It was a busy fall with outreach to undergraduate and graduate students, a very well-attended guest speaker hybrid event, and the addition of seven new members of the Institute Advisory Council. We have been conducting informational outreach to faculty about upcoming research fellowships opportunities. Planning is also progressing AND THE CALL FOR PROGRAMS IS OPEN for the 2025 Integrative Healthcare Hybrid Conference: Preventive and Restorative Whole-Person Care, that will be held on Saturday, September 13th, 2025!
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A Concerted Effort to Increase Visibility
The Institute was first established in 2021 and hosted a wonderfully successful hybrid conference just the following year. The leadership team is working hard to capitalize on this strong momentum with new initiatives to expand awareness and reach of the Institute and its goals and activities.
This marks the second issue of our still new newsletter. With the help of the Advancement Office, it was distributed electronically to over 12,000 people, including current faculty and staff of the university, registrants and presenters at the past integrative healthcare conferences, and current students and alumni in academic programs related to healthcare.
Program Manager Bethany VanBenschoten has undertaken extensive work on our website, in tandem with Senior Associate Director of Marketing & Communications Joe Perry and his team, to both update and expand it with much more information for our visitors. It will also now serve as an access point for our archived newsletters and past guest speaker recordings, so visitors can access them at any time. Our hope is that it fosters a desire to revisit us to look for updated recordings and to see news about upcoming events.
Increasing Institute Involvement
Check it out at: www.utica.edu/integrativehealthcare.
To increase awareness among and the involvement of students, this fall we awarded the Institute’s very first undergraduate student scholarships! Additionally, we advertised for a graduate assistant who will serve in a part-time paid staff position for the Institute with a significant portion of their role to be, under the guidance of Bethany VanBenschoten, implementing and maintaining a social media presence for the Institute. We will have an amped up social media presence in the new year!
In addition to these changes to the Institute, we have recently expanded the membership of the Advisory Council. This expansion brings additional expertise, experience, and perspectives, and aids in putting the Institute and its activities on the radar of other organizations who share integrative healthcare goals. You will find that the theme of this quarter’s newsletter is expanding the Institute and involving others. If you have speaker or event ideas, want to see us report on something, or have knowledge, research, or resources to contribute, we welcome you to reach out to integrativehealthcare@utica.edu.
2024 UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Olivia D’Ambro - Health Sciences, Junior Community and Campus Involvement: Olivia interned at The Upstate Family Health Center where she contributed to streamlining online patient health access, helped design pamphlets for the clinic, and translated them into the common languages used by the patients. She is also involved in the organizations Sleep in Heavenly Peace where she assisted in building beds for families in need, the Utica Food Pantry during their Thanksgiving turkey giveaway to the homeless, and AmeriCorps where she
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assisted in handing out blankets and gift cards to individuals in Utica NY. She is currently Secretary for the Utica University Health Science Student Society and is in the Utica Student Occupational Therapy Association. She was one of three group members leading an internship project at Upstate Family Health Center. She also has four years of experience as a camp counselor leading and mentoring children.
Integrative Healthcare Interests and Goals: Olivia is interested in how integrated healthcare combines multiple approaches of medicine in order to treat patients as individuals rather than as symptoms which aligns with her commitment and passion for patient-centered care and making an impact in the healthcare field. She hopes to become a Physician Assistant where she can advocate for her patients and directly influence how care is delivered to her patients.
Katherine Mattes - Biochemistry, Junior Community and Campus Involvement: Katie has participated in Utica University’s Pioneer Pitch-In and has volunteered in the Saratoga area with the Roman Catholic Church, Habitat for Humanity, the Franklin
FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS
Community Center, St. Mary’s Ballston Spa, St. Clement’s & St. Peter’s Saratoga, Caroline Street Elementary School, the Shelters of Saratoga, and Code Blue. She is an active member of the Utica University Chapter of the American Chemical Society, the Asa Gray Biological Society, and the Utica University Women’s Volleyball Team. She is Vice President of the Literature Society and Co-Founder & Secretary of Science Research Club at Utica University.
