilitation Services
The College of Allied Health & Nursing is dedicated to promoting health and wellness through education and service to the state, region, and global community. The purpose of PULSE is to share the ongoing commitment of the College of Allied Health & Nursing with students, alumni, donors, and the broader community. To learn more about the College of Allied Health and Nursing please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
pulse
Spring 2021 Volume Eight
College of Allied Health & Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato 124 Myers Field House Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-389-6315 www.ahn.mnsu.edu Managing Editor/Writer AmyJo Lennartson Designer Linda Clavel Contributing Writers Sonika Masih Nicole Sisk Joe Tougas Print Coordinator Ryan Schuh An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the College of Allied Health and Nursing at 507-389-6315 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY). AHNU149NE
With a legacy of best practices and a look toward increased collaboration
Department of Social Work joins College of Allied Health and Nursing by Nicole Sisk
When looking for a new home, buyers are often told to focus on one thing: location, location, location. That same focus has guided the leaders of the Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Social Work over the past decade as they’ve contemplated a move out of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “We’ve had many conversations about whether we should be housed in a college that has more experience with outside accreditation,” Debra Gohagan, MSW, PhD, said. “We decided last year that it was the right time, and we’d found the right place.”
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That place is the College of Allied Health and Nursing, the department’s new college home. “There’s a natural alignment in goals and priorities and a deep understanding of the accreditation process,” Gohagan said. “The change is going to benefit our students, and eventually their clients, in many ways.” We want alumni to know this change is about taking our program, which they are deservedly proud of, and making it even stronger.” – Dr. Debra Gohagen
Tangible spaces and virtual reality
A solid foundation and expanded partnerships
Some of those benefits come courtesy of the Social Work Department’s new physical home, the award-winning Clinical Sciences Building, which opened in 2017.
Another benefit of the move is increased opportunities for social work students to build relationships with students in health care programs.
The building features a dozen interview rooms and classrooms with abundant windows, which fill much of the space with natural light. The classrooms and interview rooms are outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, including virtual reality equipment that will enable students to safely explore dangerous environments they may encounter in practice, such as a meth house.
According to Gohagan, the College of Allied Health and Nursing has a strong culture of collaboration among departments and programs. Getting practice working outside the social work silo will help prepare students for the teamwork that is a hallmark of the profession.
That’s something Michelle Forliti ’12, said is invaluable. “One area I felt I had to experience on the fly after graduation were those real-life situations that occur when working with humans,” said Forliti, Minnesota State Mankato’s Child Welfare Program Student Support Coordinator. Though she is “forever grateful” for the field experiences she had as a student, her supervisors were upfront about the fact that she wouldn’t be able to “see” every situation she would encounter as a practitioner. Virtual reality will help change that. “I’m excited for students to be able to experience as much as possible while they are still able to seek feedback from their peers and teachers.”
“The biggest benefit of this change for our students will be the ability to collaborate directly with other departments in the health care field,” said Laura L. Benesch ’06, ’09, Director of BSSW Field Education. “Students are going to have opportunities to work within multidisciplinary teams focused on improving the overall wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.” The move also reflects the Department of Social Work’s commitment to best practices in the field. “We were among the first group of undergraduate programs to receive accreditation in 1974,” Bill Anderson, who chaired the department from 1987-1993 and 20012010, said. “When social work licensure passed in 1989, Minnesota State Mankato became a major provider of license-eligible candidates.” A decade later, Anderson and his colleagues began developing a graduate program, enrolling the first master’s level students in 2007. The increasing professionalization of the program over the years left social work “kind of isolated” in a college comprised primarily of social sciences. “There was nothing bad about that, but there was a difference,” Anderson said. “We realized the College of Allied Health and Nursing, which is full of applied programs, might be a better fit for our department.”
Bill Anderson, shown here with his wife Robin—who also taught Social Work at Minnesota State Mankato—was chair of the Social Work Department from 1987-1993 and 2001-2010. He continues to support students by providing scholarships to both undergraduate and graduate students in Social Work.
It’s a department that remains vital as it looks toward celebrating its golden anniversary in 2024. “We want alumni to know this change is about taking our program, which they are deservedly proud of, and making it even stronger,” Gohagan said.
