UIC Applied Health Sciences MAGAZINE
Bri the
international
OT
In her global quest to heighten disability awareness and increase access to OT, Briana Bonner establishes clinic in Botswana
WINTER
2021
Past meets present with new endowed scholarship
PT alumna improves health equity
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN “The future depends on what we do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi Remember where we were one year ago? Who could have imagined our world today? In the face of unprecedented challenges, we’ve had to improvise and adapt, while staying true to our core principles. It hasn’t been easy, moving online for learning and patient care. It hasn’t been comfortable, looking into our own hearts to examine the deep-rooted prejudices we’ve taken for granted. But the people of AHS --all of us, faculty, staff, students and alumni --have never backed away from the hard work of building a world in which every individual can live a healthy and self-determined life. This issue of the magazine draws on two themes: • the many ways we support each other in learning, research and clinical practice, taking steps to increase diversity in our fields (learn more about our social justice initiatives online at go.uic.edu/AHSStandsUp) • the work we do to create a better future by improving the lives of children and families, especially in underserved communities.
UIC Applied Health Sciences Magazine Winter 2021
EDITOR
Erika Chavez Director of Marketing and Communications
DESIGN
Heidi Schlehlein Webmaster and Graphic Designer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sonya Booth, Lori Botterman, Jacqueline Carey, Christy Levy, Kelsey Schagemann
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS UIC Creative and Digital Services
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When Briana Bonner ‘16 BS OT opened one of the few occupational therapy practices in Botswana, she had support and guidance from Winifred Scott `57 BS OT, former professor and department head. “She encouraged me to follow my dreams,” Bonner says.
Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor, the college or university.
Alison Liddle ‘98 BS PT followed her passion by founding M Street Pediatric Therapy, which offers in-home early intervention services to infants in under-resourced communities. M Street has an active internship program and many of its staff are AHS alumni.
You might notice abbreviations throughout this issue. They correlate to academic units in the College of Applied Health Sciences.
Rhoda Erhardt ‘54 BS OT and her family are supporting the next generations of pediatric occupational therapists with a scholarship in her name. “Empowering children and families was truly rewarding and fun,” Erhardt says of her long career.
AT
Athletic Training
BHI
Program in Biomedical and Health Informatics
BHIS
Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences
BVIS
Program in Biomedical Visualization
DHD
Department of Disability and Human Development
DIS
Programs in Disability Studies
HI
Program in Health Informatics
HIM
Program in Health Information Management
KINES
Programs in Kinesiology
KN
Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition
MLS
Medical Laboratory Sciences
NUT
Programs in Nutrition
OT
Department of Occupational Therapy
PT
Department of Physical Therapy
RS
Programs in Rehabilitation Sciences
Kharma Foucher, KN associate professor, was honored by the Orthopaedic Research Society for mentorship that advances diversity. The Department of Occupational Therapy will hire a Black or Latinx scholar through the UIC Bridge to the Faculty program. Alumni volunteers like Micah Wong ‘18 BS KINES, Arletrice Watkins ‘83 BS MRA and Tia Schering ‘17 BS NUT, share their own professional insights to help the students who will become their colleagues. We’ve been through a tough year together. But what we’ve done to cope --and excel! --will lead us to a bright future.
Bo Fernhall Dean and Professor College of Applied Health Sciences
UIC Applied Health Sciences MAGAZINE
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Features
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Past meets present
Bri the international OT
Endowed scholarship
In her global quest to
fund honors alumna’s
heighten disability awareness
career and supports
and increase access to
future pediatric
occupational therapy, Briana
16
occupational therapy
Bonner establishes clinic in Botswana
practitioners
The great equalizer Alison Liddle is improving health equity through
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Notebook 3
People 23
practice, service and mentorship
Advancing diversity through mentorship
AHS Connection: Highlights from alumni
On the cover: A former pediatric occupational therapy client of Briana Bonner ‘16 MS OT practices her alphabet outside a clinic in Garabone, Botswana.
@UICAHS
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Breast cancer care delays
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A competitive advantage
NOTEBOOK AHS News and Notes We reaffirm our commitment to social justice, equity and anti-racism, and we will continue our work toward creating a world in which every person can live a healthy and self-determined life. Visit go.uic.edu/AHSStandsUp to learn more.
Delegating duties
Participants in the mock APTA House of Delegates meeting.
Students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program got hands-on experience in how their profession is governed at a student-led mock meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association House of Delegates, held online Aug. 12.
changes in the profession due to COVID-19; and greater freedom for physical therapists to address mental health issues, given the growing evidence that links mental health to musculoskeletal pain.
“We wanted to make it a fun event so that students could learn about the governance process of the APTA and get into the nuts and bolts of advocacy,” said Nick van Dijk, who organized the event with fellow DPT students Julia Lerman and Alex Orlowsky.
PT faculty member Richard Rausch was faculty sponsor for the event. Faculty members Deborah Davey and Gay Girolami were also involved.
Eighteen students from the DPT classes of 2021 and 2022 met to debate and vote on motions concerning topics like rising tuition costs; physical therapist diagnosis rights; 2
The mock House of Delegates meeting was so successful that students plan to hold it again next year. “This may have sparked the careers of future APTA delegates!” van Dijk said.
Advancing diversity through mentorship Kharma Foucher, KN associate professor, received the Orthopaedic Research Society’s 2021 Adele L. Boskey, PhD Award. The award recognizes a mid-career scholar for mentorship that advances diversity in the fields of orthopaedics, musculoskeletal science and engineering. Kharma Foucher Award-winners must also demonstrate research and leadership. “In addition to her significant research contributions, Dr. Foucher’s national recognition as a generous mentor
and a thoughtful leader is a remarkable achievement,” said Kelly Tappenden, KN professor and head. Foucher directs the Biomechanics and Clinical Outcomes Lab, dedicated to patient-centered biomechanics research on hip osteoarthritis to improve gait, physical activity and quality of life. She has received grants from the National Institute on Aging and the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences. She is a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research and the Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Sciences Study Section, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health. Foucher teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in kinesiology. She is associate director for education and professional development in the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences and adjunct associate professor of bioengineering.
