Alumni Association Newsletter
Volume 2
Issue 12
From the Chair
Summer 2007
….Dr. Shelly Lane
Shepherd if interested in hearing more about the
program (jshepherd@vcu.edu).
Greetings from the very busy faculty at VCU! We
now have another academic year under our
collective belts, having completed our first year with
the OTD, along with another year for the Postprofessional and Entry-level masters and our PhD
students! Let me give you a brief recap of the
year…
Our new OTD program was officially begun in Fall,
2006. This program is designed for therapists
interested in clinical leadership rather than
research. Our inaugural class is a dynamic group of
students who worked through the scheduling
challenges of a first year, alongside the professors,
and made it highly successful. Although many of
these students will be taking at least one summer
course (offerings include Advanced Neuroscience
Applications to Occupation taught by Dr. Shelly
Lane and Clinical Reasoning II taught by Dr. Marie
Anzalone), the official start to Year 2 begins in
August. We look forward to a slightly smaller, but
no less dynamic, cohort beginning this coming Fall.
We will be accepting additional OTD applicants for
the Spring of 2008.
Please contact Jayne
The Post-professional Masters program also
continues to be strong, with more new applicants
this year than we have had in the recent past. We
see this program as the way to begin a research
career path and encourage therapists to apply to
this program if they have an interest in either
clinical research, or pursuing a Ph.D. at some point
in the future. We have a great incoming group,
beginning
this
summer
with
Advanced
Neuroscience
Applications
to
Occupational
Therapy (alongside the OTD students). Continuing
students are working on their thesis proposals and
the completion of other course work.
Jayne
Shepherd heads up this program as well, and she
can be reached at jshepherd@vcu.edu for
information.
We have entered three new occupational therapy
students into the School of Allied Health
Professions interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, more
than in any single cohort to date. This program
does not follow the typical academic calendar, but
rather runs with two 6 month semesters each year.
This means the ‘Fall’ semester begins in early July,
and ends in December. The addition of 3
occupational therapy students makes this the
largest new OT group we have had in this program.
They will take courses alongside students from PT,
Rehabilitation Counseling, Patient Counseling,
Gerontology, Health Administration, and Nurse
Anesthesia for the first 2 years of the program, then
branch off to do their research in OT.
And last, but certainly not least, our Entry-level
Masters is alive and quite well! We welcome a full
class of students on June 11, when they will take
Nature of Occupational Therapy, followed by Gross
Anatomy. Our summer curriculum is a challenge,
but we know they are up to it! As has been the case
for the last several years, students transitioning
from first to second year have a summer off; we
know they will return in the Fall ready to roll into
year 2. Our fieldwork students will begin sometime
between May and July in their first level II fieldwork,
and will complete their second by mid-December.
We will then have the opportunity to see them
again in a post-fieldwork seminar in January, just
before they get ‘real jobs’. This final on-campus
time has become a great tradition, one we all look
forward to.
Congratulations are extended to our faculty
member Stacey Reynolds, Assistant Professor,
who was awarded the Jeanette Bair Writer’s Award
at the American Occupational Therapy Association
Annual conference. The article written by Ms.
Reynolds is entitled, "Get in the Game!
Participation in Sports for Children on the
Autism Spectrum". It focuses on how children
with autism can participate in sports, enhancing
their motor and social skills. It also reviews OT's
role in facilitating this participation.
In March we held what we hope will be the first
“Bridges to Practice” conference. Several local
therapists, and many of our OTD students,
attended this one day workshop on Neuroscience
taught by Dr. Shelly Lane. It was well received and
well attended. Topics included systems serving
motor control and movement, executive function,
neurotransmission, and neuroplasticity. We revisited the hoola hoop, made our names in cursive
from wire, played memory games, and ate jello
brains! A heartfelt thanks is extended to all who
participated and made the day a huge success.