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WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE Lydia Jagodzinski ’20 turns passions into dream job
During Lydia Jagodzinski’s time at Minnesota State University, Mankato, she developed a passion for community, diversity and working with youth. Now, she says, all her passions have “collided” in her job as the youth programming coordinator at the YWCA Mankato. “As I looked at jobs, the idea of doing girls programming at a nonprofit was a dream,” Jagodzinski ’20 said. “Little did I know it would come true.” Jagodzinski started at Minnesota State Mankato as an elementary education major but realized she didn’t necessarily want to be a classroom teacher. While exploring options she heard about Family Consumer Science (FCS) Education and discovered she could apply her interest in working with children, but through a broader setting. Meanwhile, she was active with the Student Events Team, which she says is where she was able to connect her growing interest in diversity into action. “Student events was my way of getting involved,” Jagodzinski said. “I realized I loved advocating for diversity and inclusion and wanted to help our campus be a welcoming environment.” Jagodzinski graduated with a FCS degree with an emphasis on child development and family studies, a minor in nonprofit leadership and a commitment to pursuing her passion around inclusion. “I can honestly say I feel like everything I did at Minnesota State Mankato is helping me today,” Jagodzinski said. “I’m helping girls have conversations about inclusion, wanting them to realize it’s ok to be curious and to not be afraid to ask questions.” Lydia Jagodzinski
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Connecting play to the real world: New dental exhibit helps educate patients The interactive “teeth display”. The public dental clinic at Minnesota State Mankato has welcomed an educational “permanent tooth” display to the clinic lobby. Created by the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota (CMSM), the exhibit gives dental hygiene students another opportunity to educate patients who receive care at the clinic during regular appointments or during special events such as Health for Heroes or Give Kids A Smile.
Living Mindfully Phi Upsilon Omicron (Phi U), the oldest national honor society in Family and Consumer Sciences, created and hosted a mindfulness exhibit for students, staff and faculty. The event, called “Living Mindfully,” provided a variety of engaging activities around being physically active, staying mentally healthy, being organized and managing stress. >> Learn more about the event: link.mnsu.edu/livemindful
Heather Von Bank, a professor of Family Consumer Science, play advocate and CMSM board member, said the exhibit helps create a welcoming environment for children. “Going to the dentist can be overwhelming for kids but bringing a bit of pretend play to what may be an unknown situation can help reduce anxiety and make it more comfortable,” Von Bank said. Von Bank said the exhibit provides a connection to the real world and allows dental hygiene students to work with patients on concepts such as flossing or cavities, which could especially benefit patients with autism, sensory processing disorders, or other developmental disabilities. “Aside from being a fun way to educate patients, it allows dental students the opportunity to speak the language of children, which is play.”
“Say Cheese, Jack!” These 2021 Experimental Food Science Product Design Project students created several new foods including a vegetable-coated pepper jack cheese snack called “Say Cheese, Jack!” Other products created included “Meatless Meatballs,” made with mushrooms, bread crumbs and oatmeal; “Savory Sauce”, a convenient frozen vegetable-rich sauce for pasta; and “Super Fudge,” a vegan product made with zucchini, carrots, dates and coconut.
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Barriers to oral health care:
Communication with populations of different cultural beliefs by Sonika Masih, assistant professor, Department of Dental Education
Sonika Masih
Oral health plays an important role in the overall health of an individual. According to the Surgeon General’s Report of Oral Health 2020, “Oral Health means much more than healthy teeth, and is integral to the general health and wellbeing of all Americans.”
There are many social and cultural barriers in America that create a gap between understanding the oral health beliefs of diverse cultural backgrounds. This creates complexities in health care’s ability to influence oral health. Effective communication regarding oral health depends on the health literacy of the patient and the cultural competence of the healthcare provider. Being culturally competent means understanding person’s cultural beliefs and how it impacts their oral health. Overlooking patients’ cultural beliefs may lead to distrust between patients and providers resulting in noncompliance to treatment regimen. Effective patient and provider communication results in greater patient satisfaction, better compliance by patients and good oral health outcomes.
