Monthly Memo, Jan. 20

Monthly Memo from the Desk of
Interim Dean Beverly A. Sullivan

87th Edition
Jan. 6, 2009

A Message from Interim Dean Sullivan

Interim Dean Beverly A. Sullivan

The college ended 2008 on a sad note with the tragic deaths of Carol Macnee and Susan McCabe of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing in December. The loss of these faculty members will be deeply mourned by those throughout the university, state, and nation whose lives were enhanced by their talents, expertise, and service. They will be truly missed as their rich professional and personal lives inspire those dedicated to the caring professions. We begin 2009, though, with hopeful thoughts and plans for the college and its many programs dedicated to the promotion of excellence in health and human services though university teaching, research, and service. As you read the following "Memo," I feel sure you will share with me the pride of what we have achieved and our auspicious prospects for the future.

Did You Know?
We're excited that so many of our alumni and friends are reading our Monthly Memo. We have heard from many of you and would love to hear from others and appreciate your thoughts and feedback. Please feel free to forward this to others you feel might be interested in our news, and if you know of others who might like to be on our e-mail list, please contact Virginia Cole (vcole@uwyo.edu) with their name and e-mail address. Thank you very much for your continued support and commitment!

A charitable gift annuity is a contractual arrangement in which you make a contribution to the University of Wyoming Foundation in exchange for fixed annuity payments for the rest of your life. The annuity rate is based upon your age, and your payments are guaranteed. (Please see sample rates below.) Your annual payments constitute a general obligation of the UW Foundation and, as such, are backed by the foundation's assets, including the foundation's endowment fund.

The benefits of charitable gift annuities can include:
► Increased income
► Capital gains tax bypass
► Charitable income tax deduction
► Decreased estate taxes
► A wonderful gift to UW

Donors are currently able to leverage the state match upon funding a charitable gift annuity at a gift level of $50,000 and above. Once the state match is secured, the matching funds become immediately available as permanent endowment dollars to fund the designated college or program. Endowment gifts are managed and invested by the UW Foundation on behalf of the university's colleges and programs. In general, the UW Foundation annually distributes 4.75% of the market value of the fund for the donor's specified purpose. The remaining net income and capital gains are reinvested to preserve the corpus and keep pace with inflation. Endowment gifts are generally memorialized and governed by an endowment agreement that is executed by the donor, UW, and the UW Foundation.

For more information on gift annuities or making a donation to the College of Health Sciences, please contact Jane Barghothi (307-766-6751 or jbarghot@uwyo.edu).

News from the Divisions
Social Work
Division faculty participated in the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education held in Philadelphia in October. John Tracy, Assistant Professor, addressed a symposium event entitled "Using Art in the Social Work Educational Process." Mona Schatz, Professor and Division Director, and Lea Grubbs, Field Coordinator, presented a workshop and paper on the "Focus Group Approach in the Study of Baby Boomers" and a second paper giving an overview of the recently completed Casper Baby Boomer Study. The two also attended sessions of the Hartford Partnership Program on Aging Education, an eight-year initiative coordinated by the Social Work Leadership Institute at the New York Academy of Medicine. Because of her membership in the National Association of Dean and Directors, Mona was appointed to the Council on Masters Education, a newly-approved group of the Council on Social Work Education which emerged as a result of the national initiative to unify the profession and the educational organizations that have surfaced in the last 20 years.

Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing (FWWSON)

Members of the Students Nurses' Association take part in Laramie's Community Holidays Program.

Mary E. Burman, Professor and Dean of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing (FWWSON), was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) during the group's meeting in Ft. Lauderdale. The FAANP program was established in 2000 to recognize nurse practitioner (NP) leaders who make outstanding contributions to health care through NP clinical practice, research, education, or policy. Priority initiatives of FAANP are the development of leadership and mentorship programs for NPs and NP students. Fellows of the AANP are visionaries committed to the global advancement of nursing through the development of imaginative and creative future NP leaders and as such, hold an annual meeting to contribute to the future of NPs and health care outside the confines of traditional thinking. A limited number of NPs are selected for this highly coveted distinction each year.

For a fall service project, the Student Nurses' Association sponsors a family in need through the Community Holidays Program in Laramie. Club members put up a Christmas tree on the third floor of the Health Sciences Center. Then, ornaments with items requested by the family are placed on the tree. Nursing students, faculty, and staff can choose an ornament, purchase the item, and return the item to the tree. This year's family is a single mom with five children. This is a wonderful way to give a disadvantaged family a wonderful Christmas.

The school's annual Nursing Career Fair, which was held on November 7th, was a great success. Students had the opportunity to visit with representatives from 25 agencies (schools, hospitals, etc.) from across Wyoming and from parts of Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Utah about the wide variety of job options awaiting them.

Ann Enlow, a family nurse practitioner (FNP) at the Cheyenne Veterans' Hospital, received this year's Willow Award in recognition of her many years of practice in Wyoming and her faithful service as a preceptor for the school's FNP students. The award derives its intriguing name from the fact that like willows, FNPs must be strong, flexible, resilient, and deeply rooted.

The local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing student honorary, has had a busy fall. The group is pleased to have been able to give monetary support to the Wyoming Community Foundation, Project Cure, and the L. Joseph Butterfield Annual Perinatal Conference. Members have also heard from a variety of speakers and are making plans for next semester's Grand Rounds/Research Day.

The Honduras ambassadors were greeted with open arms.

A group of 11 senior nursing students and their supervisors, Assistant Lecturers Penelope Caldwell and Linda Johnson, recently returned from Agua Salada, Honduras. This third visit to the isolated community was a huge success in every way. Not only was the community welcoming the group back, but it was also clearly looking forward to their medical help and made each team member feel supported and aware of his or her value. As one student wrote, "Even if we didn't speak the same language, it was obvious how extremely grateful this community was to have us there. The look in their eyes and the hugs and handshakes I received gave me so much pride and joy in the services we provided for these people." Another student added, "I have a new respect for the people I have met in Honduras and am amazed by what they have conquered."

Kinesiology and Health (K&H)
Congratulations are in order for K&H faculty members honored during this year's convention of the Wyoming Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Larry Deal, a health education teacher at Laramie Junior High School and member of the division's adjunct faculty, was selected as the association's Teacher of the Year in Health, and Pat Moore, Adjunct Faculty, and Mark Byra, Professor and Division Director, received Honor Awards.

Jayne Jenkins, Associate Professor, and Tristan Wallhead, Assistant Professor, have been asked to serve on review boards for two journals specializing in physical education teacher education. Both will serve three-year terms beginning in January, Jayne with The Physical Educator and Tristan with The Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

K&H undergraduates conducted fitness tests during the college's health fair.

Undergraduate students supervised by Gary Werhonig, Associate Lecturer, planned and coordinated the K&H booth for this year's college health fair. Hallie Baker and Sadie Graff from Dubois; Elizabeth Isom from Lyman, Wyoming; Jamie Dinkel and Jessie Dinkel from Hot Springs, South Dakota; Kelly Thornbury from Cheyenne; and Paige Chamberlain from Guernsey distributed educational information about fitness and  ellness and conducted a battery of fitness tests to over 30 participants.

Derek Smith, Assistant Professor, is looking forward to the publication of his article "Internet-delivered lifestyle Physical Activity Intervention: Limited Inflammation and Antioxidant Capacity Efficacy in Overweight Adults" in The Journal of Applied Physiology.

Communication Disorders
Division faculty were active during the American Speech-Language Convention held in Chicago as they attended and presented sessions, participated in advisory groups, networked, and informally interviewed candidates for an open faculty position. As an invited speaker, Professor and Division Head Teresa Ukrainetz spoke about expository intervention for school age students with language impairments. Teresa also joined Melissa Allen, Assistant Professor, as part of a panel presentation on treatment intensity across language areas, the subject for an upcoming special issue of Topics in Language Disorders.

Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and Center for Rural Health Research and Education (CHRE)

The Lincoln Monument on World Diabetes Day.

The Lincoln Monument between Cheyenne and Laramie, along with 1,000 monuments and buildings around the world, was lighted blue onNovember 14th in recognition of World Diabetes Day. AHEC and CRHRE, in collaboration with Laramie's Ivinson Hospital and the Wyoming Department of Diabetes Prevention and Control, hosted a Diabetes Expo highlighted by the lighting of the monument. The group didn't let a little thing like eight inches of snow stop them from reaching their goal!

School of Pharmacy
Daniel Hagermon, a P1 student from Powell, was the 2008 winner of the James Orr Willits Ethics Essay Competition, which is cosponsored by the colleges of Health Sciences and Arts and Sciences. Daniel received $1,500 for his essay "Conscientious Objection: Retention of Personal Values" written in response to this year's topic "Is It Morally Permissible for a Pharmacist to Refuse to Dispense a Prescription Based on His/Her Personal Values?"

Commencement
On Saturday, the 6th of December, the college celebrated its Fall 2008 Graduation Commencement. Twelve graduates were honored by family and friends and distinguished guests, including UW Trustee Howard Willson and Provost Myron Allen. The ceremony was held in the Union's Yellowstone Ballroom, and attendees were entertained by a talented student string quartet. The commencement speaker was Fay W. Whitney, Professor Emerita of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing. Dr. Whitney's message was one of encouragement, motivation, wisdom, and humor and will be remembered by each graduate who heard it. Since the number of graduates was small, Interim Dean Sullivan was able say a few words about each one. Most of the bachelor's graduates plan to attend graduate school, and all have plans to work in a health-related field and make a difference. The college wishes each graduate a successful life and career.
 

Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009