An honor of a lifetime Gail Fisher ’80 BS OT, OT clinical professor and associate head, received the Honorary Lifetime Member Award from the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association.
Gail Fisher
The honor, given for lasting and sustained impact on occupational therapy in Illinois, was presented at the organization’s membership meeting Oct. 3.
The award is given by the ILOTA executive board and has only been awarded to 10 other occupational therapists since its inception. Past recipients include Beatrice Wade, founder of the Department of Occupational Therapy, and Barbara Loomis, associate professor emerita.
Fisher was nominated by association president Anne Kiraly-Alvarez ’05 BS KINES, ’07 MS OT, ’08 OTD, associate professor of occupational therapy at Midwestern University. Fisher has been an ILOTA member for more than 40 years, including leadership roles in the organization’s political action committee. “Being a member of ILOTA has made a big contribution to my OT identity and convinced me of the importance of working together to build our profession,” Fisher said. “And I enjoy seeing former students at the annual conference, which I have attended for 36 out of my 40 years in practice.” Two alumni were also honored by ILOTA at the meeting. Linda Olson ’87 BS OT, ’98 MS OT, chair of occupational therapy at Rush University, received the Award of Merit. Laura VanPuymbrouck ’85 BS OT, ’18 Ph.D. DS, assistant professor of occupational therapy at Rush University, received the Public Awareness Award.
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Bridging the gap The Department of Occupational Therapy was awarded a fellowship for the new Bridge to the Faculty program, established to increase diversity among UIC faculty. The fellowship, awarded by the Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity, provides three years of funding for a Black or Latinx scholar—two Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar years as a postdoctoral fellow, then one year as a tenure-track junior faculty member. The new candidate will join the department no later than August 2021. “We are really thrilled to be selected for the UIC Bridge to the Faculty program,” said Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, professor and head of occupational therapy.
“This initiative is aligned with our strong commitment to diversify the field of occupational therapy and expose students to exceptional Black and Latinx mentors and models.” The OT department’s application was among 20 selected for the program’s second year by a campuswide committee of eight faculty and administrators. Departments selected for the fellowship conduct a competitive job search to fill the position, with input from the Bridge to Faculty program. The inaugural cohort of fellows are working in public administration, biological sciences, French and Francophone studies, museum and exhibition studies, philosophy, mathematics, statistics and computer science, anthropology, educational psychology and pharmaceutical sciences. The OT department is the first in AHS to receive a Bridge to Faculty fellowship. “Occupational therapy is mostly a white profession—82% of all OT faculty are white. Now we have an opportunity to contribute to the diversity of the profession,” Suarez-Balcazar said.
Excellence in informatics Andrew Boyd, BHIS associate professor, has been named a fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association. He will be honored at the association’s virtual conference in May 2021.
Andrew Boyd
“I am proud to be recognized as contributing to the field of biomedical and health informatics,” Boyd said.
Fellows are recognized for their excellence in informatics skills and knowledge, achievement and leadership, and commitment to the AMIA. The organization requires fellows to be dedicated to balancing the needs of physicians, 4
nurses, pharmacists and others working in clinical informatics settings with the needs of professionals working in public health, clinical research and other areas where informatics is applied to practice. Boyd, who is also associate professor in the departments of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, focuses on the simplification of data to improve health care outcomes. He is involved in numerous multidisciplinary research studies, including comparisons of the terminologies used by physicians and nurses when charting patient progress in electronic health records. In another project, he is working with researchers in engineering, nursing, linguistics and medicine to develop apps that will help cardiology patients understand their own electronic medical records, getting them more involved in their own care to improve medication compliance and reduce hospital readmissions.
Jamming on When the third annual UIC Health Tech Jam went virtual, jammers didn’t miss a beat. Fifty students participated in the four-day event and a dozen student-led teams proposed creative solutions using technology to change health care in the community and the world. The Health Tech Jam inspires innovation and cultivates collaboration in a fast-paced, education-filled team competition. Participants from AHS, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, biomedical visualization and rehabilitation sciences, plus the bioengineering department, took part in webinars, workshops and competition.
De Kok was encouraged to participate in the Jam by her academic adviser, Samantha Bond, a faculty member in BHIS and PT. “I really didn’t know what I was signing up for, but I really enjoyed it. All the speakers were amazing. And all my teammates were fantastic. It was cool to meet other people from the college. That’s not an opportunity you typically get,” De Kok said.
Competing teams selected one of three real-world public health concerns created with input from Altus Academy, a private middle school serving students from minority groups and low-income households. Teams collaborated virtually, then pitched their final idea in a video presentation to judges. The first-place Innovation Award winner, Collab Cuisine, proposed an app to help families make meals that are healthy, delicious, economical and fun to prepare.
The first-place Innovation Award winner Collab Cuisine proposed an app to help families make meals that are healthy, delicious, economical and fun to prepare.
“The first night of Tech Jam, our team brainstormed hard. We all tossed ideas around knowing we wanted to have family collaboration through an app, and the idea grew from there,” said Olivia De Kok, a graduate student in biomedical visualization on the winning team. Her teammates included AHS students Zach Cooper, Sarah Madsen and Sucel Escalante. Two projects tied for the Health Tech Jam’s People’s Choice Award, selected by event participants: Common Threads, an app to bridge the gap between inactivity and mobility, and Around the Block, an app game that blends mental and physical health with nutrition and physical activity.
“The Health Tech Jam has always been about two things— technological innovation and meaningful collaboration. We want students to be able to come up with ideas for technology that are grounded in real community needs, but we also want to give them the unique experience of working with people from a variety of backgrounds,” Bond said. “Going virtual gave us the opportunity to bring these goals into a space where technology in health care has never been more relevant.”
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View the winning submissions at go.uic.edu/2020HealthTechJam.