Integrative Healthcare Interests and Goals: Katie is interested in integrated healthcare because she believes it is the way forward for creating longevity and happiness. She wants to understand and help fix the root of what is wrong, not just rip out whatever will eventually grow back on the surface. Her passion for integrated healthcare recently became strengthened by watching her grandfather cope with Parkinson’s disease for which he is taking a trial medicine and going to physical therapy. In tandem, he is also having acupuncture and actively encouraged to recount family stories, which Katie believes work to keep him the best he can be just as much as the modern medicine he is receiving.
Institute Fellowships are open to faculty of Utica University. Details were emailed to the faculty on November 1st, including a call for proposals to apply for the 2024-2025 Institute Faculty Fellowships. It is also posted on the Institute website at utica.edu/integrativehealthcare. Applications will be accepted until the deadline of January 15, 2024. If potential applicants have any questions, they can email integrativehealthcare@utica.edu.
INSTITUTE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE COMING SOON!
The Institute recently hired Business Analytics MBA student Simran Rajani as Graduate Assistant for Digital Marketing Strategy. This position will bring many opportunities to enhance integrative health knowledge by developing a digital brand and creating content that showcases the activities of the Institute. The graduate assistant role will also assist the program manager and the leadership team with special projects, large scale event planning and operation, support of faculty research initiatives related to pedagogy, innovation, and dissemination in integrative healthcare. Look for the Institute in the new year on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to like, follow, comment, and share with us!
Pictured above: Olivia D’Ambro (top) and Katherine Mattes
Successful Events
Fall 2024 - Grief 101
We had a wonderful turnout for the hybrid event on bereavement presented by Adjunct Professor of Psychology Child-Life Dave Roberts, MSLS. His talk was Grief 101: Understanding and Navigating the Grief Journey. It drew 49 attendees, including a near even sampling of in-person and virtual representation and a nice mix of faculty, staff, and students, as well as several individuals from outside the university representing expertise and practices in both Western and non-Western modalities. The recording of the presentation is posted on the Institute’s website for viewing by anyone who wishes.
Spring 2025 - The Taboo Birth & Martial Arts as Holistic Health
On Tuesday, February 11th at 4pm in Hislop Auditorium in Thurston Hall, we will host Institute Advisory Council Member Angelica Martin, MS, PA-C to host “The Taboo Birth: Reframing the Medical Narrative and Empowering Parents at Home.” Attend in person (light refreshments will be served) or register to attend online via this link
A special second event is being planned for mid-April to present on the holistic health and stress relief benefits of martial arts, presented by representatives from US Black Belt, which will also be presented in-person and on Zoom for attendees to follow along remotely. Check the website often for more announcements.
NEW ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
Maxime Berube, MD Emergency Medicine Physician, Transitional Year Residency Program Core Faculty, and Department Chair for the Mohawk Valley Health System in Utica, NY, Dr. Berube is also a faculty member or St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, teaches courses in Emergency Medicine at SUNY Upstate and Lake Erie College of Medicine, and is the Assistant Regional Dean at UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine. His related research interests include pathophysiology of addiction and reducing use of narcotics in order to reduce harmful effects on the body.
Damian Chase-Begay, PhD
Damian Chase-Begay, PhD, MS (Mandan/Arikara) is an associate research professor of social epidemiology at the University of Montana (UMT) School of Public and Community Health Sciences. Dr. Chase-Begay received both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Montana, where his doctoral research focused on the protective role of Indigenous traditional ceremonial practices in an urban, multi-tribal community. He also has a
Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership from the University of California, San Francisco.
Audrey Cross, MS, WELL AP, LEED Green Associate
A Professor of Practice in Construction Management with Utica University and certified as a LEED Green Associate and WELL Accredited Professional, Ms. Cross has experience in the healthcare industry working primarily at Saint Joseph’s and Crouse hospital in Syracuse, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the Mohawk Valley Health System. Her research interests include how indoor healthcare environments impact wellness of staff and patients.
Trista Richardson, OTD, MS/OTR/L Director of Academic Fieldwork and a Professor of Practice in Occupational Therapy at Utica University, Ms. Richardson earned her D.P.T. in Occupational Therapy from Utica University. She also currently works as a private practice Occupational Therapist, and her research interests include health and wellness, mind-body interventions, and craniosacral therapies to manage stress and build resiliency.