Service learning is one way to work with multicultural underserved populations. Community-based dental education is the way to prepare oral health providers who are culturally competent and understand the barriers of the people from different cultures and social backgrounds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians and Alaska Natives generally have the poorest oral health of any racial and ethnic groups in the United States.” Dental hygienists contribute to comprehensive health care of an individual. Being efficient in communicating with individuals of different cultural beliefs will help them build trust resulting in more compliance with the treatment, leading to better oral health. With increases in a culturally diverse communities there is a need for emphasizing more on cross cultural communication skills education earlier in curriculum. With service learning and effective communication, health care outcomes can be improved among patients with different cultural beliefs. >> For a complete list of citations, please visit: link.mnsu.edu/sonikamasih
New Master of Science in Advanced Dental Therapy (ADT MS) program starting fall 2021 The Dental Education department at Minnesota State University, Mankato will welcome its first cohort of the new Master of Science in Advanced Dental Therapy (ADT MS) in the Fall of 2021. Dr. Jessica Drapcho said those with an ADT MS degree often work in areas where there is a shortage of dentists. “Because ADTs provide an advanced level of care, dentists can focus on complex care, freeing up ADTs to provide mid-level oral health services,” Dr. Drapcho said. “This is critical in communities where the need for dental care is highest—in rural, low-income, underserved, and underinsured settings. In these areas, there is high demand for ADTs.” >> Learn more at: link.mnsu.edu/dentaltherapy Dr. Jessica Drapcho 6 COL LEGE O F A LLI ED HEA LT H & N UR S I N G
Dental students present research at national hygienist conference Magnification loupes, worn here by dental hygiene majors Lissette Garza ‘21 (left) and Kaitlyn Knutson ‘21 were the subject of their research poster, presented at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association 2020 Annual Conference.
“I feel like I just started at Minnesota State Mankato yesterday,” Knutson said. “It’s amazing to see how I’ve evolved as a student and how far how far I’ve come. I can’t wait to start in a clinical practice.”
Same goes for Garza. “I definitely want to get into clinic practice. I also want Lissette Garza ‘21 and Kaitlyn Knutson ‘21 Although the event—as with most to get my master’s degree and become in 2020—was virtual, both Garza and Knutson said the a professor of dental hygiene. That stems from the experience of doing and presenting research will only amazing professors and my entire experience here.” benefit them in the future. >> Read the full story at: link.mnsu.edu/loupes
Medical-dental integration featured for TPT documentary The Department of Dental Education is featured in a documentary titled “Uncovered: Minnesota’s Dental Crisis.” Produced by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), the program highlights the need for increased access to dental care in Minnesota. With a million Minnesotans unable to get the dental care they need, millions of dollars are spent on preventable dental problems in emergency rooms. One of the innovative solutions to this crisis, featured in the documentary, is the Department’s medical-dental integration program with Mayo Clinic Health System. The documentary is less than 30 minutes long and can be watched anytime at no charge. >> See more behind-the-scenes photos and get a link to the documentary at: link.mnsu.edu/tpt
Brigette Cooper, chair of the Dental Education Department, being interviewed for the TPT documentary. P U L S E | S P RI NG 2021 7
Increased use of the outdoors provides increased Growing up in Afton, Minnesota, Chelsey Bechel ’17 developed a love of hunting, fishing and all things outdoors. Now, with the number of people heading outdoors still booming due to the pandemic, the Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services (RPLS) graduate is using her passion to help others safely enjoy their activities as one of Minnesota’s newest Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officers (CO). Bechel, who started at Minnesota State University, Mankato as a law enforcement major, said she remembers hearing about Conservation Officers at some point, and then, after learning about the RPLS program, knowing it was the path for her. “RPLS was just perfect for me–I could work outside,” Bechel said. “I had fantastic teachers at Minnesota State Mankato and a had a lot of fun in my classes that were outdoor-based. Creating programming for nonprofits, encouraging things like ropes courses—it was such a completely different learning environment.”
Chelsey Bechel ’17 at the Academy graduation where she was sworn in as Conservation Officer.
The RPLS major has an emphasis in resource management and a minor in law enforcement. As a student, she interned at the DNR, and after graduation, worked at Washington County Parks and as a Sentence to Serve crew leader, taking people on probation out to do community service. Bechel then applied for, and was one of 14 accepted into, the competitive DNR CO Academy that started in the summer of 2020.
Thoughtful leadership earns recognition Jacob Reinboldt ’20, an RPLS major with an emphasis in Resource Management, received a coveted Commander’s Coin from Colonel Jansen of the St. Paul District of the Mississippi Valley Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As part of his practicum and role as a Ranger, Reinboldt responded to a park visitor who had a fatal heart attack at 8 COL LEGE O F A LLI ED HEA LT H & N UR S I N G
Blackhawk Park in DeSoto, Wisconsin, which is a popular location on the Mississippi River for fishing and boating. “I arrived at the scene, attached an AED to him, performed CPR and assisted first responders. Unfortunately, the man couldn’t be resuscitated,” Reinboldt said. Despite the outcome, Reinboldt received recognition for his proper and thoughtful leadership navigating a tragic situation.
engagement opportunities for RPLS alumna Every day is different During the training, Bechel learned more about the role COs play in community and how their work helps develop the next generation of conservationists. She also trained in fish and wildlife laws, boat and water regulations and rules relating to fish and wildlife investigations. “Going in with the resource management degree and understanding different ecological impacts, habitats, species for animals, as well as the program planning side helps with things like hunter education or snowmobile safety was incredibly helpful.” With natural areas seeing record numbers of use, she’s seeing increased engagement with the public, which his just fine by her. “The majority of my time I get to help people do fun recreation things safely, but every day is different,” Bechel said. “Sometimes I even get to have short conversations with people who are out fishing and talk to them about what they are catching—that’s exciting to me.”
