MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
March 2006
Welcome from the Dean
We are at an exciting time for the College of Health Sciences. The college programs are thriving, in increasing demand, and remain platforms for growth. The College currently has more than 1,000 students enrolled. This growth potential has been supported by a constant increase in student quality, educational initiatives and an explosion of faculty scholarship and research funding. And the growth doesn't stop there. Again this year we have received a record number of applications; more than 1496 applicants for 215 positions.
One major issue has not changed. Regardless of interest in the college, the tuition cost still represents a struggle for many students, particularly those in the professional phase of programs where students have no scholarship aid. A major concern for the future is the need for additional scholarship funds to help these students, particularly in crises. I would encourage you to consider a gift to Marquette University College of Health Sciences.
For more information on giving, please visit www.marquette.edu/giving. As always, I invite alumni to engage with our Alumni Association in the service of our students. They go forth as tremendous representatives of their professions, the university and its ideals. Please consider visiting us the next time you return to campus and experience the excitement of our college.
Sincerely,
Jack C. Brooks, Ph.D.
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Did you know?
- In 1996, the Departments of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Physical Therapy and Medical Technology along with Basic Sciences and Dental Hygiene were brought together to form the new College of Health Sciences.
- A total of 871 students are currently enrolled in the College of Health Sciences undergraduate programs.
- A total of 196 students are currently enrolled in the College of Health Sciences graduate/doctoral programs.
- More than 6,800 Marquette alumni are from the College of Health Sciences.
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Neuroscience Ph.D. specialization to start in fall
In the fall, Marquette will offer a new doctoral degree specialization in neuroscience. Motivated by the recent growth of neuroscience research at Marquette, 11 faculty from the Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Biological Sciences have collaborated to develop a new neuroscience curriculum which will be administered as a specialization within the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program.
Participation by Biomedical Sciences faculty in graduate education is an exciting and logical next step in the development of the department, whose research productivity has expanded exponentially over the last decade. The neuroscience graduate program will further increase the research productivity of the department and enhance the research opportunities for our undergraduate students.
Our research is focused on areas of great social relevance, including addiction, mental illness, stroke, and spinal cord injury, and the graduate program will help fuel important scientific discoveries in these areas that will elevate the national recognition and reputation of the university. The neuroscience graduate program fits well with Marquette's mission of excellence and service to others, as the faculty and future scientists trained by this program strive to find cures and treatments for devastating neurological disorders.
Marquette's neuroscience program will join more than 130 such programs in the United States. According to the Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs, the number of applicants to neuroscience graduate programs has increased more than threefold since 1986, and the number of Ph.D. neuroscience graduate students has increased by a similar amount. Students in the specialty typically enter multi-year post-doctoral research training positions following graduate training.
The first two years of the program are primarily didactic, with students enrolled in core lecture courses, survey seminars, elective courses and laboratory rotations. During the summers, students will participate in a comprehensive laboratory course. Subsequent years of the program (3-5) are research intensive. The neuroscience curriculum will cover cellular and molecular aspects of the field, brain development, sensory and motor systems and central nervous system regulation, as well as cognitive and behavioral areas. The neuroscience specialty will incorporate 12 teaching assistantships, two of which are fellowships.
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Current students in the news
To the Rescue
Kevin Wheelock, a student in Marquette's Physician Assistant Studies program, was recently honored by the U.S. Coast Guard for his critical role during a rescue off the coast of Puerto Rico in December. Wheelock, who had been assigned to a medical clinic in Puerto Rico as part of his family practice training, volunteered to assist in the airlift of a critically ill patient from a cruise ship.
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The Biomedical Sciences Summer Research Program in the Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Physical Therapy in the College of Health Sciences at Marquette University is a competitive summer program established in 2004 for rising sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate students with interests in biomedical research. Successful applicants to the program receive a $3,500 summer research stipend for participation in the 10-week, 40-hr per week program. As part of the program, students conduct biomedical research in the laboratories of participating faculty mentors and present their research findings at a symposium upon the program's completion. The program also includes a number of scientific, educational, and social activities, including a weekly faculty mentor seminar series, and two-day lecture and dissection mini-course sponsored by the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Marquette University entitled, "The Human Brain."
In 2005, more than 60 students applied to the program. Twenty students were accepted and worked in the laboratories of 11 faculty mentors. The program finished on August 5th with a formal poster presentation session in the Alumni Memorial Union ballroom during which students presented their research findings to an audience consisting of Marquette University students, faculty, administrators, and staff. The session included an address by Dr. Jack Brooks, dean of the College of Health Sciences and a keynote speech by Dr. William Weiner, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School at Marquette University. This year's program runs from May 30 through August 4, 2006.
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The Department of Physical Therapy is celebrating 50 years since its first class graduated in 1956. The reunion celebration will be held Friday, July 28, 2006. The department's academic faculty is hosting a day of continuing education followed by a dinner and presentation of the program's rich history. The cost for the event will be $25/person, which includes lunch and the dinner program. In addition, we will be celebrating the outstanding career of Dr. Larry Nosse who is retiring after 34 years of service to the department.
All Marquette Physical Therapy alumni will receive an invitation to the reunion in the next few months, and please also check the Alumni Association Web site, www.marquette.edu/alumni/reunions. Please contact diane.slaughter@marquette.edu for more information.
