The College of Nursing and Health Sciences is pleased to share the following news about our faculty, staff and students.

Faculty Retirements

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences honored retiring faculty members Burt Wilcke, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of medical laboratory science and Dinah Smith, M.A., CCC-A, clinical associate professor emerita of audiology, for their contributions to the University of Vermont, and to their respective disciplines, with a reception on May 10. Read more >>

Department Highlights

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Danra Kazenski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, clinical assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, is the recipient of the 2017 Dean’s Innovation in Teaching Award. This annual award honors a member of the CNHS faculty for innovative teaching that engages students in an experiential manner, develops their reflective thinking, and responds to CNHS goals for integrating clinical simulation, internationalization, interprofessional education and integrative health into educational practice.

Tiffany Hutchins, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, published the following:

  • Hutchins, T. L., Allen, L., & Schefer, M. (2017). Using the Theory of Mind Inventory todetect a broad range of ToM challenges in children with hearing loss. Deafness andEducation International. Available at:doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2016.1274089
  • Hutchins, T. L., Deraway, C., Prelock, P., & O’Neill, A. (2017). Mothers’ and children’sstory-telling: A study of dyads with typically developing children and children withASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Available at: DOI10.1007/s10803-016-3022-z

Charles Starkweather, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, lecturer in communication sciences and disorders, was honored by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with the naming of the Woody Starkweather Stuttering Therapy Clinic in May.

Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences

Paula Deming, Ph.D., endowed professor and chair of the Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences, presented the following at national meetings with undergraduate students (names underlined):

  • Kayla T. O'Toole, Paula B. Deming.”Novel Molecular Interaction between Cyclic-AMP Dependent Protein Kinase A Holoenzymes and La-Related Protein 4”  Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April, 2017
  • Samuel A Barritt, Marion E Weir, Bryan A Ballif, Paula B Deming“Fyn Regulates Cyclic-AMP Dependent Protein Kinase A Binding Interactions” Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April, 2017

and published the following:

  • Deming, Paula and Kurokawa, Manabu (March 2017) Dismantling the Apoptotic Cell by Caspases. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0021564.pub2

Tyler Hogan, an undergraduate Microbiology major conducting research with Dr. Paula Deming, was awarded the 2017 Brennan Summer Research Fellowship for his project entitled “Characterizing the Effects of PKA and SFK on Invasion and Migration of Glioblastoma”. Learn more >>

Seth Frietze, Ph.D., assistant professor of medical laboratory science, published the following:

  • Casey D S Katerndahl, Lynn M Heltemes-Harris, Mark J L Willette, Christine M Henzler, Seth Frietze, Rendong Yang, Hilde Schjerven, Kevin A T Silverstein, Laura B Ramsey, Gregory Hubbard, Andrew D Wells, Roland P Kuiper, Blanca Scheijen, Frank N van Leeuwen, Markus Müschen, Steven M Kornblau & Michael A Farrar. (2017). Antagonism of B cell enhancer networks by STAT5 drives leukemia and poor patient survival. Nature Immunology. http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ni.3716.html

  • Schjerven H, Ayongaba EF, Aghajanirefah A, McLaughlin J, Cheng D, Geng H, Boyd JR, Eggesbø LM, Lindeman I, Heath JL, Park E, Witte ON, Smale ST, Frietze S*, Müschen M*. (2017) Genetic analysis of Ikaros target genes and tumor suppressor function in BCR-ABL1+ pre-B ALL. (2017). J Exp Med. PMID:28190001 (*corresponding authors)

  • Witkowski MT, Hu Y, Roberts KG, Boer JM, McKenzie MD, Liu GJ, Le Grice OD, Tremblay CS, Ghisi M, Willson TA, Horstmann MA, Aifantis I, Cimmino L, Frietze S, den Boer ML, Mullighan CG, Smyth GK, Dickins RA. (2017). Conserved IKAROS-regulated genes associated with B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia outcome. J Exp Med. PMID:2819000NIH. U54 ‘Systems Analysis of Epigenomic Architecture in Cancer Progression’.

Department of Nursing

Mary Val Palumbo, D.N.P., APRN, associate professor of nursing, presented the following:

  • Palumbo, MV (2017). A learning collaboration to deliver onsite health promotion for hospital staff. 28th International Nursing Research Congress. July 27-31 2017, Dublin, Ireland. (paper) (R).

