Archive for the ‘University Business’ Category
Health improvement outreach: Phone coaching tried for rural diabetes patients
April 29th, 2011
Would it improve the health of diabetes patients in rural areas if student pharmacists telephoned them weekly and used motivational interviewing techniques in their conversations? And what kind of impact would the telephone calls have on the students? Those are questions faculty in the WSU College of Pharmacy and WSU Extension are trying to answer. Ten pharmacy students voluntarily trained to be telephone coaches and then each called four to five patients a week for eight consecutive weeks. The students just completed the telephoning phase of the project. All calls were recorded and, in addition, students completed a three-page checklist after every call. They identified the various topics of conversation, such as whether they helped the patient plan for coping with a difficult situation or setting and achieving a goal.
The students were trained, through the use of motivational interviewing and telephone coaching, to coach patients in goal setting to modify their lifestyles to better manage their diabetes.
It is too early to determine if there are positive results for our patients, but we can say that, anecdotally, the coaches and some patients are providing very positive feedback, said Linda Garrelts MacLean, an associate dean in the College of Pharmacy and one of two principal investigators on the project. For example, one week a patient reported she had made an appointment to see her doctor, which is a positive step, and the doctor found her blood sugar was down. When the student coach asked the patient what influenced her behavior, she replied she knew the coach would be calling to talk with her and so she got on her bicycle and rode it. The patient thanked the coach for checking on her. Another patient who was resistant in the beginning to any form of exercise except water aerobics reported she was starting to feel better because of improved nutrition and she had enough energy to consider adding walking once a week to her exercise routine. Cost effective strategies are desperately needed to improve self management of diabetes, MacLean said. This could reduce costly and painful diabetic complications in rural areas where the rates of diabetes are unusually high, she said. In addition to studying the information gathered during the telephoning phase, the faculty will give the patients a post-calling questionnaire to assess their perception of their ability to take care of their diabetes, how they plan to handle any depression, if they can practice good eating, if they are willing to seek out a health care provider when they have questions, and many other aspects. The researchers also will look at the patients blood sugar levels, blood pressure and weight before and after the coaching sessions. Shirley M. Broughton, a faculty member at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center, is the other co-principal investigator on the project.
Tags: Diabetes Patients, Patients
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Annual awards: Liberal Arts honors research, scholarship, teaching, service
April 23rd, 2011
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State Universitys College of Liberal Arts held its 2011 awards ceremony April 21 to recognize faculty and staff for outstanding scholarly and creative research, teaching, and professional and institutional service. Eugene Rosa, professor of sociology and Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy, received the Outstanding Career Achievement in Scholarship Award for his work in the areas of energy technology, risk perception and assessment, and human environmental relations. Tahira Probst, professor of psychology at WSU Vancouver, was awarded the Mid-Career Achievement in Scholarship Award for her research in the field of occupational health psychology. Early Achievement in Scholarship Awards were presented to Travis Ridout, associate professor of political science, and Matthew Sutton, associate professor of history. Ridout was recognized for his research on political campaigns and the use of media in political advertising. Sutton was selected for his research into the rise of evangelical political influence in the 20th century. His first book won Harvard University Presss Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize for best first book in any discipline and became the basis for the Public Broadcasting Service documentary Sister Aimee. David Pietz, associate professor of history and director of the WSU Asia Program, received the Outstanding Achievement in International Teaching, Research/Creative Activities, and/or Service Award for his research on the intersections of environmental policy, modern Chinese history and globalizations, and for his leadership at WSU in the development of Asian studies and global studies programs. The Excellence in Professional Service (Public Agency or Discipline) Award was presented to Amy Mazur, professor of political science, whose research on gender and politics is internationally recognized. She cofounded the Research Network on Gender Politics and the State and recently launched the Global Gender Expertise Project. The Deans Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to William Andrefsky, professor of anthropology, for his service to WSU as an administrator, teacher and mentor, his exceptional research and publications record, and his contributions to the field of archaeology. He recently won the Society for American Archaeologys Excellence in Archaeological Analysis Award, and his archaeological field school was chosen by the SAA as the model field method class in the nation. Sabine Davis, clinical associate professor of foreign languages and cultures, received the award for Excellence in Teaching by a Clinical Faculty Member or Instructor. Rachel Halverson, associate professor of foreign languages and cultures, and Lori Wiest, associate professor of music, were recognized as outstanding teachers with the William F. Mullen Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. Erich Lear, professor of music and former dean of the college, received the Excellence in Institutional Service Award for his service as an administrator and for development work that resulted in significant external funding to the college. The Administrative Professional Excellence Award was presented to Michael Gaffney, acting director of the Division of Governmental Studies and Services, for his strong leadership and network-building skills and deep commitment to WSUs outreach mission. Twenty-five-year service awards were presented to Paul Phillip, director of administrative services, and Patricia Thorsten-Mickelson, manager of the Wilson-Short Division. Thirty- and thirty-five-year service awards were presented to Lynn Gordon, professor of English, and Laurie Heustis, academic advisor in the Northwest Division, respectively.
