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School of Health Professions

Results: 530 news stories

Speech-language pathology graduate persisted despite two hurricanes

By Kate Hunger

Robyn Hernandez didn’t let a couple of hurricanes derail her focus on finishing her master’s degree in speech-language pathology.

Hernandez was living in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and taking classes online when Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta hit six weeks apart in 2020. The deadly hurricanes knocked out power and internet service throughout the state and caused billions in damages.

Robyn Hernandez

Pursuing an online respiratory care master’s degree as a working professional

By Kate Hunger

 

Carolyn Adams, RRT-NPS, is a full-time senior respiratory therapist, but one day, she hopes to teach. 

In addition to working nights at a pediatric hospital, Adams serves a clinical instructor for one of the technical schools in Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives. She is also a student in the Division of Respiratory Care’s online degree advancement master’s program, which is designed to help working professionals reach their career goals.

Respiratory care online master's student Carolyn Adams

Speech-language pathology professor elected to TSHA office

By Kate Hunger

Angela Kennedy, SLP-D, CCC-SLP, assistant professor and director of clinical education for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was elected vice president for education and scientific affairs of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Dr. Angela Kennedy

Speech-language pathology professor selected for research mentoring program

By Kate Hunger

A year-long research mentorship program will help Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Assistant Professor Casey Taliancich-Klinger, PhD, develop her research program on developmental language disorder among bilingual children. 

Dr. Casey Taliancich-Klinger

Occupational therapy chair recognized for contributions to OT education

By Kate Hunger

Department of Occupational Therapy Chair and Associate Professor Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, has received a 2021 Roster of Fellows Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Dr. Bridgett Piernik-Yoder

SHP students inducted into Alpha Eta Society

By Kate Hunger

Thirty-eight School of Health Professions students were inducted this spring into the campus chapter of the Alpha Eta Society, the national honor society of the allied health professions.

School of Health Professions Dean David C. Shelledy, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, congratulated the inductees for their accomplishment in the April 13 ceremony. 

Alpha Eta logo

Medical laboratory sciences student is passionate about her profession

By Kate Hunger 

When Alana Rubio was growing up in Uvalde, Texas, she knew she wanted to find a career she could pursue with passion. 

She took a wide range of classes at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, hoping to find the field that would inspire her and give her the direction she craved. That spark came in her chemistry class, taught by a professor whose enthusiasm for the subject was contagious.

That moment was when Rubio realized she wanted to find a profession she loved.

Alana Rubio

Occupational and physical therapy students help dental students in project geared toward reducing musculoskeletal injuries

By Kate Hunger 

Perching on stools and twisting into awkward positions for long stretches of time while treating patients can lead to musculoskeletal injuries for dentists. Those injuries are sometimes so problematic they lead dentists to retire from practice. 

IEP

Department of Physical Therapy faculty seek collaborators in rehabilitation research

By Kate Hunger 

The faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy is seeking to collaborate with other researchers in various areas of rehabilitation research.

PT faculty members have excellent training and experience in diverse fields including cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurologic rehabilitation, motor control/motor learning and orthopedics, said Department Chair and Associate Professor Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, ECS.

PT RESEARCH

The biomechanics of tai chi: New faculty member brings an engineering perspective to rehabilitation research

By Kate Hunger 

For years, Wei Liu, Ph.D., has researched tai chi as a rehabilitation intervention and exercise treatment option for people with knee osteoarthritis and other disabilities such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and low back pain. Still, he admits there is much to learn about the benefits offered by the ancient practice of continuous, controlled movements. 

Dr. Liu

SHP students recognized for their leadership, clinical excellence, research and community service

By Kate Hunger

Five School of Health Professions students have been selected to receive Student Life Awards from the Student Government Association.

students awards

COVID-19 panel discusses long-term patient recovery and need for rehabilitation

By Kate Hunger

Patients recovering from COVID-19 often require rehabilitation involving a range of therapies, according to a panel discussion hosted by the School of Health Professions.

Presented on Feb. 23, the was moderated by School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, Ph.D., RRT, RPFT, FAARC, FASAHP. 

COVID 19

OT faculty member to receive Presidential Clinical Excellence Award

By Kate Hunger 

In 21 years of practice as an occupational therapist, Laura Novak, OTD, OTR, BCG, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, has become an expert in productive aging and in working with people with dementia and their caregivers.

Dr. Novak

New occupational therapy professor wants to address outdoor play in pediatric population

By Kate Hunger 

When Mei-Ling Lin, Ph.D., OTR, was weighing her career options, her desire to help others drew her to occupational therapy.

“I like to work with people,” said Dr. Lin, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. “When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to pursue a profession where I could constantly interact with people and help them.”

OT

Online degree advancement program helps working respiratory therapists take their careers to the next level

By Kate Hunger 

Corey Caballero, CPhT, RRT, is a husband and father, a student in the , and a full-time respiratory therapist at Houston Methodist Hospital. 

Corey Caballero, CPhT, RRT

Online degree advancement program helps working respiratory therapists take their careers to the next level

By Kate Hunger 

Corey Caballero, CPhT, RRT, is a husband and father, a student in the , and a full-time respiratory therapist at Houston Methodist Hospital. 


Register: Respiratory Care Symposium and Virtual Student Conference

By Kate Hunger 

The Division of Respiratory Care will host two virtual events in March: the and the first-ever . Find program details and registration information for each event below.

RC Symposium

Occupational therapy doctoral program gains full accreditation

By Kate Hunger 

The School of Health Professions’ occupational therapy doctoral program is the first accredited state-supported entry-level OTD program in Texas.

The program received news of its full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in December.

OTD accreditation

New alumni council supports wide range of SHP efforts

By Kate Hunger

The School of Health Professions Alumni Council held its inaugural meeting virtually in January. 

The council represents the voice of health professions alumni and supports the mission and goals of the School of Health Professions while serving as an advisory council in conjunction with alumni initiatives at the school. 

alumni council

Health professions students assist COVID patient positioning teams in ICU

By Kate Hunger 

Research has shown that turning COVID-19 patients onto their stomachs for a number of hours can help improve lung function and decrease mortality — but the process requires a specially trained team and a significant amount of time.

Patient Positioning

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