This fall brought a series of exciting new beginnings to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Our Master of Science in Physical Activity and Wellness Science, a one-year program designed to enhance the incorporation of physical activity into health care services, is set to start in Fall 2019. We launched an Emergency Services minor and a certificate in Integrative Health. Our residential Health Sciences bachelor’s degree program has record application numbers for the incoming fall class. And we introduced a health sciences exchange opportunity with Maastrict University in the Netherlands and a travel study course to the West Indies.

The College hosted new initiatives in support of inclusive excellence and interprofessional education, including a workshop series on accommodations in the clinical education setting and "Breaking Out of Our Silos: Interprofessional Education for Better Health Care," an event that offered faculty and clinical educators from UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Larner College of Medicine and the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences an opportunity to share ideas to help prepare students for future collaborative practice. With generous donor support, development of an Integrative Health Coaching program is underway.

Our annual open house for alumni and current students and their families, held in conjunction with UVM Alumni and Family Weekend, featured well-attended presentations on Professor Jason Garbarino’s gerentological service learning program and Professor Tim Tourville’s research on treatment for knee osteoarthritis. This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the UVM Nursing Program and we’ve developed a series of alumni stories to mark the occasion, including an interview with Barbara Tennien Murphy ‘47 of our first graduating class.

Faculty researcher Eyal Amiel, Ph.D., uncovered key information that could help immunologists develop targeted treatments. Professor Justine Dee received the Vermont American Physical Therapy Association’s 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award for her work studying the physical therapy treatment of refugees who have chronic pain. Professor Nancy Gell published a chapter in Walking: Connecting Sustainable Transport and Health. Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty member Kate Ross published Speech-Language Pathologists in Early Childhood Intervention: Working with Infants, Toddlers, Families and Other Care Providers. Professor Emerita Mary Wilson and colleagues published the Quick Interactive Language Screener. New Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences faculty member Dimitry Krementsov secured grant funding through the Vermont Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases COBRE Pilot Project program to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. And Nursing faculty Jason Garbarino, Mary Val Palumbo and Ellen Long-Middleton presented their research at international conferences.

With profound sadness our community also mourned the passing of junior Athletic Training student Rebecca Ryan and Nursing Professor Barbara Rouleau, both of whom will be fondly remembered and deeply missed.

We welcome new faculty and staff members Claudia Abbiati, M.S., CCC-SLP, communication sciences and disorders clinical educator; Teresa Cahill-Griffin, M.S., RN, visiting nursing clinical instructor; Lauren Cilfone, B.S., RN, nursing clinical educator; Emily Coderre, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders; Clarissa Drill, B.S., RN, nursing clinical educator; Janet Franz, M.S., communications specialist; Jamie Gay, medical laboratory specialist; Corey Gibeault, Au.D., clinical audiologist; Cristina Harlow, D.N.P., FNP-BC, nursing lecturer; Dimitry Krementsov, Ph.D., assistant professor of medical laboratory and radiation sciences; Karrie Lahue, senior laboratory technician; Rebecca Marin, M.S., FNP, RN, visiting nursing clinical instructor; Mahalia McGill, laboratory technician; Loretta McManus, M.S., RN-BC, LNHA, nursing clinical instructor; Sambit Mohapatra, PT, Ph.D., assistant professor of physical therapy; Kathleen Monforte, M.S., RN, nursing clinical instructor; Katrina Moreau, M.A.T., clinical assistant professor of medical laboratory and radiation sciences; Denise Peters, PT, D.P.T., Ph.D., assistant professor of physical therapy; Patricia Schekter, M.S., RN, nursing clinical educator; and Patricia Stewart, M.S., RN, nursing clinical educator.

Our student body is 1148 students strong, including a bright, talented incoming fall class of 221 first-year and 92 graduate students who we expect will continue our tradition of excellence as evidenced by our retention, graduation and certification exam pass rates. This year’s undergraduate certification pass rates are 100% in Athletic Training and 92% in Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science, respectively; and our graduate pass rates are 100% in Communication Sciences and Disorders, 97% in Physical Therapy and 92% in Medical Laboratory Science. Our programs produce top-notch health care professionals who are ready to enter the work force. In fact, 94% of our undergraduate alumni are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation.

We wish you a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with good health and opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.