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Breast cancer care delays The results of an online questionnaire of 609 breast cancer survivors in the U.S. suggest that nearly half of patients experienced delays in care during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The motivation for the study came from wideElizabeth Papautsky spread reports of cancer care being delayed or procedures being canceled in the beginning of the pandemic, and we wanted to get a better handle on what was happening,” said Elizabeth Papautsky, BHIS assistant professor. Papautsky and co-author Tamara Hamlish, a UI Cancer Center researcher, developed a questionnaire that asked about care delays. They distributed the questionnaire to U.S. breast cancer survivor groups on social media and via email. They used the National Cancer Institute’s definition of a cancer survivor, which includes anyone who has received a diagnosis of cancer. The questionnaire sought to identify what kinds of care were delayed: chemotherapy, radiation, cancer surgery, hormonal treatment or routine follow-up appointments. There were demographic questions on race and age, as well as stage of cancer. Sixty-three percent of respondents were currently receiving cancer care, and the average age was 47 years old. They identified as white (78%), Black (17%) and Asian (3%). 6
The researchers found that 44% of the respondents reported a delay in care. Respondents reported the highest rate of delays in routine follow-up appointments, breast reconstruction surgery, diagnostic imaging and lab testing. Approximately 30% of respondents reported delays in hospital- or clinic-based cancer therapies, including radiation, infusion therapies and surgical tumor removal. In the study, the authors found that age was the only demographic variable that had an impact on the likelihood of a delay in care. “We expected the usual racial difference we see in health care, with Black patients being disproportionately affected, but our results showed that patients were universally affected by COVID in terms of delays in breast cancer care, likely because in those early weeks, hospitals and health care facilities were postponing visits and procedures across the board as they took on the growing burden of dealing with COVID-19,” Hamlish said. “We were surprised to see that younger women were more likely to experience delays, and we think that has to do with cancellations of hormone therapy for ovarian suppression that is given to women with certain types of breast cancer; those women tend to be younger in general,” Papautsky said. Some treatments may have been modified instead of canceled, the researchers said. For instance, hormone therapies may have been spaced out to reduce the number of clinic visits. “Overall, we see that there is a serious gap in disaster preparedness when it comes to providing critical and often time-sensitive care for breast cancer patients,” Hamlish said.
Read the full study at go.uic.edu/BreastCancerCareDelays.
Inspiring grad Photo: Joshua Clark
“One thing that my parents wanted me to be able to do is establish myself in this country, since things were hard when we first moved here,” he said. “It means a great deal to my parents; they sacrificed a lot just to bring me here. For me being able to finish school is kind of like getting that jump-start to being able to support myself in this country.” He’s set a goal of becoming a physical therapist and owning his own clinic someday. The first step on that path was attending UIC for his undergraduate studies, with a double major in kinesiology and psychology. He found his passion for kinesiology during his own journey to become more physically fit. Sarun “Mac” Chanprung
Sarun “Mac” Chanprung ’20 BS KINES was set to graduate in May 2020, but the pandemic changed that. The only requirement Chanprung had yet to complete for his kinesiology degree was an internship. It was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. “But I feel like it all worked out somehow,” said Chanprung. “My personality has always been pretty laid back and relaxed, and I do really well with being flexible. Pushing my graduation back wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but it wasn’t the worst thing. It just meant that I had more time to try new classes and do new things.” He got back on track after finding an internship at a suburban chiropractic office fall semester, allowing him to celebrate commencement Dec. 12. The accomplishment means a lot to Chanprung and his parents. They moved from Bangkok, Thailand, to the U.S. when Chanprung was 11 years old, settling in Buffalo Grove. He is the first person in his family to attain a four-year college degree.
“Growing up, I was super overweight,” he said. “It wasn’t until my last years of high school that I started working out and getting into fitness, and eventually I just enjoyed it a lot and wanted to continue down that path. I’ve also always been interested in psychology and how the mind works and how people come to think the way they do.” Chanprung chose UIC because of its affordability and proximity to Buffalo Grove, where he’s helped his parents with their restaurant, Fuji Thai, since he was 12 years old. His internship helped him strengthen the skills he will need in his future career as a physical therapist. “It used to take a lot of time for me to open up to someone and get used to being comfortable talking to them, so an internship where I meet different people daily does challenge me on how can I talk to them and develop that professional relationship,” he said. His advice to future UIC students whose path to graduation isn’t linear: take your time. “You never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s good to have a plan and a goal but you don’t know how things are going to go. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”
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Bounty abounds For the fourth year in a row—and despite COVID-19 pandemic restrictions—the UIC Teaching Nutrition Garden in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition has won a Chicago Excellence in Gardening Award. This year’s gardening competition, sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension and local businesses, went online with video entries. The UIC video placed second in the institutional category.
Photo: Joshua Clark
The teaching garden, located behind the Applied Health Sciences Building, is an integral part of two courses in nutrition: HN 110 Foods and HN 203 Culture and Food Lab. In normal times, students tend the garden and use its herbs and vegetables to prepare food in the program’s experiential learning kitchens.
cooking demonstrations with instructions her students could follow in their kitchens at home. “We have made everything from herbed drop biscuits to quick pickles to zucchini, carrot and blueberry muffins,” Lyle said. To learn more about the online curriculum designed by Renea Lyles to empower students in their home kitchen, visit: go.uic.edu/ClassroomToHomeKitchen. Every week, students watched Lyle harvest ingredients from the garden for the latest assignment. “While it is difficult to transition an in-person lab course to the fully online format, the garden provided a vibrant backdrop and hyper-local ‘grocery store’ from which to source ingredients for cooking,” she said. “The garden was an essential element in my recorded cooking demonstrations and students were able to learn where their food comes from, including how to grow, harvest and prepare these seasonal ingredients in a tasty and nutritionally balanced manner.” With students off campus for spring and summer, the chores of planting, weeding and harvesting fell to Lyles, Cienfuegos and James “Danny” John ’18 MS NUT, KN visiting instructor.
Swiss chard grows in the UIC Nutrition Teaching Garden with the Applied Health Sciences Building in the background, July 2020.
“The outdoor teaching garden is always a labor of love that UIC students benefit from tremendously,” said garden manager Renea Lyles ’16 MS NUT, nutrition-focused culinary instructor and lab manager.