This is saying a great deal too, since it took place
on a gorgeous day in early Spring. Our plan is to
make this an annual event, so look for another
Bridges conference in Spring, 2008.
Our other big piece of news is the upcoming move
to new digs! We will be relocating from the VMI
building (where we have been since 1977 or
perhaps the dawn of time) to Theater Row, at 730
E. Broad Street in Richmond. The actual move is
only a few blocks, but the new space is bigger and
newer. We are really looking forward to the
transition, although we do realize that there may be
some challenges to face along the way. The move
is slotted to take place in late July and early
August, putting us into the new space just in time
for Fall semester. Our phone number (804-8282219), fax (804-828-0782), and PO Box (980008)
will remain the same as they are now, just the
street address will change. Once we get set up we
hope you will stop by to have a look around.
Shelly J. Lane, Ph.D., OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA
Professor and Chair
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 2
WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE OUR ALUMNI?
Elizabeth (Beth) Coltrain (RPI, 1959) works in
home health for Bon Secours in Richmond, VA
and was recently named as one of Richmond’s
2007 Magnificent Moms in Style magazine. It’s
no surprise given her service record in addition
to raising three children. Beth is a past
president of the Virginia Occupational Therapy
Association, and served with the PTA and the
boards of the Learning Disabled Association of
Richmond and the Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Currently she is the Moderator of Presbyterian
Women, Presbytery of the James, and serves
as a church elder and bible study leader.
Barbara Coverdale (B.S., 1970) is working as
a home health OT in Chesapeake, VA. She
enjoys activities with her three adult children,
and participated in Relay for Life.
Marlene Wiggins (B.S., 1972) is a staff OT in
the Newport News, VA schools system. She
supervises fieldwork students and is interested
in Brain Gym.
Laura Evans (B.S., 1980) works as a manager
of OT and PT at Chippenham Medical Center
in Richmond, VA.
Marbee Tiernan Tammaro (B.S., 1985) lives
in Fairfax, VA and is working as an OT in the
Arlington Public Schools system.
Carolyn Velletri (M.S., 1985) is working at
Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond,
VA.
Peggy Williams (1987) lives in Gloucester,
VA, and works for Virginia Health Rehab
Associates and Walter Reed Convalescent
Center. She is committed to increasing the
independence of older adults and says “I love
it!”
Dr. Susan Lin (M.S., 1990) teaches in the OT
program at Shendandoah University and is
Virginia’s Representative to the AOTA
Representative Assembly.
Alumni Newsletter
Pam Gaspar (B.S., 1991) lives in Montpelier,
VA and works for 5 Star Rehab & Wellness. As
an OT in an assisted living facility, she is highly
involved with evaluation, treatment and COTA
supervision, and does this simultaneously with
“trying to raise my 3 kids”.
Sherri Pearson (B.S., 1993) lives and works in
Richmond, VA. As a full-time OT at Sheltering
Arms, her time is split between day rehab
programs and outpatient services. She is most
interested
in
wheelchair
seating
and
positioning, and is SaeboFlex advanced
trained.
Linda Carson (B.S. (1994) switched from her
prior work as a hand therapist about two years
ago to work for Prince William County (VA)
Schools as a school system therapist. She
works with students age 3-15 in 7 schools, and
has a caseload of 30 students. She also has
two daughters, ages 7 and 10.
Vanessa Caretto (M.S., 1996) has been
working at MetroHealth Medical Center in
Cleveland, OH for 8 years. She is now “THE”
pediatric OT covering 2 newborn nurseries, a
50-bed Level I NICU, 2 pediatric units
(including a unique Comprehensive Care
Service serving children and adults with
multiple medical conditions and syndromes
throughout their lifespans), a 10-bed PICU, the
medical ICU and the Burn Unit. She and her
husband have 3 sons, one age 4 and two 2year old twins.
Kim Neff (B.S.,1997) lives in Glen Allen, VA
and is working PRN in geriatrics OT practice in
rehab (inpatient and outpatient), SNF and
home health settings in the Richmond area.
