Noteworthy

Institute for Physical Therapy Education faculty Ellen Erdman, clinical associate professor and director of clinical education, and Jill Black, associate dean of College of Health & Human Services and the director of the Institute, co-authored a report in the journal Physical Therapy Education.

The purpose of the article was to compare and contrast the physical therapy international clinical education experience in both the developed and developing country and compare the experiences to professional standards and guidelines.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/19256/

Jill Black, associate dean of the College of Health & Human Services and director of the Institute for Physical Therapy, is a co-author on the research report "Defining Global Health Competencies for Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education." The report, which was published in the journal Physical Therapy Education, investigated a framework to integrate a global health perspective into physical therapy curricula. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/19251/

Robert Wellmon was named a Distinguished University Professor at the 2020 Faculty Awards event. The designation recognizes faculty of distinction and demonstrates to the broader community that Widener is committed to recognizing excellence in teaching, scholarship and service throughout a faculty member’s career. Wellmon has distinguished himself on campus with excellent teaching, dedicated service to the university and a well-regarded, clinically relevant research program. He has implemented transformative curricular initiatives to promote student learning and success through several interdisciplinary and inter-professional endeavors. His scholarship is nationally and internationally recognized, with numerous publications and recognition by the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow. He has served as the chair of the Southeast District of the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association and on the Board of Directors of the National Interprofessional Education Consortium of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/17391

Virginia Brabender, professor of clinical psychology, received the Distinguished Service and Contribution to Personality Assessment Award from the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA), the largest association dedicated to the development of methods for personality assessment through research, innovation in the theory and practice of assessment, and the promotion of personality assessment practice. The esteemed award celebrates Brabender’s record of meaningful scholarship, tireless advocacy, and hands-on instruction related to personality assessment.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/17346

Beth Barol, associate professor of social work, was chosen for the Earl L. Loschen Award for Clinical Practice from the National Association of Dual Diagnosis (NADD), an international association for persons with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs. Given annually, this prestigious award recognizes Barol for her tremendous impact on the lives of individuals with intellectual and development disabilities as well as mental health needs through her clinical practice.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/17351

Dr. Brooke Wells, an associate professor and program director of Widener’s Human Sexuality Studies PhD, was recently awarded more than $41,000 as a co-investigator on a three-year project funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health.* 

The research, titled “The development and validation of a novel paradigm for assessing sexual assault risk perception in MSM (men who have sex with men),” is being led by investigators at Rowan University who were granted a total award of $425,541, alongside collaborators from Central Connecticut State University. 

The research project will address the significant problem of sexual violence for sexual minorities, especially men who have sex with men, and will serve as a useful step in creating tools to enhance prevention efforts in this susceptible population. Wells will lend her expertise in HIV and sexual assault research areas, as well as provide input and logistical support in recruitment and assessment in diverse populations of men who have sex with men.  

*Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15AA028637. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/17256/

Dr. Katia Ciampa, an assistant professor in the Center for Education, and Dr. Zora Wolfe, an associate professor in the Center for Education, published a peer-reviewed article in "Teaching in Higher Education" in September 2020. The article, titled "From isolation to collaboration: creating an intentional community of practice within the doctoral dissertation proposal writing process," was a retrospective case study to examine the implementation of peer-review practices in a doctoral dissertation proposal course.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/education-professors-publish-article-teaching-higher-education

Dr. Susan P. Schaming, an associate professor and director of Graduate Counselor Education and Home School Visitation Programs, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Counseling Association's Anti-Racism Task force. The purpose of this task force is to begin assessing needs and charting a direction to take an active role in making changes in Pennsylvania, while working towards increasing cultural humility and answering the call to action in bringing positive change to those who have been disproportionately affected by racial inequality.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/education-professor-appointed-pennsylvania-counseling-associations-anti-racism-task-force

Margo Campbell and Linda Houser, both associate professors in Widener's Center for Social Work Education, published an article in June 2020 in "Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services." The article, titled "Connecting Caregiver Wages and Distress: Felt Precarity, Parenting, and Child Behavior," focused on employed mothers experiences of felt precarity, an emotional reaction to structurally generated vulnerability. Their study linked wages, a potential source of precarity, to well-being using a family stress model of economic hardship.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/center-social-work-education-professors-publish-journal-article

Dr. Robert Bonk, a professor of professional writing who is internationally known for his research, workshops, and presentations, was recently named Honorary Vice President Collaborative Writing Initiatives by the Communication Institute of Greece (ComInG). This honor recognizes his most recent accomplishment serving as lead researcher and lead author for an international project examining the responses of higher education to the COVID-19 pandemic in seven nations.

The article, titled "Pedagogy in the Time of Pandemic: From Localisation to Glocalisation," is currently in press at the Journal of Education, Innovation, and Communication. He also served as guest editor and co-authored the preface for the June 2020 special issue of the journal.