Recognized for service as department chairs were Gerald Berthiaume, music; Gail Chermak, speech and hearing sciences; Laurilyn Harris, theatre and dance; and John Hinson, psychology. Retirees recognized at the event were Michael P. Allen, sociology; Thomas Brigham, psychology; Terry Converse and Harris, theatre and dance; Birgitta Ingemanson, foreign languages and cultures; Nicholas Lovrich, political science; and Richard Williams, history.
Tags: Liberal Arts, Teaching
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Sharon Brown-Welty named Graduate Division dean
April 22nd, 2011
Dr. Sharon Brown-Welty, who is recognized widely for her expertise in building successful graduate programs, has been named to a two-year appointment as dean of the Division of Graduate Studies at California State University, Fresno.
The appointment was made by Provost William A. Covino.
Dr. Brown-Welty is professor and chair of Fresno State’s Education Research and Administration Department and director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development.
She has represented the California State University system at the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate and is a member of the CSU System Doctoral Advisory Board. She teaches courses at both the master’s and doctoral levels and her published research appears in numerous indexed journals.
She received an Ed.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on educational policy, planning and evaluation, and an MBA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Brown-Welty will begin as dean on June 1 and will continue to direct the doctoral program.
She succeeds Dr. Karen Carey, who has accepted a position with CSU Channel Islands.
To view Dr. Brown-Welty’s bio, click here.
Tags: Dean
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Japanese diplomat thanks Fresno State, community
April 19th, 2011
The Hon. Michio Harada, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of Japan, expressed his thanks to the Fresno community and California State University, Fresno, for local relief efforts for Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Harada, who is based in San Francisco, said during a visit to Fresno State Wednesday, April 20, 2011, that the people of Japan deeply appreciate the donations and concern expressed by the residents of Central California.
He also singled out the relief efforts of the Japanese Student Association at Fresno State, which has raised nearly $7,000.
Harada spoke to reporters and community members in the Peters Ellipse of the Henry Madden Library, with a backdrop of an exhibit of rare Samurai weaponry objects, including suits of armor, helmets and swords. He was welcomed to the campus by Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Paul Oliaro and Dean of the Library Peter McDonald.
Harada was born in Okayama Prefecture and graduated from Okayama University, where he majored in law. He joined Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979 and has worked around the world in various positions, including First Secretary, Consulate General of Japan in New York City; Assistant Director of the WTO Affairs Division, Embassy of Japan in Malaysia; and Consul and Director of the Economic Affairs Bureau, Policy Planning and Administration Division, Consulate General of Japan in Hong Kong.
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Tags: Community
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ASUW election candidates up for the first round of questioning
April 17th, 2011
Advocacy, accountability and communication were central themes to this year’s first official campaign forum for ASUW elections candidates.
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The forum moderator holds up a “15 seconds remaining” sign in the crowd at the first official campaign forum.
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Presidential candidate Andrew Lewis
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Presidential candidate Dalia Amin
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Presidential candidate Conor McLean
Candidates running for positions on the ASUW Board of Directors participated in a forum yesterday hosted by the Residence Hall Student Association (RHSA), the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Panhellenic Association.