Bechel, who enjoys being outside in all seasons, took advantage of Mankato’s natural resources as a student. Group photo: RPLS classmates at Minneopa State Park after removing buckthorn; Bechel making the most of winter; and, on the campus ropes course during her first year at Minnesota State Mankato.
What is... Shark Week? As part of an RPLS class focused on program planning, students helped design a week of activities for the Mankato YMCA’s After School Adventures program. This photo was taken during the week that was themed “Shark Week,” which included shark-themed Jeopardy and a Friday dance party. “Programming is very hands on and a huge part of what we do in the RPLS field,” professor Jamie Cathey said. “So, the class is designed to give them real-life experience working in that setting.”
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INSPIRED TO HELP HEAL A required Drug Education class introduced Kelsey Joines to her calling: helping people leave their addictions behind By Nicole Sisk As an art education student, Kelsey Joines ’19 thought she was doing something she was passionate about. Then, a required Drug Education class changed her mind—and her career trajectory. “That class piqued my interest in addiction studies,” Joines said. “I became intrigued. I learned addiction is a brain disease. Before, I’d had so many negative biases about addiction. The class eliminated my biases. I wanted to do that for others.” Joines switched her major to Alcohol and Drug Studies and immediately noticed a change. “My grades went up,” she said. “I made the Dean’s list. Before, I’d thought I loved what I was doing. Once I switched majors, I realized I had truly found the right fit.” Joines credits her newfound passion in part to professors Jennifer Londgren, EdD, LMT, NCC, and Thad Shunkwiler, MS, LMFT, LPCC, ACS. “Their classes were entertaining,” Joines said. “They made the material fun and easy to learn. We weren’t just sitting in a lecture hall looking at PowerPoints. They made classes interactive and helped us develop relationships with our classmates.”
Expanding her network That was important to Joines, a single mom who spent little time on campus. “I just went to class and then went home to my son,” she said. “I appreciated having the chance to build a network during classes.” Kelsey Joines with her son, a member of the Lower Sioux Community. “I have a passion to work with this community because of him,” she said.
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That network expanded when Joines began her internship at Project Turnabout, a 131-bed addiction recovery center in Granite Falls. At the end of her internship, Project Turnabout offered Joines a job. She worked there until late 2020.
But ultimately the commute — more than an hour Joines describes herself as “an empath” and says that each way — started to wear on Joines. “I struggled with quality is essential in her field. “You need to do a lot of giving up that much time with my son just to drive,” she listening and validating,” she said. “People need to trust said. Joines now works closer to home at the Woniya you and know that you care.” Kini Behavioral Health Services with the Woniya Kini means Lower Sioux Community. It’s a position While Joines enjoys working with “to revive the spirit.” that means a great deal to her personally. individuals, she’s anxious to have a broader Kelsey Joines says that’s “My son is a member of the Lower reach. Recently, she arranged to bring a fitting way to describe Sioux. I have a passion to work with this an opioid overdose prevention training the goal of recovery. community because of him.” program to her colleagues. Joines had received the training, provided by the Steve Rummler HOPE Network, while at Minnesota State Mankato Woniya Kini means “to revive the spirit,” and Joines and advocated to bring it to Woniya Kini. “My biggest says that is a fitting way to describe the goal of recovery. goal is to make an impact on my community,” she said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned about drug and alcohol “Eventually, I’d like to provide education in schools.” abuse is that it’s not about the substances, it’s about what’s underneath,” she says. “It’s about the pain, the Joines admits working in the addiction field can be trauma and the mental health issues. Those are the challenging. “The stats aren’t great for recovery, so you gateways to addiction.” have to focus on small wins,” she said. She finds joy in those moments. “It’s rewarding to help get people out of Addiction is sometimes referred to as a disease of addiction. Addicts don’t have a lot of people to advocate isolation and the cure, Joines said, must include for them.” community support. “That’s the biggest part of recovery,” she said. “Without that, it’s hard to overcome Thanks to that Drug Education class, they now have the guilt and shame of addiction.” one more.