We hope to see all of our alumni at the 50th anniversary celebration and our continuing education courses on July 28, 2006!
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The first graduating class of Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) students graduated in May, 2005. All of the Marquette DPT graduates passed their licensure examination and posted cumulative and sub scores that were well above the national average. The new DPT curriculum added differential diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, and content in evidenced-based clinical decision making to bolster the students' background in areas that prepare them for autonomous practice.
The cost of a physical therapy education has risen dramatically over the years. The change to the DPT degree as the entry-level degree has increased the cost even more. Hence, scholarships will be increasingly important to assure that the best and brightest students can enter our profession. The Marquette Physical Therapy faculty has placed a high priority on raising money for scholarships. Four years ago, we started an endowed fund called the PT Faculty Scholarship Fund that supports Marquette PT students in the fifth and sixth years of their DPT education. In these years students no longer have access to undergraduate financial aid channels. Some faculty are making payroll deductions to support this fund and others are raising money in additional ways to support student scholarships, such as providing continuing education courses.
The next course that will support PT scholarships will be held June 7-10, 2006, and is entitled, "Treatment of Bowel, Bladder, and Pelvic Floor Disorders: Anatomical, Physiological, and Behavioral Foundations for Clinical Practice." Contact Diane Slaughter at 414-288-3097, diane.slaughter@marquette.edu for more information.
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Since its beginnings in 1923, the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Marquette University and its Speech and Hearing Clinic have been helping individuals with abilities that many take for granted. In assisting those with speaking and hearing needs, students, alumni, faculty and staff have improved the lives of thousands of individuals by contributing to their quality of life and enhancing their confidence.
In its new $2.3 million facility in Harriet Barker Cramer Hall, the department has the space to double the number of individuals its clinic serves, the technological advancements to improve the care of patients and the education of students, and the ability to continue to build upon decades of professional excellence. As Marquette's College of Health Sciences educates skilled practitioners and researchers, its members - past, present and future - will continue to live Marquette's Catholic, Jesuit mission by serving those in need.
Visit the Web site to view pictures.
After 37 years of service, Dorothy Wood S '63, Grad '68, Grad '85, will be retiring from Marquette University's Speech Pathology and Audiology Department. Join us for a reception and program.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Reception begins at 4:00 p.m.
Presentation will be at 5:00 p.m.
Cramer Hall, 604 N. 16th St.
Please respond to Jessica Payson at (414) 288-3428 or jessica.payson@marquette.edu.
In lieu of gifts, donations to the Dorothy Randles Wood Scholarship are appreciated.
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Distinguished Alumna in Physical Therapy
Helene Fearon, PT '78
Distinguished Alumnus in Clinical Lab Science
Hilton Perez, MT '82
Distinguished Alumna in Speech Pathology
Ann Barry, Sp '77, Grad '78
Distinguished Alumna in Dental Hygiene
Carol Nickasch, Dent Hy '75, Grad '99
Distinguished Young Alumnus in Health Sciences
Isaam Lutfiyya, Dent Hy '98
Join us for the College of Health Sciences Awards Mass and Brunch
Saturday, April 29, 2006
9:30 a.m. Mass
10:30 a.m. Brunch and Program
Visit www.marquette.edu/alumni/awards for more information.
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A new faculty member has joined the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science this year. April Harkins, a graduate of the CLS program here at Marquette University in 1998, has returned to our department as an assistant professor. She recently earned her doctorate in Microbiology and Immunology from the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research focus involves lipid signaling in yeast, and she is currently designing a new Molecular Diagnostics laboratory course. This course will be offered in the fall semester and will cover medical and forensic molecular biology, relevant laboratory techniques such as hybridizations, PCR and RFLP analysis, and several current molecular applications used in the diagnosis of disease in the clinical laboratory.
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The 29 graduates of the 2005 Department of Physician Assistant Studies completed their National Certifying Exam with an average pass score of 584. This score places their class above the 95th percentile for the 129 PA Programs also completing the exam. The average pass score among the other programs was 501.
This ranking places the Marquette program clearly in the domain of a top ten Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program. This year's score exceeds the 92nd percentile ranking that the 2004 graduating class earned. Both classes were successful with a 100% pass rate.
Congratulations goes out to all the 2005 alumni, and we offer a sincere thank you from the department for the positive reflection the program receives as a result of the very high scores on the National Certification Examination.
All 2005 graduates passed the certification exam and secured their "ideal" first job. We concluded another successful Young Scholar Program for 36 high school students in November and hope some of them will pursue a clinical laboratory science major to help ease the personnel shortages projected for years to come. We always look forward to visits from our alumni and hope to see many of you in 2006!
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Dorothy Wood's Retirement Reception - March 30, 2006
Cramer Hall, 4:00 p.m.
College of Health Sciences Alumni Awards - April 29, 2006
Alumni Memorial Union (AMU), 9:30 a.m.
Marquette Day at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex - May 18, 2006
City Market in Wauwatosa, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Physical Therapy 50th Reunion and Continuing Education - July 28, 2006
Schroeder Complex and AMU, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
For more information contact Jill Ott via e-mail or at (414) 288-0376.
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