  • Palumbo, MV  and Hunn K (2017). Assessing student satisfaction and self-confidence in interprofessional palliative care using movie simulation and debrief: a multi-site, multi-nursing track perspective. 28th International Nursing Research Congress. July 27-31 2017, Dublin, Ireland. (paper) (R).

  • Palumbo, MV and Rambur B. (2017). Nurse practitioner workforce shifts in a decade of policy, payment, and practice changes:  a 2005-2015 comparison. 2017 National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers Conference, June 7-9, 2017, Denver, CO. (paper) (R).

  • Palumbo, MV (2017). Interprofessional end of life simulation and discussion for a large group of students. National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty 43rd Annual Meeting. April 19-23, 2017, Washington, DC. (paper) (R).

  • Palumbo, MV and Nickerson A. (2017) MIND-ful eating for brain health. UVMMC HealthSource Classes Program. April 27, 2017 Burlington, VT.

Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science

Athletic Training Program Hosts Vermont Athletic Training Student Symposium

The University of Vermont Athletic Training program held the inaugural Vermont Athletic Training Student Symposium in collaboration with the Vermont Association of Athletic Trainers (VAAT) in the UVM Dudley H. Davis Center in March. Physicians, faculty, researchers and practicing clinicians spoke on topics that included best practices in recognition and treatment of heat-related illness, sickle cell trait in an active population, mental state and risk of injury, emerging practice settings and professionalism. The program included presentations by College of Nursing and Health Sciences faculty members Jeremy Sibold, Ed.D., ATC, associate professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, Lecturer Denise Alosa, M.S., UVM Team Physician Dr. Matthew Lunser and National Athletic Trainers’ Association District 1 Director Timothy Weston, M.Ed., ATC.

The symposium was developed by Dr. Tim Tourville, assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science and VAAT president, and five Athletic Training students as part of a three-year community and professional outreach competency practicum. Students and faculty from Castleton University, Norwich University, and UVM participated.

Students Mark National Athletic Training Month

Athletic Training students participated in a variety of community outreach projects to raise awareness of the profession during National Athletic Training month in March, including: providing a basic athletic training skills seminar for secondary school students enrolled in the Burlington Technical Center Medical and Sports Sciences program; volunteering with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports at Bolton Valley; and hosting a field day with the Vermont Adaptive Disabled Veterans group.

Clinical Opportunities Serve Students, Community

Students majoring in exercise and movement science and athletic training took advantage of several hands-on clinical experiences offered by the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences this spring, including: MS IDEAL (Individually Designed Exercise for Active Lifestyles), the state’s only exercise group for individuals with multiple sclerosis; an exercise program to help psychiatric inpatients at the UVM Medical Center; volunteering to work with disabled children at Bolton Valley through Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports; hosting a field day with Vermont Adaptive Disabled Veterans under the guidance of Assistant Professor Timothy Tourville; and serving as wellness mentors in The Wellness Environment (also known as WE), an incentive-based program focused on health promotion, illness prevention and behavioral change. Read more >>

Travel Study: Exploring the Therapeutic Effects of Icelandic Thermal Springs

A group of ten exercise and movement science and physical therapy students traveled to the NLFI Spa and Medical Clinic in Hverageroi, Iceland over spring break to explore the therapeutic effects of thermal springs and the benefits of integrative health care. Led by Dr. Sue Kasser and Karen Westervelt, the group spent a week observing the integration of traditional rehabilitation services including medicine, psychology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy with complementary therapies including yoga, Tai Chi, water/ land exercise, herbal baths, geothermal mud treatments, acupuncture, massage, mindfulness, and Kneipp therapy at the center, where geothermic activity is used to heat the buildings, pools, and greenhouses.

Students learned the clinic philosophy, observed patient care, participated in health education classes, and experienced integrative therapies first hand - including mineral baths, mud baths, Kneipp therapy, wax treatment, acupuncture, massage, warm-water aquatic exercise, and more. The clinic recommends an organic vegetarian diet, regular exercise, and mental health care as foundations for a healthy lifestyle; and the group started each day with yoga, enjoyed daily treks around treeless volcanic hills and mountains, and practiced mindfulness training and imagination therapy. The group also met with Hverageroi Mayor Aldís Hafsteinsdóttir and discussed UVM initiatives at UVM and in Vermont to promote wellness and protect the environment. The course is offered through UVM’s travel study program.