She says she also enjoys “being a mommy”.
Stacey McFarland-Smith (M.S., 1997) is now
working at a Life Care facility in Idaho, and
husband David is at Intermountain Physical
Therapy and Hand Rehabilitation, an outpatient
orthopedic clinic. Both are enjoying the career
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 3
switches, and Stacey says she “has greatly
enjoyed the increase in patient contact and [it]
has truly been revitalizing to be using her
treatment skills again.” Older son Alex is six
and in first grade in a Montessori program
where he enjoys drawing and playing football.
He’s becoming somewhat of a chess-master
and, in Stacey’s words “can whip his parents at
it.” Younger son Ty is three and enrolled in a
Montessori preschool. He is passionate about
playing with cars, and also loves activities at
the YMCA and singing disco songs. Stacey’s
family adopted a beloved dog, Lucy, who was
originally found as a stray by Stacey’s father.
In addition to a spring vacation in Leavenworth,
Stacey’s family enjoyed their annual winter
tradition of skiing at Bogus Basin ski resort
near Boise the week before Christmas.
Center, where he says he “continue(s) to find
himself surrounded by more and more
women!!”
Holly Ernouf (M.S., 1997) lives in Richmond,
VA and works at Central State Hospital in
Petersburg
on
a
specialized
Mental
Retardation Team. Her team “focuses on
specialized behavior planning to improve
adaptive behaviors for community living [and]
is great for an OT!” Holly is interested in
advocacy on behalf of adults with mental
illness and mental retardation.
Robert Fix (M.S., 2004) still works as an OT in
the VCU Health Systems, but is also working
part-time at a SNF, learning medical Spanish,
contemplating buying a home and “just
enjoying life”.
Denise Raines Saffouri (B.S., 1999) lives in
Beckley, WV and works as the lead OT for
HCR-Manor Care’s Heartland of Beckley, a
skilled nursing facility with 200 beds. She loves
spending time with Christian Chase, born on
February 20, 2004.
Amanda (Mandy) Bullock (M.S., 2006) lives
and works in Norfolk, VA where she is an OT in
outpatient peds for Children’s Hospital of
King’s Daughters.
Nicole (Smith) Randall (M.S., 2001) has been
working at Commonwealth Medical Equipment
for the past 2 years. She received her
Certification as an Assistive Technology
Practitioner with RESNA and is keeping busy
with PRN work, two children, volunteering and
Pilates.
Joanna Greever Beeker (M.S., 2002) and her
husband Walton proudly announced the birth
of Matthew Walton Beeker (8 lbs, 12 oz.; 21 ½
inches) on February 12, 2007. Joanna is
looking forward to “figur(ing) out this whole
parenting thing!!”
Deborah Michaels (M.S., 2003) lives in
Richmond, VA and works at Sheltering Arms.
As inpatient Rehab Therapy Team Leader, she
splits her time evenly between patient care and
management. When not working, Deborah’s
interests are in mountain biking and home
renovation.
Tanisha Harris (M.S., 2005) works in the
Forensics Unit of Central State Hospital in
Petersburg, VA.
Emily Mason (M.S., 2006) works in the
Henrico County (VA) Schools.
Kirsten Murphie (M.S., 2006) works at
Riverside Rehab Institute in Newport News,
VA.
Joshua Funk (M.S., 2002) and his wife Stacey
live in Chesterfield, VA and welcomed Kendall
Payton (8 lbs; 20 inches) into the world on
January 20, 2007. Josh is Director of
Rehabilitation at Colonial Heights Health Care
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 4
WE REMEMBER…
Bette Hopkins (1948, Certificate) who died on July 25, 2006 in Charlottesville, VA at the age
of 80. She had served as an instructor in the occupational therapy department on the MCV
campus of VCU for many years.