Making an impact
Kelsey Joines (right) with Alcohol and Drug Studies Professor Dr. Jennifer Londgren. P U L S E | S P RI NG 2021 11
URGENT CARE: A new internship responded to pandemic and highlighted the power of partnerships By Joe Tougas ‘86
In December 2020, three hospitals in southern Minnesota began taking in nursing students in a rapidresponse move to help with nursing shortages and a surge in COVID hospitalizations. These students enrolled through a Minnesota State Mankato winter nursing internship, put in place within weeks, that was the first of its kind. “We just needed more hands on deck, is what it came down to,” said alumna Christine Kvalheim ’92 of Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. The hospital joined Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato and Regions Hospital in St. Paul in the winter internship program. Kvalheim, a nurse who coordinates Methodist’s summer internship program, was instrumental in getting the University involved. Ordinarily in Minnesota, internships at hospitals and clinics take place during the summer. But in a year far from ordinary, hospitals across the country struggled to keep up as more patients came in. A week before the internships started, capacity at Methodist was in the 80 and 90 percent for COVID patients, Kvalheim said. Mankato had hit 100 percent occupancy.
“Winternships” In late November, Kvalheim contacted University nursing chair Patricia Young to ask about creating a winter internship modeled after the University’s summer internship. The internship would use a onecredit course that Young helped design—which was important for the access it provided.
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Thanks to some creativity and quick action by an alumna and the School of Nursing, three hospitals in southern Minnesota were able to have students complete a unique winter internship that provided the students with experience and helped ease staffing shortages during the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations in December, 2020.
Carol Reichel, a nursing educator for Mayo Clinic Health System, said 16 interns within the Mayo system were placed in facilities in Mankato, Waseca, New Prague and Fairmont.
“They’re really able to extend the RN in a way they wouldn’t be able to do if they were just a nursing assistant.”
Minnesota State Mankato had more than 33 students enrolled, and Young estimated that more than 60 winter interns from around the state worked across the three hospitals.
Several of the interns, Kvalheim said, were students who had technically graduated from nursing school, but had yet to take the final step of the National Council Licensure Examination—required to begin practice as an entry-level nurse.
And because the internship involved the one-credit course that Young ushered through the system, the interns were able to perform tasks that otherwise they could not, such as administering medication. “We couldn’t utilize these nursing students to help us administer medication unless they’re in a class. So kudos to Minnesota State Mankato for putting this quick class together,” Reichel said. Young worked with the University registrar’s office quickly to ensure the course could be offered over winter break without jeopardizing federal student financial aid. Once approved, the internship availability was announced through a state summer intern consortium of which she, Kvalheim and Reichel are part. “It was a whirlwind to make it happen and get up and running and get out information about the course,” said Young. The winter internship allowed the interns to take on duties closer to those of RNs, said Pre-Licensure and Experiential Learning Coordinator Marilyn Swan.
Infusion of energy
Patricia Young, chair of the School of Nursing
“They’re as experienced as a nursing student as you could possibly get,” Kvalheim said. She added that the internship provided benefits both ways. “The hospitals were able to provide much needed clinical hours that the students’ had missed in the spring of 2020 with the onset of COVID,” Kvalheim said, “and the nursing students had the ability to help out their future colleagues in their time of unprecedented need.” At Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Reichel said such internships provided an infusion of energy and morale to working RNs. “A student nurse brings in energy, they bring in excitement,” Reichel said. “I think that’s helpful to a team of nurses that’s exhausted.” This article first appeared in TODAY Magazine Online. Read more stories about our alumni at today.mnsu.edu.
As we look forward to what we hope is the end of the pandemic, faculty from Minnesota State University, Mankato wanted to remember the lived experiences of nurses and other frontline health workers during the crisis. Researchers collected stories from nurses in December 2020—the same time this photo was taken in Mankato—during one the surges of COVID-19, when the vaccine was hopeful, but still seemed far off, and the long winter was just beginning. >> Listen to a three-minute clip of their stories: link.mnsu.edu/dec20stories
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Back in the Bullpen
Three decades after he was a student worker, Jeff Maurer returns as an instructor By Nicole Sisk Maurer’s hours of practice paid off with success on the amateur competitive billiards circuit and—some 30-plus years after he last clocked in—an invitation to work in the Bullpen once again.
In-person during the pandemic
Maurer credits his return to “pure luck.” A mutual friend told the manager of the Bullpen that Maurer would be a good fit to help teach billiards to students. He applied and was hired as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Human Performance. “I love the interaction with the kids,” he said. “Everyone has been patient with me as a newbie teacher.” Maurer may be new to the job, but his students say he’s a natural. “He has the ability to break down even the simplest things so that we can understand them,” said Brett Haeder, a Law Enforcement major expecting to graduate in 2022. “I improved my game tremendously thanks to him.”