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“We really missed the student volunteers,” John said. Fall semester, the instructor-gardeners got some student help; HN 110 added a hybrid option, and HN 203 met on campus with reduced capacity.
The award-winning video, created by Lyles and Ph.D. student Sofia Cienfuegos ’18 MS NUT, illustrates the challenges posed by pandemic restrictions.
The garden’s surplus harvest was donated to organizations and businesses that help feed people in need, including Care Kitchen Chicago, Sweet Polly’s Kitchen, Urban Autism Solutions, Morgan Park Presbyterian Church, Operation Blessing and Southwest Chicago Homeless Services.
Lyles had to recreate a hands-on, in-person class in an online format. She used video, photos and a discussion board on the UIC Blackboard instructional platform to present
View the award-winning video submission at go.uic.edu/2020NUTGardenAward.
Yes WeCan Empowering cancer survivors to manage the long-term effects of their illness and treatment— that’s the goal of an app being developed by a multi-university team led by AHS researcher Susan Magasi. “Increasing numbers of people are surviving cancer in U.S. We’re almost at the tipping point where we have more survivors than not,” said Magasi, DHD and OT associate professor. “We’re finding, though, that about 40% live with long-term disability from the physical and cognitive effects of treatment. The cancer care system doesn’t A mock-up of the WeCanConnect user interface displayed on a tablet. fully address these needs. It leaves people unprepared and Magasi has already developed the WeCanConnect app, unsupported for the negative effect on quality of life and which focuses on peer support and information sharing. social participation.” As the project continues, the two apps will be integrated into a single platform. The project was awarded a three-year, $375,000 grant from the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (ChicagoIn the project’s second phase, the app will be evaluated by CHEC), a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer about 60 cancer survivors. “The ultimate goal is to colpartnership led by UIC, Northwestern University and laborate with cancer centers to make the app available to Northeastern Illinois University. patients and survivors as they’re transitioning from active treatment to long-term survivorship,” Magasi said. “Our project is one of the few talking specifically about the intersection of cancer and disability, which is both really The concept of cancer survivors as part of the disability important and unaddressed,” Magasi said. community, protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is provocative in cancer care, she added. Called WeCanManage, the app will work on smartphones, tablets and computers. It will have three modules: “Our involvement in ChicagoCHEC increases awareness • problem-solving, which focuses on strategies to deal in the cancer care community that people with preexisting with long-term impacts like fatigue disabilities, as well as people who acquire disabilities as a result of their cancer, are an important part of the cancer • mindfulness, including techniques for meditation equity group who should be attended to and recognized.” and relaxation • the self-advocacy and empowerment that comes from being able to “name and claim the symptoms,” finding a sense of community with others who are coping with similar problems. Winter 2021
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First in state The Sports Physical Therapy Residency has been accredited by American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education—becoming the first accredited program in Illinois. The 13-month, advanced post-professional training program in the Department of Physical Therapy prepares physical therapists to provide specialized care for athletes. “Becoming accredited indicates that the residency has met and adheres to rigorous standards set by the board to prepare graduate physical therapists with the experiences and skills they need to sit for the sports clinical specialist board exam,” said program director Justin Payette, PT clinical
assistant professor and a clinician in the UIC Physical Therapy Faculty Practice. Residents learn alongside clinical faculty in the PT faculty practice. They also work with the orthopedic physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning professionals who provide care for UIC athletes. Residents can enroll in one of two tracks leading to a graduate certificate in clinical research or clinical education. They earn 20 graduate credits that can be applied toward a Ph.D. The program, which began in August 2019, will admit one new student each year through a competitive process that considers applicants from all over the country. The first graduate, Amanda Montbriand ’19 DPT, is now a therapist at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute.
Early warning system care is important,” said Renee Taylor, OT professor and associate dean for academic and faculty affairs. The project is a collaboration with UI Health’s Mile Square Health Center, the School of Public Health and the College of Medicine.
Renee Taylor
An AHS researcher is leading a project to fight the spread of COVID-19 in Chicago neighborhoods where testing is limited or unavailable. “We strongly believe we can reduce COVID-19 transmission in underserved populations by providing easy at-home tests, contact tracing and earlier access to treatment, as well as a mobile app to educate people about the coronavirus and explain why self10
The study received a $1.2 million grant from the Skokie-based Walder Foundation, which awarded a total of $7.4 million to eight projects through its Chicago Coronavirus Assessment Network (Chicago CAN).
said. Many of the Federally Qualified Health Centers that could serve them, like the 13 Mile Square clinics in the city, can’t provide on-site COVID-19 testing and extensive follow-up care. “These challenges have led to delays in needed COVID-19 diagnosis and care and have likely resulted in increased COVID-19-related complications and deaths, even in children and adults without preexisting conditions,” Taylor said.
“Many of these complications might have been prevented with earlier diagnoSamples will be collected from people sis, deliverable at-home medical devices with and without symptoms as part of and therapies, and mobile health literaan early warning system to prevent full- cy-informed at-home care tips.” blown outbreaks. The project will use a saliva test developed by co-investigator Another UIC project funded as part Nahed Ismail, professor of pathology, of the Chicago CAN initiative, led by that can be collected at home and sent researchers in the biological sciences to the pathology department’s Clinical department and the Discovery Partners Microbiology Laboratory for analysis. Institute, will develop a system to detect About 450,000 low-income Chicagoans the virus in Chicago wastewater and don’t have access to health care, Taylor warn of potential outbreaks.