Arthur Sundquist (B.S., 1952) who died on January 12, 2006 in Springfield, OH.
Marcia Nunnally (B.S., 1971) of Lake Wylie, SC who died on April 11, 2006.
On January 22, 2007, the Occupational Therapy Department lost a great supporter of our
program, Pat Lovell. She was a great supporter of educating our OT students. Pat let students
practice transfers to mat from wheelchairs twice a year. She spent hours talking to students
about her experiences and answering their questions. On Saturday mornings she often took a
group of students with her in her van as she did her chores. Over the past few years, she had
been housebound and not able to come to school. I know many of you remember her. (Written
by Sandy Cash, OTR/L)
Thanks!
Many of you have complimented us on the snappy layout of this newsletter, in addition to its contents.
We appreciate the kind words and would be remiss not to mention that the newsletter’s attractive
appearance is solely due to the artistic and technical talents of our Department’s
Program Manager, Lawrencine Smith. In addition to providing administrative support to the O.T.
Department, Lawrencine is a licensed minister and an eloquent, gifted poet. Thank you so much
Lawrencine, for all the energy and beauty you bring to the alumni newsletter!
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 5
“Connecting the Dots”
The sixth annual “Connecting the Dots” was held in the OT Department on Wednesday January 3-5,
2007. Twenty-four “new” OTs rejoined with their classmates to share their Fieldwork II experiences in
sessions facilitated by Sandy Cash and Jayne Shepherd, to reflect on the psychosocial aspects of
practice with Dianne Simons and Jodi Teitelman, and to consider topics for an evidence-based
approach to practice with Al Copolillo. Between these more “formal” sessions were informal social
opportunities to reconnect with classmates, many of whom had traveled widely for fieldwork, to catch
up on the happenings in each others’ lives. There were quite a few announcements of engagements,
the accompanying display of left ring fingers and discussion of wedding plans. They all sounded
wonderful! A number of the students this year have planned destination weddings to fabulous places.
It is such an exciting time in their lives!
At the conclusion of the two days of “processing,” the MCV Alumni Association once again graciously
sponsored “Connections,” a fun-filled reception attended by local graduates of the program, who
welcome the new grads into the fellowship of VCU OT alumni. Judy Hanshaw, Anne McDonnell,
Laura Evans, and Sarah Hopkins have been supporters of Connections for several years. Judy
always bring wonderful memorabilia from her years at RPI, and Sarah graces us with the song,
entitled “Connections,” that she wrote for her class pinning. This year, Connections was also attended
by Dean Cecil Drain, Karen McQueen, SAHP Assistant Dean of Advancement and Alumni Affairs,
and Barbara Payton, Executive Director, MCV Alumni Association. The reception always ends with a
great collection of door prizes from the MCV Campus Bookstore. Everyone enjoys winning door
prizes ranging from VCU mugs, umbrellas, and license plate holders to key chains, pen sets and VCU
OT window decals. We hope that any of you, who are local VCU alums, and can take off a couple of
hours the first Friday afternoon of January, will join us for the 2008 Connections. We’ll be in our new
home in Theatre Row. It would be a nice time to visit!
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 6
News from the Entry-Level Program
Top Row (left to right): M. Shiflett, A. Tate-Siertsema, J. Roenker, E. Mason, N. Burns, S. Moore,
2nd Row from Top (left to right) B. Smithson, L. Hanson, J. Fairservice, D. Thrift, C. Holcomb,
rd
3 Row from Top (left to right): J. Self, M. Selman, L. Pressley, J. Flythe, E. Clibbens, A. Chrystal,
Bottom Row (left to right): M. Zuraw, K. Murphie, L. James, E. Frimpong, A. Bullock, A. Stevens, and M. McCue.