Active as an Ambassador and Academic Conference Committee member, Bonk presented at the ComInG 2019 Conference and had been invited to lead writing workshops at the 2020 Conference. He was previously honored as a Fellow of the American Medical Writers Association. Bonk also recently edited and provided a poem and photo for the ComInG motivational book "Why is it worth waking up every morning? Impressions and reflections on inspiration, motivation, and collaboration."

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/professor-named-communication-institute-greece-position-and-publishes-pieces-related-covid-19

Associate Professor Zora Wolfe, director of K-12 educational leadership programs, and alumna Jeanne McCarthy '20 EdD co-authored two peer-reviewed manuscripts in the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education's "Teaching, Technology, and Teacher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stories from the Field" publication.

The first manuscript, "Engaging Parents Through School-Wide Strategies for Online Instruction," focused on how they assisted a school in revisiting their school-wide processes and online learning plan to incorporate parent-centered, school-wide strategies that supported students and parents learning at home together.

The second manuscript, "Building on Existing Brick-and-Mortar Practices in Online Spaces," focused on how the knowledge and expertise developed by educators in brick-and-mortar classrooms can be useful in online teaching environments.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/education-professor-and-alumna-publish-two-manuscripts-about-online-teaching-during-covid-19

Associate Professor Sabitha Pillai-Friedman has received the 2020 Distinguished Service Award, and Tanya Bass, a doctoral student in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies, has received the 2020 Sexuality Educator Award from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) Award.

Pillai-Friedman's award is presented to an AASECT member who has worked to promote the mission of AASECT, advocating for sexual health through the development and advancement of sexuality education, counseling or therapy. Bass' award recognizes an individual who have made long-standing contributions, outstanding achievements, or otherwise had a major impact in one or more areas of sexuality education. They will receive the awards during the AASECT Virtual Summit on June 5.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/human-sexuality-studies-professor-and-student-receive-national-awards

Dawn Gulick, professor of graduate physical therapy, was awarded $50,000 in equity investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners to advance the development of her invention, The Mobil-Aider. FDA-approved and patent-pending, The Mobil-Aider was developed by Professor Gulick to quantify joint mobility in musculoskeletal injuries. This most recent investment is in addition to two grants, Phase I and Phase II, awarded to Professor Gulick from the National Science Foundation. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/13596

Widener University's Center for Human Sexuality Studies and Delta State University co-hosted the 'Delta Focus Conference 2020: A Spotlight on Sexual Health' from Feb. 6 - 8 in Cleveland, Mississippi. The grassroots conference was supported by ViiV Healthcare's Accelerate Initiative and gave the community an opportunity to consider and gain insight on topics affecting the sexual health of people in the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas. The conference sought to expand the skills and awareness of community health professionals through interactive workshops, thematic plenaries, and community listening sessions. Conference presenters from Widener included Javontae Lee Williams, who was conference co-chair and is an applied research scientist at Widener's Interdisciplinary Sexuality Research Collaborative.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-co-hosts-delta-focus-conference-2020-spotlight-sexual-health

Education Professor Kim O'Halloran published "Multidisciplinary Community Mental Health Clinics: Opportunities and Challenges for Counselor Educators" in the Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy October 2019 issue. O’Halloran also serves as associate provost and dean for Graduate Studies & Extended Learning.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/12026

Angélique Gravely, a master of education student, was selected to be the 2019-2020 Frankel Adair Scholar by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA). The scholarship provides $1,500 in support of post-secondary education to an LGBQ&T student residing in the greater Philadelphia area.

Share Link: https://www.widener.edu/node/11656/

Bob Wellmon, professor in the Institute for Physical Therapy Education, was recognized as a leader in the field with the Neurology Special Interest Group (SGI) Award from the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association (PPTA). Presented at the 2019 PPTA conference, Professor Wellmon earned this distinguished award for his significant and meaningful contributions to the field of physical therapy.

Share Link: https://www.widener.edu/node/11561/

An article written by Bridget Trivinia, director of field work education in the doctor of occupational therapy program, entitled “Blueprint for Success: Measurable Learning Contracts for Level II Fieldwork Students at Risk for Failing” was published in the June edition of  OT Practice magazine.

Share Link: https://www.widener.edu/node/11481/

Javontae Williams, applied research scientist in Center for Human Sexuality Studies, was appointed by Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney to the Mayor's Commission on African African Males. He will be representing public health and sexuality issues on the commission.

Share Link: https://www.widener.edu/node/11496/

The Pennsylvania Psychological Association presented Linda Knauss, professor of clinical psychology, the Distinguished Service to the Science and Practice of Psychology award.

Share Link: https://www.widener.edu/node/11476/