Exercise is Medicine on Campus Initiative Achieves Silver-Level Recognition

The Exercise and Movement Science Club’s effort to engage students, faculty, and staff in Exercise is Medicine on Campus education initiatives has earned Silver-Level Recognition for the University of Vermont campus. Club members, together with advisor Connie Tompkins, will be recognized during a special session at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting in Denver, CO on May 31.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Hosts Zeigler-X Event

The D.P.T. program hosted the inaugural Zeigler-X Event following the College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Zeigler Research Forum on May 5. The extended forum provided second-year physical therapy students an opportunity to present their research projects to the academic, professional, alumni, and clinical physical therapy communities. Presentation topics included: use of mobile application in people with chronic pain; total joint replacement in different settings; strengthening exercise for rotator cuff injury; motor imagery in people with Parkinson’s disease; mentorship of clinicians; patient and provider expectations in people who had rotator cuff surgery; and a model of care for chronic pain in people with history of torture or trauma.

A reception held in partnership with the Vermont American Physical Therapy Association followed the event. The Zeigler Forum is a tribute to alumnus James V. Zeigler `84.

Student Projects Promote Community Health

Second-year D.P.T. students were involved in the following Health Promotion service-learning projects during the spring semester:

Stay Steady fall prevention: Students helped update the process and paperwork for the Stay Steady Vermont Fall Prevention Awareness event and created content for the organization’s website with community partners Maggie Holt, PT and Mariana Wingood, D.P.T. Learn more: www.fallsfreevermont.org

Community-based exercise to reduce fall risk: Students partnered with physical therapists and the UVM Medical Center to develop and implement a community based exercise program for older adults at risk for falling with community partner Cathy Shearer, PT, M.P.A., GCS.

Special Olympics BlogSpot: Students developed web content for the volunteer coaches of Special Olympics Vermont with community partner Justin Graham. The organization has requested additional help to create new winter and spring sports content.

Powerchair soccer promotion: Students worked with team and community members and community partner Scott Goyette to design a powerchair soccer information campaign in order to share the Power of powerchair soccer -  a fast-growing and competitive team sport for power chair user - with the greater community.

Sled hockey conditioning: Sled hockey is a version of ice hockey played primarily by people with mobility disabilities. Students designed a conditioning program for injury prevention and improved performance for the SledCats, Vermont’s competitive sled hockey team, with community partners Patrick Standen and Becky Shackett.

Injury prevention for migrant dairy workers: Working with UVM Extension and the Bridges to Health Program, students conducted a needs assessment related to musculoskeletal injury prevention and provided accessible materials on strategies for injury prevention for migrant dairy workers. Community partner: Naomi Wolcott-MacCausland, UVM Extension migrant health coordinator

Investigative work for adaptive sailing: Students worked with sailors and community members to promote adaptive sailing, which allows people with disabilities, older adults, and veterans to participate in sailing using modified sail boats, and the particular need for volunteers to support sailors to get out on the water. Community partner: Nate Besio of the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association

Students attend American Physical Therapy Association's Federal Advocacy Forum

Third-year D.P.T. students Maxwell Blake and Jillian Tanych attended the 2017 APTA Federal Advocacy Forum March 26-28 in Washington, DC as representatives of the Vermont Chapter of the APTA and the APTA Student Assembly, respectively. Forum attendees have an opportunity to meet with legislators and policy makers to advocate on behalf of the physical therapy profession and its patients. Following are Tanych and Blake’s summaries of the experience:

One of the greatest feelings one can have is that you are making a difference and APTA’s Federal Advocacy Forum (FAF) was exactly that. I am beyond honored to have been sponsored by the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy to attend this year’s event. This is my second time participating in federal advocacy efforts as I also attended PT Day on the Hill 2015.

During the first two days of FAF, all attendees gathered to learn about the bills to be presented on Capitol Hill, how we can best advocate for our profession and patients, and keys to successful meetings with legislators. In addition to this, we had a record breaking number of 77 students attending FAF! As Nominating Committee Member of the Student Assembly Board of Directors, I helped facilitate the Student Advocacy Session where students got to connect with other students and professionals, educate others on their own states’ advocacy efforts, and learn what roles students have in federal advocacy. The excitement for promoting our profession was infectious and continued into the evening as everyone attended the PT-PAC Party! PT-PAC Parties are my favorite events at conferences by far. I love being surrounded by other like-minded individuals who are all passionate about physical therapy!