Jeff Maurer
When Jeff Maurer ’87 stepped into the Minnesota State University, Mankato Maverick Bullpen two years ago, the new billiards instructor felt like he was coming home. “The place has a lot of memories,” Maurer said. Back in the ‘80s, Maurer worked in the Bullpen as a student. “Dan and Bonnie Krueger ran the gaming area back then,” the Finance grad recalls, adding that there was an employment perk he took full advantage of: “If you worked there, you got to shoot pool for free.”
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“I really enjoyed Jeff,” said Tate Horgen Construction Management, ‘21. “He did a great job of helping us get to know each other in class. He wanted us to have fun.” Maurer confirms that fun is among his main learning objectives for the class. “I want the kids to understand the game, but I also want them to have a good time,” Maurer said. “Pool is social, and I want to promote that interaction.” The social aspect of the game took on new meaning during a global pandemic. For many students, Maurer’s was the only class that didn’t take place online. “It was amazing to have an in-person class,” Horgen said. “I was so happy to be back interacting with people.”
Straight shooter
While COVID-19 protocols—including reduced class size and frequent equipment sanitizing—are a sign of the times, the lessons Maurer teaches are timeless. “Pool is a throwback,” he said. “The fundamentals and etiquette haven’t changed. I teach the basics of billiards: 8-ball, 9-ball, straight pool.” He also teaches some tricks of the trade—or tries to. “Even after class I’ve tried to do some of the tricks Jeff showed us,” Horgen said. “I can’t figure out how he does them.” Matt Kujawa, a Finance major, said seeing Maurer’s trick shots was his favorite part of class. “We’d all freak out watching him,” Kujawa said. “He’d show us up a bit.”
The social aspect of billiards took on new meaning during the pandemic. For many students, Maurer’s was the only class that didn’t take place online.
And though he never mastered any of those showy shots, Kujawa said his skills improved during the course. “I definitely got better,” he said. “I could see my progress.” And that’s Maurer’s favorite part of being on the teacher’s side of the pool table. “It’s fun to see how much the students improve with a little bit of instruction,” he said. And, rewarding to know some of his students will leave his class with a new appreciation for a game that’s brought him much joy. “I’ll have students come down after they’ve finished the class to tell me that they’ve beaten their father in a game. I hope what they learned in class will stick with them. Where they want to take it is up to them.”
“Back in the day,” as Maurer says, he was on the bowling team, even traveling to St. Louis to compete.
Today, Maurer loves teaching and being a grandpa.
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Diversity and Inclusion Fellows How one small program With studies citing the professional Speech Language Pathology (SLP) field being more than 92 percent white, the Department of Speech, Hearing and Rehabilitation Services is working to change that. One of the ways it is working to increase the number of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) SLP professionals is by purposefully recruiting students as Diversity and Inclusion Fellows for the Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program, starting in the Fall of 2021. Megan Mahowald, chair of the department, said the Diversity and Inclusion cohort has been in the planning stages for a few years. Throughout the process, faculty began to learn more about the barriers some students face when pursuing a graduate degree, which is necessary for SLP students to move into the profession. “Increasing representation of the race, ethnicities and linguistic backgrounds represented in our program can ultimately change who the professionals are and improve the outcomes for those receiving services,” Mahowald said. “For some who receive SLP services, it’s important for their race and identity to be represented in their therapist.”
Providing a safe space Riya Arora ’21, who is from Delhi, India, will be one of the first Diversity and Inclusion Fellows in the Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program. “I think one of the main reasons why there are a few BIPOC SLPs is because of the stigma attached to disability in racial communities,” Arora said. “I can’t speak for all BIPOC SLPs, but for me and a lot of Indian SLPs, we ended up in this profession unexpectedly. I heard about this profession for the first time in the United States and I still have to explain to everyone back home every single time what I am pursuing.”
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Riya Arora, who graduated in the spring of 2021 with a Communication Sciences and Disorders degree, will be one of the Diversity and Inclusion Fellows. Arora, who is from Delhi, India, transferred to Minnesota State Mankato after learning more about the program, the potential for pursuing her graduate degree and the faculty’s commitment to supporting BIPOC students. “The faculty make the program what it is,” Arora said. “They have given me the space to voice my opinions, work with me on diversity and equity issues that I so firmly believe in, and have always provided a safe space to be around.”
welcome first cohort hopes to make a big difference As one of the few students of color in her undergraduate major, Arora was passionate about diversity and equity in allied health professions. “I devoted a lot of time and effort to make the College of Allied Health and Nursing a more diverse place and take a lot of pride in the fact that there are starting to be changes,” she said.
focus on English. If an undergraduate class focuses on the standard American dialect, and some students aren’t familiar with that dialect, they may see their GPA drop, which could then prevent them from pursuing a graduate degree.”