A competitive advantage
Kate Caldwell
Tamar Heller
Students with intellectual disabilities will attend classes at UIC in a twoyear certificate program that prepares them for a career in their chosen field. The UIC Certificate in Co-Operative Career Experience, offered by the Department of Disability and Human Development, is funded by a fiveyear, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The first co-op class of 10 students is expected to begin their studies in fall 2021. “So many students with intellectual disabilities get dropped from formal disability services after high school. When they become adults, they usually end up not going to college and are often unemployed or underemployed,” said project leader Tamar Heller, distinguished professor and head of the department and its Institute on Disability and Human Development. “An important feature of this program is building skills for a career, not a job, a path for people to see their future.” Co-op students will take classes that focus on the transition to college, building capacity and skills, and
Kaitlin Stober
career pathways. They can choose a specialty track in arts and culture, policy and social justice, health across the life span, or entrepreneurship and leadership. Support services will include mentors and peer mentors, an academic adviser and career coach, and disability accommodations. Co-op students can also use campus resources such as the Disability Resource Center, Disability Cultural Center, the Coalition of Autistic and Neurodiverse Students, and the Great Lakes ADA Center. Co-op students will have full student status. They can audit undergraduate classes with other UIC students and complete a final-semester capstone experience that could lead to post-graduation employment. “Unlike other programs serving students with intellectual disabilities in college, students in the UIC Co-Op program will be fully integrated with other undergraduate students,” Heller said. Additionally, UIC students in disability and human development will gain important skills by taking classes alongside peers with intellectual disabilities and by acting as peer mentors for co-op students. Winter 2021
The program’s advisory committee will include representatives from area school districts, the Chicago Mayor’s Office on Disabilities, the Business Leadership Network, state and community agencies, and advocacy organizations. The committee will help guide program development, recruit students and connect them with career opportunities. The goal is to expand the program to other sites in Illinois and provide a model for programs nationally. “Not many people with intellectual disabilities have opportunities to participate in an inclusive college experience designed to help them on a career trajectory based on their needs and preferences,” Heller said. Katherine Caldwell, clinical assistant professor of disability and human development, and Kaitlin Stober, visiting research specialist, are project co-leads.
To read additional news and notes about AHS research, community engagement, scholarship and more, visit ahs.uic.edu/news/archive.
THE
AHS S C H OLARSHIP FUND
The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges and exacerbated existing ones for many AHS students and their families. As they navigate through the loss of income and face unanticipated expenses, they look to their communities for help during this unprecedented time. At AHS, we’re prepared to answer the call. AHS alumni, donors, faculty and staff have joined together to support AHS students by making donations to the AHS Scholarship Fund. The fund provides financial awards to AHS students who need it the most, so they may focus on pursuing their education without worrying about how to pay for it. Join our community of supporters and donate to the AHS Scholarship Fund. Give online at ahs.uic.edu/support or contact Kristen Kepnick, associate director of engagement and participation, at kkepnick@uic.edu or at (312) 996-8219.
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Past meets present Endowed scholarship fund honors alumna’s career and supports future pediatric occupational therapy practitioners.
The Erhardts: Edward (son), Brett (grandson), Rhoda, Avery (great-granddaughter), Colin (grandson), Laurie (daughter-in-law) and Lillian (granddaughter-in-law) celebrate Rhoda’s 88th birthday in Maplewood, Minn, March 14, 2020.
As a high school student looking toward the future, Rhoda P. Erhardt ’54 BS OT saw marriage and children. But first, she was heading to college. The only problem? She didn’t know what to study. The results of an aptitude test prompted a guidance counselor to suggest occupational therapy. She thought Erhardt’s wide variety of interests would be well suited to a field that
draws on topics in human development, psychology, design and more. Although Erhardt hadn’t previously heard of occupational therapy, it turned out to be the perfect fit. Erhardt ultimately spent a fulfilling and pioneering career as an occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics. “I feel so grateful that I stumbled into a profession that has been interesting, inspiring and rewarding,” Erhardt says.
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An empowering career At UIC, Erhardt found a mentor in Beatrice Wade, the director of the occupational therapy program. “She provided us with the history, value and foundational principles of occupational therapy,” Erhardt says. “She inspired us in a way that was never forgotten.” After graduation, Erhardt joined the Women’s Medical Specialist Corps as a commissioned officer in San Antonio, Texas, ultimately serving as chief OT of the Burn Center at Brooke Army Medical Center. Rhoda Erhardt (right) demonstrates leather tooling crafts to an occupational
The next stop was North Dakota. therapy patient at Brooke Army Hospital, San Antonio, Texas, 1954. In Fargo, Erhardt took a break from working to focus on her family, which approach at the time. One of her patients was a included her husband, whom she had met at the 14-month-old with cerebral palsy who could not army base swimming pool in San Antonio, and hold up her head, sit, stand or walk. Over the next their four children. eight years, Erhardt worked with the young girl, But after 10 years as a stay-at-home mom, Erhardt decided to reenter the field. She found a volunteer position in the OT department of a local hospital, enrolled in continuing education courses and connected with other practitioners. Erhardt’s networking paid off when the North Dakota Easter Seal Society invited her to create a mobile therapy program. The program started locally with adult clients before expanding to serve children throughout the state.
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“It was [my] first venture into research, with a perfect control subject, the child’s typically developing twin sister,” Erhardt says. For more than a decade, Erhardt assisted families, special education cooperatives, infant development programs, school systems, hospitals and home health agencies throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. She also trained other individuals who worked with children who had physical, developmental or learning difficulties.
“Empowering children and families was truly rewarding and fun,” Erhardt says. As Erhardt worked with pediatric clients, she became interested in neurodevelopmental treatment, which was a new
documenting her progress on home videos that were eventually distributed as educational tapes and DVDs.
Rhoda Erhardt
When the Easter Seals program shut down, Erhardt established a private practice. She continued to provide vital services for children and families, especially in the
areas of hand and visual function. Today, her educational and clinical materials are used in over 35 countries across six continents. In 2011, Erhardt received UIC’s Alumni Achievement Award for Outstanding Professional Success and National Distinction.
Supporting the next generation of pediatric OTs A new scholarship fund at UIC’s College of Applied Health Sciences pays tribute to Erhardt’s career. The Rhoda P. Erhardt Endowed Scholarship Fund supports OT students who demonstrate a commitment to enter pediatric practice. Erhardt’s son, Edward, and his family established the scholarship in honor of Erhardt’s 55-year dedication to the OT field.