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 7
Spring Break 2007 in San Salvador
Written by Lisa M. Richardson (OTS, Class of 2008)
Over Spring Break 2007 I went to San
Salvador, El Salvador with a group of
professionals tto
o run clinics in 4 communities
and visit 2 rehab centers. One was for children
and adults of all ages (similar to a skilled
nur
ut also quite d
nursing facility here b
bu
diifferent
because of Salvadoran culture), and one was a
nutritional facility for neglected, abused,
malnourished babies. Our team consisted of
61 people:
In the weeks prior to the trip, I thought to
myself “How can one 1st year OT student
possibly make a difference in a developing
country with a medical mission team of this
many people.” But I was able to make a big
dif
difference in some simple ways, and I was able
to learn a little more about how to possibly
practice OT Without Borders.
We spent the first day hiking and getting to
know the couple who started an orphanage,
My Father’s House, after a major earthquake in
2001. I was in awe as they told us how they
discovered a lady taking care of abandoned
chi
n abandoned building. They saw a
children in a
an
need, and they took steps to create a non-profit
organization and a safe, loving home for these
children. Over the past 6 years, they have
come to realize even deeper needs within each
of the children to heal from their past
experiences and be reunited with their families.
Through donations, they were able to buy a
farm that will become an orphanage and
retreat center for missionaries. They have
hired a psychologist and are looking into hiring
more professional therapists to create a
program that will bring spiritual and emotional
healing to these children in a safe, structured
environment. My Father’s House International
website: http://mfhinternational.org/
On
the
second day,
we ran our
first
clinic.
First,
I
ed
e
he
educated th
doctors
about
Occupational
Therapy and
learned
about
Osteopathic
Medicine.
Then I
followed a
patient
through the
system we
had set up. I met Maria, 18 year old mother of
3 months old Nancy, at the in-take desk and
followed her through the hour long process of
wa
waiting to see the doctor, talking to the doctor
for 20 minutes and then waiting in line for
prescriptions.
I was able to assess the
physical development of her 3 month old
daughter an
and let her know that she is very
healthy and developing well. I asked the
doctor to give her as much education as he
could about the baby’s future nutritional needs,
learning about patient advocacy in the process.
The doctors I traveled with were aware of the
deep spiritual nature of the El Salvadoran
culture and sought to bring healing and peace
of mind to the people. A
Affter consultation, each
patient was asked if he/she would like to be
prayed for. After prayer, I noticed a marked
difference in the patients’ demeanor as they
appeared to be more at peace with whatever
ai
ailment had brought them to our clinic.
During the other days of clinic, I learned many
valuable skills as a health professional on the
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 8
mission field. I learned how to take blood
pressure, listen for a congested breathing
pattern, load a syringe, prepare a basic dental
tray, calm a dental patient, sterilize dental
instruments and fill basic prescriptions in
Spanish. I learned about the basic needs of
people in poverty and challenges to healthcare
in these areas. In impoverished areas without
clean water and sewage systems, it is difficult
to avoid parasites, skin infections and muscle
pain due to stress and poor body mechanics.
Our experienced team had brought just what
was needed in the areas outside of San
Salvador.
As the OT on the trip, I made a wheelchair arm
rest pad out of flip flops, Velcro, a strapless bra
(all from a local grocery store) and a sewing kit
from the hotel. In another city, I fashioned a
built up handle for Oscar, a man who had
never fed himself before, out of a roll of
Charmin ® travel toilet paper. I taught his
caretaker how to insert a utensil and then a
toothbrush into the universal handle and
watched Oscar begin to eat independently.
On the third day, I visited The Love Link
http://www.love-link.org/index.shtml,
http://www.love-link.org/index.shtml, a
nutritional center for malnourished babies in
the capital of El Salvador. I wa
was able to spend
the morning treating children with Dennis, a
physical therapist who started working there in
January. He is finishing a 5 year bachelor’s
degree in physical therapy and is great with the
kids. He allowed me to work with the kids and
do some of their therapy. I was amazed at
their progress, and we even saw one little boy
stand for the first time on his own! Most of
these children would be typically developing,
but as victims of abuse and neglect they
experience significant delays in their social
development and need creative therapists to
help them begin to want to interact.
