College Highlights & News
NEWS
Faculty Members in Physician Assistant Studies to Present at National Conference
Four faculty members from the Physician Assistant Studies program will make presentations at the Physical Assistant Education Association annual meeting in Savannah, Georgia in October 29 – November 2.
Cynthia Bunde, MPAS, PA-C, Clinical Instructor and Service Leaning Coordinator and Bernadette Howlett, MS, Research Assistant Professor and Instructional Designer will make a presentation entitled “Effectiveness of Service Learning in Physical Assistant Students.” The service learning component of the Physical Assistant Program at ISU emphasizes community partnerships in which students volunteer in health-related activities, targeted especially at underserved populations. Bunde and Howlett’s research examines changes in student attitudes related to their service learning experiences.
David Talford, MPAS, PA-C, Clinical Instructor and John Schroeder, JD, PA-C, Department Chair and Program Director will be presenting a workshop, “Easing the Burden of Test Writing: A Collaborative Faculty Approach to Excellent Exams.” This workshop will describe the PA Program’s Test Writing Committee and the process by which they collaboratively develop test questions that are clear, unambiguous, based on acquired knowledge, at the appropriate level of difficulty, and adequately relate to the specific learning objectives.
CSED Faculty Member Elected to National Advisory Council
ISU-Boise assistant professor of audiology, Mel Miller, Ph.D., CCC-A, has been elected to a three-year term on the Audiology Advisory Council of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. He'll begin serving Jan. 1, 2009. The ASHA is the professional, scientific and credentialing association for more than 130,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language and hearing scientists.
Local Chapter of Phi Upsilon Omicron Receives National Award
The Beta Rho Chapter of Phi Upsilon Omicron was recently awarded third place for their professional project “Inspiring You to Believe in Your Future.” The award will be presented at the national Phi Upsilon Omicron conclave in Minneapolis later this month.
Phi Upsilon Omicron is a national honor society for students majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences and Dietetics. The group is co-advised on campus by Laura McKnight, clinical associate professor and program director of dietetics and Jenniene Kauer, assistant lecturer in family and consumer sciences.
The professional project took place last spring with club members working with students at New Horizons school in Pocatello. Phi Upsilon Omicron members conducted three workshops for teenage women enrolled in a teen parent program at New Horizons. The workshops focused on how to apply for college admission and financial, building a resume, interviewing for a job, stress management techniques and managing emotional eating.
Cleft Palate Team to Participate in Pilot Project
ISU's Cleft Palate Team, headed by Dr. Dave Sorensen, was one of five in the country selected by the American Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Association for participation in a pilot accreditation process. As stated in their announcement notice: "The Commission on the Approval of Cleft and Craniofacial Teams (CAT) was developed by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association and the Cleft Palate Foundation. The goal of the CAT is to develop a process which will encourage the evaluation and improvement of the care provided to individuals affected by cleft and craniofacial anomalies. By participating in this pilot program, your team is making a significant contribution to this process."
Dr. Sorensen is a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Education of the Deaf and an assistant dean in the Kasiska College of Health Professions.
Occupational Therapy Students Wins National Award
Heather Corbet, a third year student in the Master of Occupational Therapy Program has just been awarded a $5,000 E. K. Wise Scholarship from the American Occupational Therapy Association.
The selection process was highly competitive with over 100 applicants nationwide.
Heather is the first occupational therapy student at ISU to receive this scholarship. The selection committee was very impressed with Heather's academic credentials and her extensive volunteer experiences.