“She did an extraordinary job of building a business at a time when it wasn’t common for women to do that,” Edward says. “We wanted to celebrate all the patients she helped and the therapists she taught around the world.” When he approached his mom about making a gift in her honor, she immediately suggested UIC, noting the impact of “Miss Wade” on her career. In consultation with his financial advisers, Edward donated a gift of stock, which was advantageous from a tax perspective while also benefiting the university. “If you can find a way to make a gift that matters not only to the recipients but also have this connection to your family—it’s really wonderful,” Edward says. “I feel fortunate that we were able to make that happen.”
May 2020. During her undergraduate years, she worked and volunteered with a variety of organizations that served youth with autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Kelly Giuliano
Kelly Giuliano, a first-year student in the master’s in OT program, is the inaugural recipient of the scholarship. Giuliano’s interest in the field began in high school, after a close friend suffered a spinal injury during a wrestling match. The friend spoke highly of his OT, and Giuliano ended up shadowing the OT in an outpatient clinic. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Giuliano majored in rehabilitation psychology, graduating with high honors in
pandemic. “I just really appreciate that her family gave back to make this scholarship.”
Erhardt’s story resonated for Giuliano. Both practitioners were drawn to the profession in part for its creative possibilities. They Giuliano’s passion for the proboth appreciate how the OT field fession led her to the master’s is highly interdisciplinary. And program at UIC. they consider it a great privilege “UIC mirrors everything I was looking to be able to use for,” she says. “They value diversity in their skills and the classroom and in the populations talents to make a difference in the they serve, and they really care about lives of others.
providing care that’s based on research.”
When Giuliano learned she had won the Erhardt scholarship, she was humbled and shocked. “It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders,” she says, adding that she had lost her part-time job due to the Winter 2021
“I want to thank her for showcasing the distinct value of occupational therapy in pediatrics,” Giuliano says. “She has helped make it possible for me to have a voice in pediatric care, to help this vulnerable population.”
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Bri the OT
international
In her global quest to heighten disabilit y awareness and increase access to occupational therapy, Briana Bonner establishes clinic in Botswana. Briana Bonner ’16 MS OT wants to spread the word about occupational therapy around the world. After four years of practice in the Chicago area and Texas, she made the leap to follow her dream: starting an outpatient clinic providing occupational therapy in Gabarone, capital of Botswana in southern Africa. “I love it here,” she said. Her just-completed doctorate in occupational therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch will help her go even further. “I want to help create occupational therapy programs in Botswana and neighboring countries that don’t have them,” she said. Bonner first came to Botswana for a study abroad program as an undergraduate at Truman State University in Missouri. 16
“It was the experience of a lifetime,” she said. “From the minute I stepped off the plane, I felt welcomed into the community. It was amazing, seeing everyone around me look like me.” Bonner was surprised to learn that Botswana had facilities for children who were deaf or blind, but few services for other disabilities. She returned to the U.S., wondering what she could do to change that. At Truman State, she majored in health sciences with a minor in disability studies. She was a McNair scholar—a federal program, named for an astronaut killed in the Challenger explosion that encourages students from underrepresented populations to obtain graduate degrees. She hadn’t decided on a career in occupational therapy, but “when I got back from Botswana, I told one of my mentors what I wanted to do, what I was passionate about and what I saw in Botswana, and she said, ‘You’re an occupational therapist.’
“And I realized, I can totally be myself and sing and dance and act—doing the things I love, while also helping improve somebody’s quality of life.’” When it came time to choose an OT program, Bonner wanted to return home to Chicago. And from the first time she visited the UIC campus, “everybody was just so welcoming to me,” she recalled. In her final year of the OT program, AHS Magazine asked Bonner to interview Winifred Scott ’57 BS OT, former OT professor and department head, who had just endowed a scholarship fund for students committed to working in the Black community. Like Bonner, she was one of a small number of Black students in her OT class. The two women hit it off right away. Scott became a mentor, attending her young colleague’s UIC graduation and staying in touch as she began her career. “She encouraged me to come back to Botswana and follow my dreams to open a clinic,” Bonner said. “I could see a place for Briana there,” said Scott, who had been to Botswana and noted its lack of occupational therapy services.
Bonner (left) with Winifred Scott ‘57 BS OT.
“She is very outgoing, very committed to OT, and she’s able to bring people onboard with her vision,” Scott added. “She’s a really enthusiastic person, and that’s what she brings to her practice. “I think she will succeed at whatever she does.” The two share a commitment to increase diversity in the field of occupational therapy. “African Americans are only about 2% of the population of occupational therapists,” Bonner said. “I hope to mentor other minority students. With my doctorate, I will be able to go more places to educate about occupational therapy.
“I was lucky to have a lot of mentors who guided me to where I am now. I want to continue that light for other students.” Bonner arrived in Botswana in January 2020. She collaborated with other therapists who helped open the clinic, Meribah Occupational Therapy Solutions. The grand opening was held in October. The name, “Meribah,” represents the place in Biblical text where Moses struck a rock with his staff to produce water for the Israelites. “We wanted the clinic to be a place that meets a need for the community, just like Moses provided the needs for his people,” she said.
Briana stands outside the clinic in Botswana where she worked during her study abroad program in 2012.
The clinic sees about 50 patients as it continues to grow. Bonner specializes in pediatric therapy, but she sees both children and adults because there are so few OTs in Botswana. Some patients are referred to the clinic through a treatment program for vehicle accident victims.
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Bonner partners with local nonprofit organizations such as Autism Botswana and visits local schools. “We continue to spread awareness about, not only occupational therapy, but disability,” she said. “When people have disabilities, sometimes the cultural view is that it’s because of witchcraft, or a curse, or some other negative aspect. Shifting from that to awareness, then acceptance, then education, is at the top of my agenda.” She just started an aquatic therapy program. “I believe it’s the first in the country,” she said, “which was very powerful to me.” Working with the patients and families of children with autism is especially rewarding, said Bonner, and it was the focus of her doctoral dissertation. Bonner leads an outdoor activity for a program that encourages siblings Autism is not well understood or recognized in to get involved and engaged with their siblings with disabilities. Botswana, she said. “Sometimes the families are in denial, but they appreciate the education we give them and they love coming to the clinic. They meet “Everywhere I go, I give out my business cards,” she said. other families and get connected.”