At the first official forum of the election season, most candidates talked about how they would reach out to student groups — specifically, to the residence halls and the Greek community.
Candidates started out by introducing themselves and their platforms before responding to questions from RHSA, IFC and Panhellenic representatives. Each candidate focused on issues related to the duties of his or her desired position. The main focus for presidential candidates was advocacy efforts.
Andrew Lewis of the Our Future ticket focused on higher-education advocacy as important for the association, and said at the forum that he was willing to allocate more money from the ASUW’s budget toward advocacy efforts. Conor McLean of the Huskies United ticket said he felt students needed to unite against budget cuts. Dalia Amin of the Imagine UW ticket said that she felt advocacy and awareness were key, putting the focus on collaboration between student groups.
The vice presidential position works on internal affairs, and candidates spoke about how they would reach out to residence halls and the Greek community, as well as identifying their specific goals.
All three focused on one of the largest parts of the vice president’s job description: financial responsibility. Will Hagen of Imagine UW said he’d like to see “a lot more financial responsibility” within the association, and Sam Weinstein of Our Future said she wants to prioritize how ASUW spends its money to make sure they are serving students effectively.
“One of my goals is to make sure that each of the particular entities are using their money wisely and reaching out to students,” Jocelyn McCurtain of Huskies United said.
Candidates running for the position of director of policy and procedures spoke about issues involving advocacy, specifically why students in the Greek community should be involved in lobbying for state funding for higher education. William Dow of Huskies United said that while there is a group of students that consistently lobby, there needs to be more representation in Olympia. Zerina Curevac of Imagine UW said that the different perspectives and fresh faces would make student efforts even more compelling. Matthew FitzGerald, an independent candidate, said that he would reach out to the Greek community by inciting the interest of the students in advocacy.
“If you want people to show an interest … you have to find something that ties them to that involvement,” FitzGerald said.
The candidates for director of programming focused on how they would encourage groups to collaborate on events. Sanya Dhermy of Imagine UW said that she brings a new perspective, and that she plans on looking into other options besides only arts and entertainment for collaboration. Robert Higa of Huskies United said that collaboration between student groups would make use of a small programming budget, while still providing high-quality programming, and that he would be a resource for groups looking for event space during the HUB closure.
Candidates for the director of diversity efforts received questions asking about how they would communicate what the Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) is involved with or working on to other communities on campus. Freddy Mora of Huskies United said that he would work closely with the director of community relations and create events that unite all students on campus. Jonathan Winn of Imagine UW said that he would work with the eight ASUW commissions on programs, and that students would be able to see what the ECC is doing through those programs.
“You should be able to see through the residence halls and the Greek community how well the ECC is doing because of the programs,” Winn said.
Candidates for the position of community relations addressed a question about the lack of knowledge about the ASUW in the Greek community. Colton Schweitzer of Imagine UW, Josh Chau of Our Future and Desiree Hanssen of Huskies United all agreed that many students are not aware of what the ASUW does on campus.
“During elections, I see that there is a lack of information about ASUW,” Chau said. “I want to make sure that we have relationships with the IFC and Panhellenic Association — not just the leaders, but the representatives as well.”
All three candidates for the director of communications talked about how they planned to use social media to communicate with students. Juan Soto of Imagine UW said that information is spread mostly through the Internet, and both Michelle Nance of Our Future and Sabrina Squires of Huskies United said that they’d planned on producing monthly videos to inform students about what the ASUW is doing.
“I believe ASUW has a fundamental problem in how it communicates with students,” Nance said.
She said she felt that students don’t understand what the association does on campus or how to be involved.
Candidates for the director of university affairs talked about how students could better work with faculty and administration. Evan Smith of Huskies United spoke about relationships he’s already built, while Bryan Dosono of Imagine UW said that he felt there was a disconnect between faculty and students that needed to be fixed.
“We need to be working together to make sure that we’re going out with the same message,” Smith said about student and administration collaboration in higher-education advocacy.
Candidates will participate in another forum hosted by the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity and the Student Activities Board next Monday. The filing deadline for candidates is Friday at 5 p.m. Voting for the elections begins online May 9 and ends May 11.
Tags: Asuw Election, First
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