Advocating for change
While Mahowald and other SLP professionals are advocating for more equitable admissions processes on national level, she and the faculty are actively working to change what they can while helping build a network of BIPOC students.
Faculty also examined why fewer BIPOC students were applying or accepted to the graduate programs. They realized, while SLP is a competitive field with minimum GPA requirements, there was often implicit bias for some undergraduates, making graduate school less attainable. “Even though our field focuses on language, we often
“We value and appreciate different ways of thinking and interacting,” Mahowald said. “Once we change what we can, we hope to expand who our students are, which will change the workforce. That’s where I feel like a small program in the rural Midwest can make a difference.”
Department of Speech, Hearing and Rehabilitation Services Statement on Dismantling Racism and Striving for Equality We are strongly committing ourselves to create a racially equitable program that has the capability to transform and dismantle inequities and racism in educational and healthcare settings and in the field of speech-language pathology and audiology. We acknowledge that there are systemic issues of implicit bias, racism and inequity within the fields of speechlanguage pathology and audiology that impact the access to graduate programs for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Meghan Mahowald, chair of the Department of Speech, Hearing and Rehabilitation Services, said while she and other SLP professionals advocate for more equitable admissions on a national level, the department has committed to actively change what it can.
• Starting immediately, we will no longer require the Graduate Record Examination in graduate applications for our master’s degree program in Speech-Language Pathology. • We have established a workgroup in order to build funds for scholarships and to support application fees for students who are underrepresented and who may need assistance. • We plan to actively listen to those who are underrepresented in our program in how our program can continue to foster diversity, equity and inclusion. • We will continue the work started last year to build programming with an explicit goal of recruiting individuals from racially, culturally, linguistically and gender diverse backgrounds for both graduate and undergraduate programs. • We will implement coursework in both graduate and undergraduate programs to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology and related settings. • Faculty and staff will engage in anti-racism and cultural humility continuing education.
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Summer services at
HEALTH COMMONS AT POND helps fill gap for families and gives students real-world experience
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Last summer, students in the Department of Speech, Hearing and Rehabilitation Services (SHRS) began to provide services to children at the Speech-Language-andLearning Clinic at Health Commons at Pond, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a Twin Cities suburb.
The Health Commons at Pond is a partnership between Bloomington Public Schools and the College of Allied Health and Nursing and earned a 2020 Silver Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Quality Standards Program.
Health Commons at Pond is a free medical clinic providing health and wellness care to Bloomington Public School students and families—often low-income or immigrants—at no cost. Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty and Family Nurse Practitioner-level nursing students provide care in collaboration with other providers as needed.
Using telepractice also provided an opportunity for Minnesota State Mankato student clinicians to learn how to give the best care possible to parents and their children online.
SHRS Department assistant professor Wm. Eric Strong said that children with communication disorders need extra speech and language support—through assessment, diagnosis, and treatment—during typical summers. However, in the summer of 2020 and this entire academic year, the program became an essential service for many families. Schools lacked or scaled back specialized educational support, a problematic pandemic outcome. The hope, Strong said, was to connect with families through telepractice over the summer, so children with communication disorders and other disabilities were more ready to learn in the fall. Wm. Eric Strong works with a client at Health Commons at Pond.
“I emphasized the ethical aspects behind serving these communities to our students,” Dr. Strong said. “Homing in on the ethics of justice, critique, care and one’s profession help students pay attention to and evaluate their thinking which provides better care for families.” Strong said the partnership between SHRS and Bloomington Schools started at just the right time. The Department is looking forward to expanding speechlanguage pathology services at that site as the pandemic problem improves. “We are so grateful to be there,” Strong said. “The community needed the Speech-Language-and-Learning clinical program, and feedback is overwhelmingly positive from both our graduate students and those receiving services.”