On the final day of FAF, all attendees dispersed throughout Capitol Hill, meeting with our Congressmen and Senators. I was fortunate enough to have met with staff members from the offices of Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Congressman Peter Welch! With the Vermont team, I helped advocate on the importance of the following bills: The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act, Youth Concussions and SAFE Play Act, The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2017, and the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act. I provided personal testimonies of patients who I have seen negatively impacted by the therapy cap. I also provided anecdotes of those living in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont who have limited access to healthcare and would benefit from physical therapists being part of the National Health Service Corps. I even got to formally meet and talk with both Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch, who both showed great support of the physical therapy profession!

By the end of FAF, I had met and reconnected with countless passionate professionals and students, advocated for our profession and patients, and felt as though the future of healthcare is bright. As our keynote speaker, Mark Shields, stated “Together, we can do much more.” I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend FAF 2017 and am looking forward to continuing my experience in professional advocacy. - submitted by Jillian Tanych, D.P.T. ‘17

The forum occurs every year at our nation’s capital and is meant for physical therapists to advocate for policies which support our patients and our profession. The highlight of the forum is meeting with your state legislators and/or their staff to discuss issues affecting physical therapists and their patients. I was fortunate to be sponsored to attend the forum by the Vermont APTA chapter. With their generosity, I had the opportunity to meet and network with hundreds of student and professional physical therapists, learn how to become a successful advocate, and make a positive impact in support of my profession. After everything I learned over the three-day event, I am excited to share my experience with my program and am looking forward to participating in future APTA advocacy. – submitted by Maxwell Blake, D.P.T. ’17

Third-year D.P.T. students Sierra Klotz, Kat Dwyer and Emily Sackett gathered and packed medical equipment and supplies to send to a physical therapy mission clinic through the Hands to Honduras program. The clinic is sponsored by UVM Physical Therapy Program Founder Sam Feitelberg. 

Presentations and Publications

Six faculty and eight students from the D.P.T. Class of 2017 led presentations during the annual Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association held Feb 15-18 in San Antonio, TX.

Faculty Highlights

Yang Bai, Ph.D., assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science, published the following:

  • Bai, Y., Saint-Maurice, PF., Welk, GJ., Russell, DW., Allums-Featherston, KA., & Norman, C. (2017) The longitudinal effects of Physical Activity Promotion Programming on Youth Fitness in a Participatory Network. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
  • Welk, G., Vazou, S., Chen, S., & Bai, Y. (2017). Influence of teacher motivation and school engagement on CSPAP outcomes. Presented at the 2017 SHAPE America national convention, Boston, MA.

Reuben Escorpizo, PT, M.Sc., D.P.T., clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science, and Rebecca Ouellette-Morton, PT, M.S., D.P.T., clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science, published the following:

  • Braman, J. L., Gehring, K. J., Ponce, M. P., Slabinski, E. E., Bianchi, N., Morton-Ouellette, R., and R. Escorpizo. “How the use of a therapeutic mobile or internet-based applications affects the management of chronic pain: A Systematic Literature Review”.

Nancy Gell, Ph.D., assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science, presented “Exercise Promotion in the Elderly” at the Vermont Geriatrics Conference in Montpelier on April 5.

Connie Tompkins, Ph.D., assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science, was appointed to the Exercise is Medicine Pediatrics Advisory and Campus Advisory groups.

Kit Vreeland, Ph.D. completed her doctorate this semester.

Karen Westervelt, Ph.D. completed her doctorate this semester.

Sonya Worth, PT OCS, FAAOMPT, instructor of rehabilitation and movement science, presented the following:

  • Worth, S., Reid, D., Henry, S. Injury Incidence In Cross-Country Skiers. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51:411.

Student Honors

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences honored continuing undergraduate students during our annual Honors Tea. Read more >>

Standout seniors were recognized for their achievements during the 2017 Honors Day Ceremony.  Read more >>

Alumni News

Aline Demers, nursing alumna, beloved teacher and accomplished nurse, passed away in April. Read more >>

Nursing alumna Sandy Robertson, patient-centered care chief for the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, was featured in a Consumer Reports segment on integrative health entitled Back Pain: How One Veteran Found Relief.  Watch the video >>

An Adventure in Nursing: Retired Nursing Professor Rosalie Lombard shares her experience on assignment in Newfoundland and Labrador. Read more >>