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NEW ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS CON’T
Christine Sotmary M.S., L.Ac., CPC CEO and co-founder of Anodunos (which means, “without pain” in Greek), Ms. Sotmary provides a training program for certifying both Pain Navigators and Care Team providers. The program teaches them to work collaboratively among each other and with people experiencing high-impact chronic pain to advocate on a state level for coverage of integrative pain management approaches in insurance plans. She also has a private practice in Classical Acupuncture and Functional Nutrition specializing in pain, immune/autoimmune and hormonal Issues.
Theresa Strassberger, DPT, CLT-LANA
Manager of Rehabilitation for Long Term Care at the MVHS Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Utica, NY. Dr. Strassberger also taught at Utica University in pharmacology and pathophysiology,
medical conditions, and caring for the community. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and previously served with the Mohawk Valley Breast Cancer Advisory Board, National Lymphedema Network, and Mohawk Valley Orthopedic Study Group.
Colleen Sunderlin, PhD
Colleen is currently a Professor and the chair of the Occupational Therapy Program at Utica University in Utica, NY. She earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Counseling after earning her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Colleen’s research background has focused on resilience and transition challenges for the military population and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. She collaborates with construction management and health professional faculty to provide interprofessional education and experiences.
Ongoing Conference Planning - CALL FOR PRESENTERS OPEN NOW
The 2025 Integrative Healthcare Hybrid Conference: Preventive and Restorative Whole-Person Care will be held on the Utica University campus in Utica, New York and virtually on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
We updated and released on November 15th the formal Call for Presenters, and the abstract submission portal can be found here, as well as on the website! Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2025. Further conference planning continues under the direction of an interdisciplinary committee with members representing each the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Health Professions & Education, and Business & Justice Studies. In addition to selecting a date, we have defined a theme and objectives, reserved facilities, made arrangements for video-conferencing technology, will be introducing a conference website, interviewed specific individuals to lead and participate in two separate panel discussions on terrific and relevant topics, and narrowed our list of potential keynote speakers! If you have any questions, please email integrativehealthcare@utica.edu.
Integrative Wellness Highlights
MANAGING SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER FROM MANY ANGLES
As we head into the winter season days get shorter and, here in Utica, New York, sunlight gets scarce, temperatures drop, and most of us end up spending much of our time indoors. The result for some is a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). While SAD episodes can occur in other seasons, they are far more common in the winter and bring symptoms such as low energy, feelings of irritability, guilt, and hopelessness, social withdrawal, carbohydrate cravings, and weight gain.
Rare for children to be affected, SAD may begin in adulthood. Although it more often affects women, men may also experience it, both citing preliminary research suggesting it is the result of biochemical changes driven by the decrease in sunlight. Less sunlight leads the body to produce fewer molecules that help to maintain levels of serotonin used to regulate mood, which then results in an overabundance of melatonin that encourages sleep. Because the symptoms of SAD overlap with other mental and physical illnesses, individuals experiencing them should consult with their healthcare providers to obtain a diagnosis and assessment of its severity.
First-line treatment is often light therapy - increasing exposure to natural outdoor light by getting outside, if possible, or using artificial indoor lights of specific wavelengths. They have been shown to be effective in reducing SAD symptoms. A common suggestion in the last decade has been to practice good sleep hygiene by avoiding the use of electronics for an hour before bedtime or other stimulants late in the day, while also keeping consistent bed- and waketimes. Additionally, it is recommended to avoid depressants like alcohol and recreational drugs, get more exercise, eat healthy, and accesspsychotherapy
or, in some cases, antidepressants.
An integrative perspective can include a consultation with an ayurvedic practitioner. An ancient holistic wellness approach in Indian culture, ayurveda views each individual as a unique combination of life forces (doshas) whereby an imbalance in one can affect another- leading to disease, and it uses nutrition, lifestyle changes, and natural treatments to re-establish balance.
Although not possible for everyone, one of the most effective of these may be to get more exposure to natural sunlight by getting outside. While for some this may mean a walk outdoors, or some snowshoeing or skiing, icy surfaces may bring a risk of slips and falls others may be wise to avoid. A few minutes safely seated outdoors may be just the ticket, so do not be too quick to put all of the outdoor furniture away! Consider grabbing a thick, fuzzy blanket and a warm beverage to soak in the sights and sounds of the fall and winter! Find out more below:
