Noteworthy

Jill Borin, librarian and head of archives and distinctive collections, Kayla Van Osten, affiliate librarian and assistant archivist, and Kristina Dorsett, affiliate librarian, presented a poster at the Pennsylvania Library Association’s (PaLA) 2023 Conference. 

The trio presented a poster, titled “I Did That: Student Scholarship in Academic Libraries,” which showcased the scholarly work of Widener graduate and undergraduate students from the 2022 academic year. They shared a selection of works from across schools and departments, covering topics such as student mental health, better living through technology, and sexual healing. 

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Maria Pinho, assistant professor of strategic management, will present at both the US Northeast and US Southeast Chapter Conferences of the Academy of International Business (AIB). 

Pinho and co-presenters will share their works “Agility & Resilience in Emerging Market Multinationals: Integrating two faces of the Same Coin,” and “The Role of Multinational Enterprises in Addressing Societal Tensions: A Review of Business-Society Frameworks.”

For more than 60 years, AIB has been a leader in bringing international business scholars and professionals together to share ideas. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/business-faculty-presents-two-aib-conferences

Widener’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) program offers undergraduate students hands-on, faculty-mentored research experience over the summer. Months of hard work led to the annual SURCA Symposium where students present their findings to the community, as well as a panel of volunteer judges. 

The winners of the 2023 SURCA Symposium are: 

Biochemistry: Emily McHenry (Mentors: Robert Mishur & Michael Toneff)
Developing a procedure for the metabolic profiling of cancerous cells

Biology & Environmental Science: Evelyn Peyton (Mentor: David Coughlin)
Comparing summer acclimation studies during summer months between hatchery brook trout and wild brook trout

Chemistry & Chemical Engineering: Christina McCullough (Mentor: Dipendu Saha)
Conversion of Styrofoam to activated carbon

Engineering & Computer Science A: Ryan Mendenhall (Mentor: Babak Eslami)
Experimental investigation on effect of temperature on FDM 3D printing polymers: towards 4D printing

Engineering & Computer Science B: Fran DiPietro (Mentor: Aylin Acun)
Examining senescence in artificially aged induced pluripotent stem cell(iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes

Engineering & Computer Science C: Alyson Fornes (Mentor: Daniel Roozbahani)
AI-driven cardiovascular disease forecasting platform

Humanities: Zoe Sweet (Mentor: Jayne Thompson)
Prison reform: Little Scandinavia

Social Science, Social Work, and Business A: Shane Landue (Mentor: Wei Gao)
Robo-advisor returns: startup vs traditional

Social Science, Social Work, and Business B: Brooke Morales & Adriana Moreta (Mentor: Robin Goldberg-Glen)
Intergenerational relationships: SURCA and career development in Social Work

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/2023-surca-symposium-winners-announced

Students, faculty and staff gathered for a memorial ceremony recently in tribute to the donors who selflessly chose to donate their bodies after death to science, and in turn helped educate Widener health sciences students learning in the university’s state-of-the-art clinical anatomy lab. 

“It is a selfless contribution that enables so many to encounter their first patient, develop a deep appreciation for the human body and a lifelong respect for donors and their families,” said Kaitlin Irby, who moderated the program held in Alumni Auditorium.

The event featured tribute remarks from eight students spanning the physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology disciplines, as well as musical reflections and a spiritual dance. 

“You were the most influential teacher of human anatomy we will ever have. The framework we have of the human body was derived from the experience learning every crevice of yours,” physical therapy student Alonzo Strickland said during his tribute remarks. “We will always draw upon our experience taking apart the dead because it was by carefully disassembling a human body that we acquired the foundation to one day build another one back together.”

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people donate their bodies to science annually in the United States for medical research and education. At Widener, students learn the age, occupation and cause of death of the confidential donors they are assigned for their research. The university received 10 donors for the first clinical anatomy lab semester experience. 

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First-year nursing students Melvasia Fitzpatrick, Raheim Grant, and Sakyra Sar-Tuch, have bene chosen as recipients of The Independence Blue Cross (IBX) Foundation’s Healthcare Scholars award. The scholarship covers tuition and educational expenses of students interested in pursuing a bachelor of science or associate degree in nursing. A total of 35 students in Pennsylvania were honored at an awards reception held in August. 

This award is given in an effort to increase representation and diversify the nursing profession. The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education finds that patients are better served by healthcare providers of the same background. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/three-first-year-nursing-students-receive-ibx-foundation-scholarship

Widener’s Business Analytics Major has been recognized by BestColleges as one of the top ten business statistics programs in the United States. While often offered as a graduate degree, Widener’s School of Business Administrations offers a bachelor’s level degree in business analytics. 

Widener is recognized for exceptional academic standards and emphasis on student success. Since 2014, BestColleges has been providing college rankings in a number of areas.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/wideners-business-analytics-program-recognized-nationwide-ranking 

Dear Widener Pride community,

This is the best time of year! I love the way our campus becomes enlivened by the energy of our arriving students, who are full of excitement for the new year and all the opportunities it brings. It is so inspiring to see the familiar faces of our returning students and welcome the newest members of the Pride. 

I am especially excited for our new and incoming students to begin living into our culture of belonging. You will find that Widener is a place where we are all free to be our authentic selves. 

Widener is also a place that is committed to student success. I encourage our first-year undergraduate students to take advantage of Widener’s new First-Year Experience student coaching program to help with your transition to college life. I have benefitted from having a personal success coach, and I highly recommend taking advantage of this! 

To all our returning students, I can’t wait to see you again at athletic competitions, club and organization programs, and all the special events coming up this fall, like the Future of Work conference that helps kick off Homecoming Weekend. Widener is a vibrant and welcoming place because of all that you contribute.

As we begin the semester, don’t forget we are One Widener, committed to supporting one another with open hearts and minds!   

With Warmth and Widener Pride,

Stacey
 

Assistant Professor of history Jordan Smith has received the Wayne D. Rasmussen Award from the Agricultural History Society for his article “The Native of this Island: Processes of Invention in Early Barbados.” This award recognizes an outstanding article on agricultural history that is published in a journal other than Agricultural History.

In the article, which was published in the Fall 2022 “Sugar and Slaves at Fifty” special issue of Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Smith explores the contributions of indigenous people and enslaved Africans in the production of rum in the seventeenth century. The article demonstrates that, while officials of the time claimed that rum was native to the island of Barbados, those contributing to the production used their own cultural assumptions to adapt new ingredients and methods to create something new.  

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/history-faculty-recognized-agricultural-history-society

Professor of Accounting Joseph Hargadon has co-authored an article published in the August 2023 issue of Strategic Finance. The article, entitled “Dual CMA and CPA Certification: A Winning Combination,” defines a nine-step plan for accounting students to pass the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam while still a student, and the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam within six months of their graduation. 

Hargadon’s co-authors include former Widener faculty members Lori Fuller and Peter Ohelers. Strategic Finance is the leading journal of The Institute of Management Accountants.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/current-and-former-accounting-faculty-co-author-new-journal-article

Widener’s School of Nursing has been named a top 10 best nursing school in Philadelphia by The College Application, who provides rankings and advice on many topics relevant to current and incoming college students. 

Widener is recognized as 10th on the list, which is compiled using program offerings, NCLEX-RN pass rates, alumni salary data, student ratings, and more as considerations. Widener’s simulation lab is noted in this recognition as it allows students to get hands-on training in many real-world scenarios. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/school-nursing-named-list-top-10-nursing-schools-philadelphia

Associate Professor of Social Work Robin Goldberg-Glen, along with social work student Jessica Mereshensky ’24, and Stephanie Cole from the PA Department of Aging, presented at the 2023 Generations United Global Intergenerational Conference in Washington, D.C. 

The team's presentation, titled "For Whom Does Service Learning Really Serve: Intergenerational Benefits for Reducing Loneliness and Isolation," highlighted their experience as part of a semester-long service-learning course at Widener completed in partnership with the PA Department of Aging.

As part of the course, students are paired with an older adult who may be at risk for social isolation. The students and older adults often form deep bonds through regular conversations, and some students have created lasting connections that have continued beyond the end of the course. Having completed the service-learning course herself, Mereshensky went on to become a leader for the next semester’s class of student participants alongside Goldberg-Glen.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/social-work-faculty-and-student-present-service-learning-work-global-conference

Two student groups have won competition categories in the Make:able Challenge contest presented by PrintLab, a 3D printing curriculum developer based in the United Kingdom, and Autodesk, a software developer for architecture, engineering and construction headquartered in San Francisco. The projects represented collaborations between students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, who are enrolled in widely different areas of study. The challenge attracted an international group of competitors.

Occupational therapy students Tina Lee and Jamella Fagan and robotics engineering student Dylan Hermann ’25 won the “Best Showcase of Iterative Design” portion of the competition for students over age 18. Their Dexterity Mate creation is an adaptable utensil and chopstick holder designed specifically for Lee’s father, who lives with Parkinson’s Disease, to assist him with mealtime. 

In addition, the creation by occupational therapy students Emmily Zerr and Liliana Pokropski and robotics engineering students Ronald Carr and Aidan Wilson won the “Best Showcase of Customization” for inventors over age 18. Their Spork creation was also a feeding utensil, designed to assist Carr’s brother, who has a malformed hand and was not helped by universal cuff devices. Their solution was customized to the specific shape and size of the client’s hand.

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Widener University’s School of Nursing has been recognized by the National League for Nursing as a Center of Excellence in the area of advancing the science of nursing education. This is the third time Widener has received this recognition.

Nine nursing education programs across the country and the academic spectrum of higher education in nursing, as well as leading teaching hospitals and clinical sites, have been named Centers of Excellence, with Widener being the only recipient in the category of advancing the science of nursing education for 2023. Formal recognition of the award will take place at the 2023 National League for Nursing education summit in September.

“Widener is dedicated to educating the next generation of nurses by creating the evidence to support innovation in nursing education. Recognition for advancing the science of nursing education demonstrates our commitment to ensuring student success through scientific inquiry,” said Anne Krouse, dean of the school of nursing.  

Since 2004, the National League for Nursing has encouraged nursing programs to apply to become a center of excellence based on their ability to demonstrate in concrete, measurable terms sustained excellence in faculty development, nursing education research, student learning and professional development, and academic progression in nursing. Historically, many programs have achieved recognition in multiple categories or once designated, have maintained their center-of-excellence status through multiple award cycles. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-nursing-named-2023-center-excellence-national-league-nursing

Associate Professor Kate Goodrich, Inesha Ellis ’20, Allison DeHaas ’20, and Rebecca Senski ’19 have had their paper entitled “False Advertising with Fermented Scents: Floral Mimicry in Pawpaw (Asimina triloba: Annonaceae) Pollination” published in the July/August 2023 edition of the International Journal of Plant Sciences. 

The team, in collaboration with Professor Jade Savage at Bishop's University in Quebec, Canada, investigated the pollination of Asimina triloba to identify sources of floral mimicry in pollination.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/biology-faculty-and-alumni-publish-research

Assistant Professor of Nursing Jawanza Bundy has been recognized in the graduating cohort from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Diversity Leadership Institute, a program which empowers academic nursing leaders with strategies to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the field of nursing and nursing education.  

Each graduate of the 2023 cohort learned high-impact DEI strategies that can be implemented in their own classrooms, and completed a capstone presentation. Bundy’s capstone, titled “Color Blocking: Creating a Colorful Canvas of Culture Across the Campus,” takes into account Widener’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging when looking at existing research and creating a plan of action to be implemented in the School of Nursing. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-faculty-graduates-aacn-diversity-leadership-institute

Jane Oeffner has published a co-authored article in the May 2023 issue of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Impact. The article, “Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle’: Teaching Soft Skills in the Clinical Setting,” examines the “soft skills” needed as a clinician and how to best develop and maintain them. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/staff-examines-soft-skills-new-publication

The Widener University Board of Trustees has appointed rising junior nursing major Maritza Garcia ‘25 to the student seat on the board. She will serve a two-year term.

As the student trustee, Garcia, 20, of Bensalem Township joins the prestigious governing body entrusted with the institution’s long-term success. The board monitors and oversees critical aspects of the university, including educational quality, financial strength, mission, and the student experience. She will provide a critical voice to her fellow board members about what it is like to be a student in the Widener community.

Garcia is a strong student who has excelled both inside and outside of the classroom. Her accomplishments include serving as a resident assistant within the Office of Residence Life and becoming a certified peer educator through this position. She also re-established the Latinos Unidos student organization, which had been dormant at Widener – seizing an opportunity to provide a greater sense of belonging for students who identify within the Hispanic culture and community at the university. She serves as the group’s president.

An aspiring neonatal intensive care nurse, Garcia is a C.R.E.W. leader in the Office of Student Engagement. Students who hold the position, which stands for the Committee Responsible for Enhancing Widener, serve as guides for helping acclimate new students to Widener and are instrumental in the university’s summer registration and orientation processes. 

In addition, she serves as a pride mentor in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and pride service site leader with the Center for Civic and Global Engagement. Outside of Widener, she works as a barista shift lead at Starbucks and a shift operation manager at CVS Pharmacy.

Garcia will attend her first board meeting in October. She fills the student seat that had been held by Ijjae Hill ’23, who earned her bachelor’s degree in visual and performing arts in May. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-student-takes-seat-widener-board-trustees

Yahaira Turner, a Master’s of Social Work student, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Gwendolyn A. Smith Award for Community Service for her work as a behavioral health social worker in the Emergency Department at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. 

This award is given to a current Crozer Health employee who makes significant contributions to the community through their time, talent, actions and dedication. 

Yahaira has committed over 20 years of service to Crozer Health devoted to working with often overlooked and underserved populations including those experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder, and mental health challenges in Chester and throughout Delaware County. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/msw-student-honored-community-service-recognition-crozer-health

Professor Mark Nicosia, who teaches in the School of Engineering, has been named vice provost of the university. The position is dedicated to developing and executing academic innovation through strategic priorities and initiatives. The role oversees academic program development and revitalization, curriculum and policy, faculty development, teaching and learning, assessment, and academic affairs personnel. With Provost Andy Workman, he will hold responsibility for the administrative, academic and financial operations of the academic and student affairs divisions. 

Nicosia, who has been serving in the vice provost role in an interim capacity, has taught in the School of Engineering since 2005. He is actively involved on campus, has deep knowledge of the university, and has held multiple important leadership positions. He served on the Faculty Council Executive Committee for six years, including four years as faculty chair and two years as chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee.

His appointment becomes effective July 1.

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Widener hosted a group of 13 high school students from the ACS Athens school in Greece over a week in June for an intensive residential leadership training program. The students stayed in Boettner Hall and studied leadership with Hal Shorey, director of Organizational Development Services and the PsyD/MBA dual degree program, during the day. They participated in evening leadership activities and spent a day touring Philadelphia. 

The leadership course was custom designed for young leaders who will transform the world and the groups and people with whom they work. Students were able to learn about their own leadership styles and how to broaden and build their abilities using state-of-the-art tools and interactive exercises. Students engaged in a series of self-assessments with facilitated feedback of their transformational leadership, emotional intelligence and interpersonal and critical-thinking abilities.

Widener formalized a partnership with ACS Athens in 2016 that provides educational opportunities for students who attend ACS Athens, including summer programs like this one. ACS Athens provides a rigorous high school program and is attended by Greek students, international students and students who are American citizens – including many who have spent their lives in Greece.

A graduation and certificate ceremony was held Saturday, June 24 as the program concluded. 

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