I was impressed with the level of therapy being
provided by just 1 therapist. He was doing
physical, occupational and even some speech
therapy with the kids. The equipment being
used included Christmas lights (a sensory
integration technique) to stimulate the children.
I would love to go back and do an internship
Alumni Newsletter
there but I will have to wait and see what the
future has in store.
After visiting the Love Link, my friend Dottie (a
first year PT student) and I visited a
rehabilitation center for children and adults of
all ages who require around the clock skilled
nursing care. It is a Catholic organization that
employs social workers, nurses, doctors,
surgeons and 4 fisioterapists (Physical
Therapists who also practice occupational
therapy) to care for 4 rooms of residents (about
120 people total). The residents were grouped
according to age: 0-15 year females, 16-older
females, 0-15 males and 16-older males. The
place is open-air like most of the buildings in El
Salvador and is set up as a multi-building
campus. There is a 6-sided chapel in the
middle, and each building is at the end of a
walkway fr
from different sides of the chapel.
There are re
recreational areas with playground
equipment adapted for people with disabilities.
The Fisioterapia Gym is stocked with balls,
mats and even a Hydrotherapy room. Not in
use yet, it will add to the diverse therapy
offered at the center. There is also an on-site
school with classrooms for residents to attend
class for 3-4 hours e
ach morning. The Doc
ea
who lead our trip was excited that he could
dunk at these accessible hoops!
After visiting The Love Link, I know that I
definitely want to work with young children at
some point in my career. After meeting the
founders of the My Father’s House
orphanage, I know that I want to do something
big in the field of OT according to my interests.
After participating as a valuable part of a
diverse medical team, I am convinced of the
power of OT in any setting and inspired to
“think outside the box” in terms of my future in
the field because I am sure I can find work
anywhere, even a developing country.
Please let me know if you have any
questions!
Lisa M. Richardson
lisamrichardson@gmail.com
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 9
News from Post Professional Programs
Do You Want More From Your Career?
Are You a Leader?
VCU has a Program
gram for YOU!
The professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) in Leadership is a distance
education program designed for the working professional with a BS or MS/MA degree in
occupational therapy. Coursework enhances critical analysis of practice, research, and evidence
and culminates in a Capstone Leadership Project of your choice.
MS therapists take 43 credits and BS therapists take 55 credits and receive an MS/OTD. This
program is part-time with 6-7 credits per semester, obtaining the degree in 3-4 years.
Why an OTD @ VCU?
•
Internationally/nationally renowned faculty with leadership and research experience
•
Experience in distance education for over six years
•
Flexible, part-time coursework geared to the working professional
•
Online courses with between semester on-campus times, no relocation is necessary!
•
Outstanding technical and library assistance for off-campus students
•
Over 60 years of experience educating future leaders of Occupational Therapy
To learn more, please visit our website: http://www.sahp.vcu.edu/occu/programs/otd.htm
Or contact: Jayne Shepherd, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
Assistant Chair of Post Professional Education
804-828-2219
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 10
Alumni Phone Campaign Fall 2006 Results
For the past two years we have joined with other departments in the School of
Allied Health to call as many of our alumni living in the Central and Eastern Time
Zones as possible over six to seven nights. Our current students and faculty
have volunteered their time to do this for us.
This year 14 volunteers (some calling on more than one evening) made more
than 300 calls. To date we have received almost $6,300 which is a 121%
increase over the previous year! These gifts are so important to us as they help
the Department provide scholarships, equipment and other things that enrich the
program we offer our students.
We would like to see our alumni support grow. Last year we were not able to call
almost 400 of our alumni because we simply needed more volunteers. The
evenings are fun (refreshments are provided!) and provide a great opportunity to
mingle with our students and faculty. We would like to encourage alumni living in
the Richmond area to join us so that we can reach even more alumni this Fall.
