Campus News

Campus News

KYCO students and faculty build relationships with Shanghai hospital

Experiencing another culture and learning from its health care practices are just some of the benefits four Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) students gained from their recent trip to China. The experience was led by KYCO Director of International Relations and Assistant Professor of Optometry Xiaojing Yu, Ph.D., O.D.

Initial planning for the trip included two spots for KYCO students. Yu knew the decision would be difficult given the number of applicants and her desire to give as many students as possible this once-in-alifetime opportunity. After a meeting with UPIKE President Burton Webb, Ph.D., two additional spots were added.

“I want to give special acknowledgment to President Webb’s office for its great support, paying two students’ international airfare,” said Yu. “Because of such generosity, more KYCO students were able to have this invaluable international experience. I also want to acknowledge Dr. Bacigalupi [KYCO Dean], KYCO faculty and staff and the international office for their guidance.”

With optometric care as the focus of the journey, students spent two weeks shadowing optometrists and ophthalmologists and working with patients.

“Optometry is a new and uprising field in China,” added Yu. “Through this educational trip, we were not only able to bring professional support, but our students had the opportunity to see a different way of patient management that will offer them diverse perspectives in their future careers.”

Students were notably impressed by the intentional design of patient care areas. The facility in which they learned and served included not only a 3D perceptional hallway, but also a museum used to teach children about the importance of eye care.

Students also gained insight into how efficient the practices of optometrists and ophthalmologists must be to treat the large and growing patient population in the country.

With a successful inaugural trip behind them, KYCO students and faculty look forward to their continued relationship with China. It is the hope of Yu to coordinate future trips with more students and to develop exchange opportunities for both students in China and at KYCO.

Students experience Belize

In May 2018 Darla French, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and Tim Whittier, Ph.D., division chair of mathematics and natural sciences, along with 14 science majors, travelled more than 2,500 miles to the small, welcoming country of Belize. The group spent nine days in the jungle and on the coast of the Central American country exploring plants, ecosystems and Mayan culture.

“We take advantage of as many cultural and historical experiences as we can,” said French. The memorable and educational experience included night hikes, tropical bird watching, a sunrise canoe trip and studying the coral reef.

“The experience gets students outside of their own bubble to see how other people live,” added French. “I love hearing students say they want to continue to fill their passports.”

KYCOM Class of 2022 commits to excellence, compassion during White Coat Ceremony

In the presence of family members, friends and the campus community, the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) Class of 2022 was formally welcomed during a traditional White Coat Ceremony. Students were “coated” by peers in the Class of 2021.

White coat ceremonies are rites of passage for beginning medical students that focus on the importance of both scientific excellence and compassionate care for the patient. The tradition was begun by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993 to promote humanism in medicine.

During his first White Coat Ceremony as Dean of KYCOM, Dana Shaffer, D.O., FACOFP, dist., FAOGME, encouraged students to excel in their chosen profession.

“This ceremony marks transition and commitment,” Shaffer said. “Being a physician starts now. You must walk, talk, act and behave as physicians, 24/7, 365. Embrace the mantle of professionalism bestowed on you today.”

The keynote address was delivered by Stephen C. Shannon, D.O., MPH, past president of the American Association

of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Shannon’s message focused on the positive impact KYCOM students will have on those they serve. He encouraged them to listen and learn from their patients.

“You must learn how to communicate, respect and treat the whole person,” said Shannon.

Simbulance enhances training opportunities, serves as community resource

UPIKE received funding through a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant to purchase its firstever “Simbulance,” a mobile simulation unit used to train students from the Elliott School of Nursing, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and Kentucky College of Optometry as well as promote wellness in the community.

The Simbulance is fully stocked with equipment and supplies that would be used in real-life emergencies. Of significant benefit to students is the mobile unit can be used in conjunction with the university’s new high-fidelity simulators, which mimic medical emergencies to a much greater extent than human volunteers.

Administrators, faculty and staff demonstrate the Simbulance’s innovative capabilities to emergency medical personnel and at health fairs and regional events.

Chemistry professor publishes groundbreaking research

Andrew Turner, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, may be new to UPIKE but he is no stranger to the limelight. Turner served as lead author of a revolutionary research project that garnered attention from around the globe after being published in Nature Communications, a popular peer-reviewed scientific journal. Findings from the research suggest that phosphates, a key component of the building blocks of life, may have arrived on earth from outer space by comets or meteorites in the first one billion years of the planet’s history.

“Half of the amino acids — the building blocks that make up proteins — are formed in space,” says Turner. “This research, though, considered phosphorus, which is poorly bioavailable to life on earth, and how it was available to the first organisms on earth.”

While a graduate student at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Turner and Chemistry Professor Ralf Kaiser, along with colleagues from France and Taiwan, produced phosphates under conditions consistent with outer space. Turner’s team formed ices with phosphorus and supplied energy to simulate conditions of space to see what products would appear.

The researchers’ work, titled “An Interstellar Synthesis of Phosphorus Oxoacids,” received attention from such media outlets as Forbes, Newsweek, and Daily Mail. Additionally, the American Chemistry Society (ACS) chose to highlight phosphine, the molecule Turner studied, during National Chemistry Week in October. The ACS referenced Turner’s research in promoting this year’s theme – “Chemistry is Out of This World.”

Since Turner’s arrival to campus this fall, students have already benefited from exposure to a scientist who has been an integral part of the scientific community.

“Receiving an education from professors who have contributed to science, including many great instructors at UPIKE, is a great opportunity for students to learn from those with knowledge of real-world applications,” he says.

There is more to come from Turner, as he is currently expanding his research of prebiotic molecules.

Pam Gilliam becomes first assistant provost

With a passion for students spanning 41 years and more than 30 different courses taught, Pamela Gilliam, Ed.D., graciously assumed the role of the University of Pikeville’s first assistant provost.

One of UPIKE’s longest serving faculty members, Gilliam arrived on campus in the fall of 1977 after receiving her Master of Business Administration (MBA). She quickly developed a passion for teaching in the Coleman College of Business.

“Once I started working with students and saw how I could make an impact on their lives, I was hooked,” she said. “There is nothing more rewarding than running into a successful alum who shares how UPIKE made a difference.”

Gilliam assisted with the growth and online transition of UPIKE’s MBA degree program while educating and mentoring countless undergraduate and graduate students. Gilliam’s new position affords her the opportunity to still teach and discover new ways to impact students.

“As Assistant Provost, I’m able to see UPIKE from a different perspective than I did as a faculty member,” said Gilliam. “UPIKE has a dedicated group of leaders who strive daily to create a positive and life-changing experience for our students, and I am honored to be part of the team.”

In addition to serving as student liaison for the Office of the Provost, Gilliam is a valuable resource to faculty across campus. Along with UPIKE Professor of Religion James Browning Ph.D., she recently implemented UPIKE’s first

undergraduate faculty mentoring program. The important initiative pairs new faculty with seasoned faculty to assist in acclimating to life at UPIKE. Gilliam is currently pursuing a grant to obtain funding for the beneficial program.

Along with the growth she is fostering internally with faculty and staff, Gilliam noted there are major projects on the horizon for the university.

“I think we will continue to see growth in the health professions schools and in graduate programs,” said Gilliam. “We will work to partner with other institutions and create exciting new degree programs with the 21st century job market in mind. There has never been a better time to be a Bear!”