Since she arrived in Botswana, Bonner has been using her networking skills. She shares referrals with local physicians, physical therapists and speech therapists.
She keeps an active social media presence and recently did an interview with a London-based podcast.
“I want to be an international |occupational therapist. I want to go to places where there is no OT, to help communities and train others on how to care for individuals with disabilities.” Her biggest challenge: funding. Many people can’t afford private occupational therapy and access to public services is low. But Bonner is confident about the future. “I’ve been in school my whole life. I’m excited to be done, to take the next step of figuring out who I am, now that I’ve obtained all this knowledge. I’m excited for that journey. “I said, I think I’m ready to stretch out and open up a clinic. Let’s see where life takes me.”
Follow Briana Bonner on social media: Bonner teaches a cooking class for pediatric clients.
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@DrBriTheOT
CO N G R ATU L ATI O NS A HS CL A S S O F 2020
We’re blown away by your determination, grit and resilience in accomplishing your dreams during these difficult times and look forward to seeing the impact you’ll make as educators, discoverers, collaborators and advocates.
Join the official LinkedIn network for #UICAHS alumni at go.uic.edu/AHSLinkedInNetwork. Visit commencement.uic.edu/dec-virtual to view the fall 2020 virtual commencement ceremonies.
Alison Liddle (right) with a pediatric client.
The great equalizer A l i s o n L i d d l e i s i m p rov i n g h e a l t h e q u i t y t h ro u g h p ra c t i c e , s e r v i c e a n d m e nto rs h i p .
When Alison Liddle ’98 BS PT was a kid, if she didn’t have after-school activities, she volunteered at the pediatric nursing home where her mother worked. Volunteering was integral to their family life and she loved spending time with the children who lived at the facility. “I thought, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life,’” says Liddle. And she has. Liddle’s mission is to bring access to health care to underserved populations. She is founder and CEO of M Street Pediatric Therapy, which brings early intervention services to the homes of children with developmental delays and disabilities in the greater Chicago area. 20
Her staff includes 34 therapists who provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding and lactation support, nutrition counseling and behavioral support. Two staff members handle the business end. Liddle loves her field, and her practice. “Once you come here, you won’t want to work anywhere else,” she promises. “We need more therapists willing to work in this space. These are families who care and love their children and want what’s best for them. To work in these beautiful communities is extremely inspiring.” Liddle and her twin, Alisa, who are biracial, were adopted from foster care as toddlers and grew up in mostly-white Bloomingdale.
When it came time for college, both enrolled at UIC; Alisa studied business and Alison chose physical therapy.
“I found a home at UIC. I found a place that appreciated diversity and welcomed it,” Liddle says. The physical therapy faculty included two of the best: Jules Rothstein and Suzann Campbell. “He was tough, and he was honest, and he was amazing,” Liddle says of Rothstein, who died in 2005. “And Sue Campbell literally wrote the book on pediatric physical therapy.”
The big picture After graduation, Liddle began her career at Cook County Hospital, where she worked in the burn unit, neonatal intensive care and the neuro ICU. “I learned a lot about the inequity of health care,” she says. “We think people have access to care, but that’s not always true. Sure, you can get physical therapy at County, but if you can only get an appointment every six months, that’s not access to care.”
Frustrated with the system, Liddle enrolled at the University of Chicago for a master’s degree in health policy and administration. “UIC prepared me to be a physical therapist, but I didn’t have the bigger picture,” she says. “I was interested in learning more about how systems work together.” While she was in grad school, Liddle continued her PT practice, taking referrals to provide in-home early invention for high-risk infants on the South and Southwest sides. Winter 2021
Visiting clients at home was an eye-opening experience. “I’ll be honest. Working in the clinic, you make assumptions about why somebody doesn’t do what’s in their best interest. ‘Why aren’t you doing the exercises we gave you?’ “Then you go into their home and realize they live in a basement, in one room with concrete floors, and it is freezing. Their environment is going to dictate how well they will be able to carry out the recommendations I’m making.”
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Pivoting practice
As Liddle completed her master’s degree, “it became very clear to me that I would have to choose: do I want to continue to be a clinician, or do I want to transition completely to this other world of public policy?”
Alison Liddle
She realized she loved the challenges and opportunities of providing in-home early intervention care to children and their families. She also saw the isolation and lack of support for clinicians who provide in-home care. So she combined what she learned from her two degrees and started her own agency. Liddle is still a clinician—”I was not willing to give that up,” she says firmly. But much of her time at M Street is spent “supporting the
team”—keeping up with new evidence-based practices, maintaining relationships with community organizations and university programs, “leading with transparency.” When the COVID-19 pandemic made in-home care impossible, the transition to telehealth wasn’t difficult; staff members were already using it to treat post-NICU patients on the Southeast Side. Another staff member, OT Jessica Toth, was working on a telehealth study with Lauren Little ’08 MS OT, OT assistant professor at Rush University. The challenge was waiting for various state agencies to modify policies to permit Medicaid reimbursement for telehealth, a process that took up to six weeks. Finding resources to get the technology to families was another issue. “How do you do telehealth from your phone—because it was usually a phone—and home-school your kids, while at the same time you’re an essential worker, and many times you’re without community support?” Liddle says. “Again, this speaks to health equity.”
Changing the game
Liddle and a colleague are seeking funds for a pilot project to shorten the time between a baby’s discharge from the hospital NICU and when the family receives early intervention home services. Families with private insurance can start getting visits as early as one week after coming home. Families on Medicaid wait up to a year. The project could include Lurie Children’s Hospital and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
13 year-old Liddle volunteering at Marklund Children’s Home for children and adults with disabilities.
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“We work hard to develop community partnerships to improve scholarship and community of practice. This
is about building relationships that will improve collaboration and have a positive impact on patient outcomes,” Liddle says.
