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ACADEMICS
Comprehensive Programs Prepare the Next Health Professionals
URI Celebrated The Launch of its New Undergraduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Last Year with A Free Virtual Event to Welcome to its Inaugural Class.
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (R.I.), noted mental health advocate, served as keynote speaker for the event, joined by former URI Provost Donald H. DeHayes, Lisa Weyandt, director of URI’s Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, INP faculty, and undergraduate students. The new Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, a partnership among the Colleges of Pharmacy, Health Sciences and the Environment and Life Sciences, offers students the option to choose from among three areas of focus within their neuroscience major, distinguishing it among neuroscience programs in New England. The INP at URI brings together a wide range of disciplines— from basic research and clinical studies to new drug development—allowing for a more thorough study of neurological processes, cellular function, psychological disorders, and brain health promotion.
For more information on the program and its curriculum, visit uri.edu/inp.
Students Brainy Adventure Teaches Kids About Brain Science
We may not know it by name, but executive functioning is something we use every day. It helps us remember information, gives us the flexibility to multitask, and helps us control our attention, behavior and thoughts. “It’s responsible for all of our decisions and is the basis for all of our behavior,” said Sydney Bartman. “Without it, our behavior would be random and without context.”
For Bartman, Jennifer Mattar, and Lauren Thompson, doctoral students in the URI’s Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, executive functioning is their way of connecting with K–12 students and teaching them about the brain as part of the annual Brain Week RI in March. The virtual “Brainy Adventures” program replaced Brain Week’s school outreach with seven virtual lesson plans teachers can access online.
Their Brainy Adventure—“What’s the Scoop on the Stroop—explores working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. The lesson provides assessments students conduct on each other or family members to share with classmates. One assessment — the Stroop test, which examines inhibitory control — asks students to read a list of words for colors, which are also printed in colored type. The first time, the students read aloud the words as fast as they can in 45 seconds; the second time, they must note the color of the letters. The assessments teach the students what it’s like to be a scientist. “It’s really crucial that we break down the barrier of the what the belief of STEM fields is for kids,” Mattar said. “A lot of people are intimidated by science. But by empowering kids to do things themselves and ask creative questions, it removes the anxiety some kids may feel about science and technology.”
Interdisciplinary neuroscience doctoral students Sydney Bartman, Jennifer Mattar, and Lauren Thompson presented a virtual “Brainy Adventures” program for high school students during the annual Brain Week.
–Graduate Brendan Craveiro
The inaugural class of the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy’s groundbreaking online undergraduate certificate program in therapeutic cannabis studies graduated this spring, adding educated personnel to one of the fastest-growing industries in the country. The online therapeutic cannabis studies course aims to provide graduates with an in-depth knowledge about the safe production and dissemination of cannabis-related information and products for qualified patients. The certificate program offered through the College’s Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences department focuses on many diverse positions in the industry, including sales, brand ambassador, laboratory technicians, quality compliance/assurance, dispensary management, and product development and manufacturing. “This certificate is something that will help me in a short period of time grow a lot,” said graduate Brendan Craveiro. “Currently working in the industry, I can see the growth happening every day. With this certificate, I now bring post-cultivation experience to the workplace and contribute to the science-driven part of the business including extraction, sample preparation, working in a lab, etc. It’s rounded out my knowledge base in cannabis, and I think it’s really going to help me grow professionally in the industry.” The online therapeutic cannabis program is geared toward multiple positions in the medical and cannabis fields. Students in the program’s first year represent multiple professions, including pharmacists, nurses, attorneys, dieticians, cannabis growers, and budtenders, among others. Students successfully completing the course, which continues with another session this fall, earn a 12-credit certificate.
Pharmacy Program Trains CNAs to Deliver Meds
Certified Nursing Assistants in Rhode Island Department of Health-approved long-term care facilities will soon be able to administer medications to patients, helping relieve the burden of nurses in often short-staffed facilities, thanks to a partnership between the URI College of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Professional Development, R.I. Department of Health (DOH), and the URI Office of Strategic Initiatives. The State Approved Training Program in Drug Administration educates CNAs to become medication technicians, certified to deliver drugs in the DOH facilities, including longterm care facilities and adult day-care centers. Taught by registered pharmacists and nurses, led by URI pharmacy Senior Lecturer Patrick Kelly, the 15-week course teaches CNAs all they need to know to safely and effectively deliver medications.
Tuition for the course and licensing fees are waived for CNAs, thanks to a grant from the state Department of Labor and Training, part of Transforming Health in Rhode Island Partnership. The Real Jobs RI-affiliated program aims to provide the training and education healthcare professionals need to transform and modernize the delivery of health care in Rhode Island. To apply, visit cutt.ly/medtraining.
Online Healthcare Management Master’s Program Open to Pharmacy Alumni
Alumni from College of Pharmacy, as well as nursing and health sciences, have the opportunity to learn more about the business of health care, thanks to a new online program in the URI College of Business. The college is now offering a Master of Science in Healthcare Management. Taught in asynchronous seven-week modules, the program offers maximum flexibility for working professionals. The health-care management course is a 30-credit graduate program designed for current and future health-care professionals. Flexible and convenient, the two-year online program will teach students how to integrate leadership and knowledge of health-care systems to enhance the management of patient care and quality in health organizations. Students may take one or two courses per semester during fall, spring, and summer semesters. Those with five or more years of full-time, relevant professional work experience, graduates from URI with a minimum 3.5 GPA, or anyone already holding a master’s degree or higher may qualify for a GMAT/GRE waiver. Visit businesscas.org/apply for more information and to apply.
Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Innovative and Distinctive Programs
Collaborative environments that draw on shared expertise generate high-impact research and robust partnerships. The Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program establishes relationships among faculty and students that provide fuel for discovery and train leaders to address the neurological and mental health needs of tomorrow.