The Health Commons at Pond
9600 Third Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55420 952-681-6277 bloomingtonschools.org/healthcommons P U L S E | S P RI NG 2021 19
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Making theTHE Rounds MAKING ROUNDS News, updates, and highlights from around the College
College events focus on the social determinants of health The College of Allied Health and Nursing, along with the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, hosted two events in the past year focused on the impact of the pandemic and racial equity. “Pandemic Perspectives” focused on how COVID-19 impacted all aspects of the social determinants of health—the economy, education, health care, neighborhoods and community. A panel of regional leaders presented their views on lessons learned during the pandemic, gaps in services and how race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status prevent equitable opportunities for health and well-being. “Creating Health Equity: Social Justice & the Social Determinants of Health” examined the social
determinants of health through a social justice lens. The event featured a keynote by Yusef Salaam, pictured above, which was moderated by Angela Davis, host of Minnesota Public Radio’s “MPR News with Angela Davis”. Following the keynote, there was a series of live presenters and 20+ recorded sessions featuring Minnesota State Mankato faculty and experts who shared their research and practice recommendations in short videos. >> Learn more about these events, see the full list of presenters and watch the recorded sessions at: link.mnsu.edu/healthsummit
Grant received from Parkinson Voice Project The Center for Communication Sciences and Disorders has been awarded an additional grant from the Parkinson Voice Project to help support the new SPEAK OUT!® & LOUD Crowd® program. The 2021 grant includes training for two speech-language pathologists, training for all incoming graduate students, resources and additional support materials. >> Read more about the grant here: link.mnsu.edu/pvp.
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Hope Faculty Research Fellowships announced Two proposals were accepted for the first ever Hope Faculty Research Fellowships, which were created through a donation to the College of Allied Health and Nursing. The gift allows for two fellowships of $2,500 per year to expand the understanding of hope across individuals, families, communities or cultures. This year’s Fellowships were awarded to: • Kristen Abbott-Anderson, Phd, RN, CNE, and Sheen Chiou, PhD, CCC-SLP for their proposal around “Dementia Friendly EngAGEment: Honoring Abilities in All,” a multi-faceted, dementia-friendly, family and community-focused program designed with innovative solutions to promote abilities, social engagement, hope and reduce social isolation and stigma of persons with dementia and care partners. •
Ross Aalgaard, DSW, LICSW, LADC, CCTP for the proposal around the connection between relational satisfaction and trait forgiveness and to expand this research to the topic of hope.
Clinical Sciences Building receives “Best of B3” award The Clinical Sciences Building won a Best of B3 Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)– Classroom/Lab award from the State of Minnesota Buildings, Benchmarks & Beyond (B3) energy and sustainability program in which all state-funded buildings participate. The “Best of B3” awards are given to organizations and projects that have shown leadership in improving their sustainability through their participation in the B3 programs. Finalists are selected from among all projects based on submission of B3 Guidelines documentation, predicted non-energy sustainable performance (water efficiency, biodiversity, sustainable materials, etc.) and several optional guidelines.
Donors provide support for students through scholarships Thanks to our generous donors, more than 100 students in the College of Allied Health and Nursing will receive a total of nearly $188,000 in scholarship support! Scholarships help make education more affordable for many of our dedicated students, and we are so grateful to those who invest in our future allied health and nursing leaders.
New surgical simulation room provides cutting-edge opportunities Staff from the Maverick Family Nursing Simulation Center, were interviewed by Mankato’s KEYC News Now about the newly completed surgical simulation room. Thanks to a partnership with Mayo Clinic Health System, the space provides unique and state-of-the art learning opportunities for regional health care providers and students.
Grant helps close gap in behavioral health Health Science Assistant Professor Thad Shunkwiler was awarded a $3,000 grant from Mayo Clinic Health System to support a project to help close the gap in providers of color by increasing a culturally representative workforce within behavioral healthcare. Shunkwiler was interviewed on KMSU Radio’s “Community Stories” about the grant, his professional background and his thoughts on the long-term impact of the pandemic on mental health. >>Listen to the interview at: link.mnsu.edu/closingthegap
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COLLEGE OF
ALLIED HEALTH & NURSING
College of Allied Health & Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato 124 Myers Field House Mankato, MN 56001
Lead, Partner, Achieve.
A Reason to Give When Minnesota State University, Mankato nursing students needed face shields and masks to continue their education in clinical settings this past year, it was an additional, unexpected expense. But, thanks to our generous supporters, $12,000 was donated for PPE, allowing students to get the experience needed to pursue their nursing career. “Covering the costs of our PPE has allowed us to go to clinicals without the financial burden,” nursing student Taylor Chadderdon, (who is shown here being interviewed by KEYC News Now about the impact of the donation), said. “Thank you for believing in us.” >> See a list of PPE donors and read the full story at: link.mnsu.edu/ppedonation
To learn how your donation can impact our future health care leaders, please contact University Advancement at 507-389-2021.