The health care system needs more therapists doing early intervention in underserved neighborhoods, she says—especially practitioners of color. “When you look at the amount of diversity within physical therapy, it’s embarrassing.” That’s one reason training and mentoring students from UIC, Northwestern, Midwestern and Rush universities is important to Liddle. “We want to support students the same way I was supported,” she says. Liddle praises Campbell, Michelle Bulanda (now director of undergraduate students in rehabilitation sciences) and Demetra John, recently retired dean for academic and student affairs, for connecting her with outstanding UIC grads. Six AHS alumna currently work for M Street: Laura Capp ’12 DPT, Sara Johns ’08 DPT, Colleen Newton ’12 DPT, Christina Quan ’19 DPT, Meg Mathews ’17 MS OT and Ariana Rodriguez ’18 MS OT. Johns and Newton also did student internships at M Street. “I love working in under-resourced communities and finding opportunities to support families,” Liddle says. “I wouldn’t be in the place that I am, had I not gone to UIC. My educational experience at UIC set the professional foundation for my life, and I’m forever grateful.”
PEOPLE AHS Alumni Highlights Editor’s note: for this edition of UIC Applied Health Sciences Magazine, we are featuring AHS alumni who volunteer to mentor, lend their voice, offer career advice and more.
Career Conversations
Help AHS undergraduate students understand potential careers through one-on-one conversations. Share professional insights, provide advice and engage in meaningful 30-minute interviews. “I was inspired to volunteer because I wanted to give back to the college that gave me a great education and life direction. When volunteering in career-related opportunities, I enjoy conversing, listening and sharing with students from different degree programs.” - Deb Hardtke ’74 BS PT
AHS Alumni Board
Partner with AHS to create experiences that satisfy the interests of AHS alumni. Provide meaningful opportunities for AHS alumni to connect with one another, as well as with AHS students, faculty and staff, and to enhance their professional development. “As a three-time graduate of UIC, I have a deep bond with the ‘Harvard on Halsted.’ I enjoy volunteering because it allows me to stay connected to current students, partake in educational opportunities and network with fellow alumni.” -Eric Meredith ’12 MS NUT
Deb Hardtke
Alumni Chat
Meet with AHS undergraduate students in an energetic small-group format to help them imagine what’s possible. At this annual event, students rotate from table to table to learn about career paths and professional trajectories.
Eric Meredith (right) and Robyn Becker ’97 BS KINES, ’14 MS KINES (left) prepare for a cooking challenge at Food as Medicine, an event organized by the AHS Alumni Board.
Visit ahs.uic.edu/alumni/ahs-alumni-board to learn more.
Career Capsules Physician assistant Renita White shares professional insights with AHS students during the 11th annual AHS Alumni Chat.
“I was inspired to participate because I remember wishing I had someone who would provide me with guidance when I was initially evaluating my career path. It is important for students to see me because I wanted to see someone like me when I sat in their seat. What I enjoy the most are the connections the students have initiated with me and their dedication to staying connected. It’s a journey!” -Renita White ’02 BS Exercise Physiology
In this new career exploration project, alumni share professional insight and experiences via video to increase student exposure to health careers, provide a realistic perspective on professions and help students prepare for their chosen fields.
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Zachary Nauert
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PEOPLE
View Zachary’s Career Capsules video at go.uic.edu/ZacharyCareerCapsules.
Health Professions Forum
An initiative launched in 2018 by AHS, the UIC College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and UIC Career Services, this annual event introduces students to a variety of health professions and fields, and connects them to a wide array of professionals. “I greatly enjoyed participating in the Health Professions Forum as it offered me an opportunity to connect with previous colleagues and hear them encourage students in potential health professions. Interacting with the students over Zoom seemed daunting at first, but the event was organized so well that everything was seamless and the entire event felt appropriately focused on educating Tia Schering and inspiring the students.” -Tia Schering ’17 BS NUT
Micah Wong
“I loved getting a chance to talk to prospective students in order to guide them through the job-hunting process. It can be a maze, especially when it comes to the health care space, and I think AHS is doing great things by starting to bridge the gap between alumni and students. If you are looking for a job in the health care, clinical or business industries, this is the place to be!” -Micah Wong ’18 BS KINES
Visit go.uic.edu/2020HealthProfessionsForum to watch the 2020 Health Professions Forum recordings. 24
Guest lecturer
Collaborate with AHS faculty to share your professional insight and experiences with students by speaking to a class. “Giving back to the health information administration (HIA) allied profession that has given me so many awesome opportunities serves as my inspiration to volunteer. In the classroom, I enjoy seeing students’ bright smiles as they express their curiosity by asking thought-provoking questions. I’m always happy and excited to let them Arletrice Watkins know that yes, ‘HIA needs you in whatever health care setting you choose!’ I always encourage them to proudly take their place in the industry, make a difference and to pay it forward.” -Arletrice Watkins ’83 BS MRA
UIC Alumni Association
AHS also works with the UIC Alumni Association to develop ways for alumni to pay it forward. Maintain your ties to the college, current students and each other: • Participate as panelists for student organization-led events • Inspire admitted students to enroll at UIC • Serve on college or campus committees
Visit advance.uic.edu/alumni-association to learn more.
Ready to get involved? Tell us how you’d like to engage with AHS and UIC. Contact Kristen Kepnick, associate director of engagement and participation, at kkepnick@uic.edu or 312-996-8219.
Photo: American Medical Association
“I was inspired to volunteer because of the professors, counselors and staff who went out of their way to listen and be there for me and my fellow classmates. UIC creates a family-like atmosphere that encourages students to succeed.” -Zachary Nauert ’17 BS KINES
Than k Y ou 2020 called upon us to face many challenges. AHS alumni, faculty, staff and students came together in a variety of ways to respond. Our medical laboratory sciences alumni continue to work tirelessly in labs and facilities across the country, playing a vital role in the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Many more of our alumni are making an impact as essential and frontline workers. Thank you for your continued work toward creating a world in which every person can live a healthy and self-determined life. We want to learn more about your transformative work during the pandemic. Tell us how you’ve helped make our communities safer for everyone by sending the AHS advancement team an email at advanceahs@uic.edu.
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