CAHS Update
Research Updates
2024 CAHS Student Research Day | CAHS Research Committee Brown Bag Lunch | Spring Series, Grants: Proposals, Processes, and People | 2024 Annual Emotional Well-Being (EWB) Investigator Meeting
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Instructional Technology Updates
New Password Reset Service Launching March 4 | Changes for the Management of Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and Groups | Email Encryption | Sharing Panopto Recordings with Multiple Sections | Embracing Artificial Intelligence
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Dr. Holt meets with a group of students from Building Hope during a recent visit to the College of Allied Health Sciences.
Dr. Yolanda Feimster Holt, Associate Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDI), received the Barbara W. Bremer Distinguished Professorship to promote scholarship within the area of school-aged language learning and literacy disorders. As a recognized, national scholar within her field, Dr. Holt was appointed to a two-year term with $25,000 in funding provided for each year of the professorship. Her proposal includes a project investigating language and literacy development within children who come from low-income, and rural households.
Dr. Holt plans to use a community engagement model asking partners to guide and administer inquiries as well as CSDI graduate student clinicians to score and interpret assessments and undergraduates to observe and inform their own research. She will welcome a community speaker as part of the project as well.
Dr. Holt joined the ECU College of Allied Health Sciences Faculty in 2017. She recently served as the Director of Engaged Research with the university’s Office of Research and Economic Development (REDE). Dr. Holt earned her Doctorate in Speech and Hearing Science from The Ohio State University and Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
Allied Health Sciences celebrated its 110 newest alumni at the College Recognition Ceremony on December 15th. Dean Bob Orlikoff welcomed graduates, guests, and faculty to the fall event. Nutrition Science alumna and local business owner, Christie Nicholson, served as guest speaker, and Ayoola Ajani of Occupational Therapy delivered the graduate farewell.
Christie Nicholson, Nutrition Science alumna and local business owner, served as guest speaker for the Fall 2023 College Recognition Ceremony.
Dr. Erzebet Szatmari escorts her mentee, Dr. Wyatt Bunner ’23 alumnus in Rehabilitation Sciences with a concentration in Movement Sciences and Disorders. Image by Ben Abel
Ayoola Ajani ’23 delivered the farewell from graduates.
Physical Therapy students recently welcomed several young patients for their annual pediatric assessment lab. Pirate PTs practice evaluations on the babies of faculty, alumni, and community volunteers to learn about the physical development of children at varying ages.
More Student Success Stories
The Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies hosted its 4th Semi-Annual Academic Alignment Retreat providing a space where students could meet or reconnect with one another while learning from faculty about what the spring semester will hold.
Physical Therapy students learned about devices to assist oxygen delivery and airway clearance from guest lecturer, Danielle Hardy – Adult Respiratory Clinical Specialist at ECU Health.
The Department of Physician Assistant Studies hosted a Harry Potter-themed Clinical Rotation Reveal in its skills lab organized by Carey McDonald, Clinical Coordinator, and McKezion Williams, Administrative Support Associate. Students in the Class of 2024 learned where they will be placed for the 12-month clinical phase of their education consisting of 10 rotations.
ECU received the 2024 Carnegie Elective Re-Classification for Community Engagement due in part to the contributions of 82 members of the university and local community who helped prepare materials for the review process.
Representatives of Allied Health Sciences included:
- Dr. Leigh Cellucci, Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the college
- Dr. Yolanda Feimster Holt, Associate Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Dr. Bob Orlikoff, Professor and Dean for the college
- Dr. Lauren Sastre, Assistant Professor in Nutrition Science
Students, staff, faculty, and community members collected toys for two holiday drives. The Student Health Informatics and Information Management Association (SHIIMA) partnered with Hugs for Harrison again this year, gifting 125 toys to those receiving treatment at the ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital. Engage ENC hosted its inaugural wrapping event having collected 207 toys to give as part of the program’s outreach activities.
Dr. Leigh Atherton (far left, middle) with members of Engage ENC at the program’s wrapping event.
Engage ENC filled the organization’s mobile trailer with toys for local children.
SHIIMA Advisor – Dr. Katelyn Rouse with Aliah Spencer, Jr., Abby Hunt – SHIIMA President, and Morgan Chastain – SHIIMA Vice-President a few days before the end of the collection drive.
Drs. Lynne Murphy, Associate Professor, and Heather Panczykowski, Assistant Professor, published an article titled ‘Practice and Recommendations for Universal Design for Learning in Occupational Therapy Client Education’ in The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy alongside OT alumna, Victoria Christmas ’19, and a colleague from Pediatric Advanced Therapy.
Drs. Lauren Turbeville, Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy, and Amy Wedge, Clinical Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy, will host a spring session of Pirates™ “POWER” Over Parkinson’s Disease: A PWR!Moves® Exercise Class.
This eight-week program provides both physical and occupational therapy in a group setting at no cost to the participant due to funding provided by the Parkinson’s Foundation. Participants will engage in best practice interventions specific to Parkinson’s Disease that are adjusted to ability levels as needed including: flexibility, strength training, fine motor control, balance, walking, anti-freezing, and handwriting as well as general mobility and activities of daily living.
Participants of the fall 2023 cohort work through activities and exercises.
Participants of the fall 2023 cohort work through activities and exercises.
Participants of the fall 2023 cohort work through activities and exercises.
The interprofessional autism diagnostic clinic team marks its first session together working with a local family.
A team of clinicians representing ECU Pediatrics, PASS Clinic, Occupational Therapy, and Audiology hosted its first autism diagnostic clinic providing comprehensive evaluation, support, and resources for families of young children concerned with their development.
Tricia Carter, Clinical Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, proposed the spring pilot program with support from Dr. Lauren Turbeville, Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy, due to the extensive wait times required for autism diagnostics.
ECU’s clinic includes four sessions during which a family receives the undivided attention of the full interprofessional team. Prof. Carter hopes to extend the clinic to help more families in the future if all goes well with the pilot.
Dr. Sastre (far left) and Dr. Michael Wheeler, Chair of Nutrition Science (second from left), with representatives of Food Lion at the mobile unit unveiling. Image by Loretta McDaniel
The Department of Nutrition Science unveiled the newest phase of its Farm to Clinic (F2C) initiative, a mobile teaching kitchen and pantry, made possible through partnership with Food Lion. Dr. Lauren Sastre, Assistant Professor, founded and directs F2C alongside Brandon Stroud, the program’s Assistant Director, and a team of student volunteers.
Student representatives meet with the clinic’s honored guests from the Scottish Rite Foundation.
The ECU Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic welcomed distinguished guests from the Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation to campus – D.C. Heilman, 33° Orient of NC and Foundation Secretary, and Ranjan Varghese. The Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation helps support clinic services including specialty language and literacy evaluations as well as summer camps.