Tentative dates are set for October 22-25, October 29-30 and November 1. (The
informal buffet dinner begins at 6pm and calling between 7-9 pm). If you would
like to help please contact Jodi Teitelman at jlteitel@vcu.edu or 804-828-2219
Thank you to our Volunteers!!
Students:
Michelle Bebo
Sarah Collins
Lauren Ferret
Tiffany Fields
Mandy Freeman
Alison Krumpe
Heather Schultheis
Hilarie Street
Faculty:
Marie Anzalone
Sandy Cash
Stacey Reynolds
Dianne Simons
Jayne Shepherd
Jodi Teitelman
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 11
O.T. Presence at University Alumni Weekend
Graduates of the OT/RPI Class of 1957 and from other years converged upon Richmond for the
MCV-RPI Alumni Weekend of the School of Allied Health Professions held over the weekend of April
27-29. Participants from Virginia, California, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey, Missouri and the
District of Columbia came to reestablish connections, find out the latest news in the School and
Occupational Therapy Department and to have some fun! The Class of 1957 included Ms. Archie A.
Blaha, Mr. and Mrs. Bill McCracken, Ms. Delores Taylor Morgan, Mrs. Ann W. Poehlman, Ms.
Jeannette H. Shearin, Ms. Barbara Innes Smith, and Mrs. Rosemary Feese Tennant. On Friday
afternoon, Delores Taylor Morgan (B.S., 1958) and Barbara J. Smith (B.S, 1955) had the
opportunity to meet informally with Karen McQueen, Assistant Dean for Advancement and Alumni
Affairs and OT faculty to learn about what had changed (and not!) since their time in the program. On
Saturday night, alumni attended a gala reception and dinner at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
sponsored by the RPI Alumni Association. Alumni heard from Dr. Eugene Trani, President of VCU,
then were entertained by Theatre VCU students performing songs from their smash hit, “Smokey
Joe’s Café”, a tribute to rock-and–roll and rhythm-and-blues in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Please
consider joining your former classmates when your class’s turn comes along!
Students teach tech in VCU Program
by Rachel Vementa
Professors interested in bringing new technology into their classrooms
are turning to a non-traditional source - students.
"Students often have skills faculty members don't," said Zachary
Goodell, an associate director at the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Goodell said the Student Technology Expertise Program originally
was in the now-defunct Academic Technology department. He said he
saw potential in STEP and served as the program's coordinator until
this past fall.
Media Credit: Karen Sagun illustration
"STEP is one of the first programs to integrate technology into teaching," Goodell said. "It is also one of the few
that involve students directly." For more information about STEP, visit http://www.vcu.edu/cte/STEP STEP is a
cost-free mentorship program matching faculty members with student interns. Faculty members submit project
proposals associated with technology in the classroom.
Students submit a list of their technological skills. After a careful review, faculty and interns have their first
meeting with the STEP coordinator to begin planning their project.
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 12
Four to five faculty members begin projects during the academic year, said Jeff Nugent, the center's other
associate director. Nugent took over Goodell's post as STEP coordinator this past school year.
"The program is driven by individual faculty interest," Nugent said. "No single department seems to have a
corner on this. We've had folks from music to engineering, to medicine, to mathematics and everything in
between, so it's a diverse population."
The program has two main goals. The first is the integration of technology into teaching. The second goal is
student-to-faculty mentoring, in which student interns impart their technological skills to faculty members.
"Students often have skills faculty members don't." -Zachary Goodell, associate director at the Center for
Teaching Excellence.
"Students often have skills faculty members don't." -Zachary Goodell, associate director at the Center for
Teaching Excellence.
According to both Goodell and Nugent, Web authoring for instructional supplemental use is the most
sought-after technological skill by faculty members. Web authoring includes designing and creating
dynamic Web pages using applications such as DreamWeaver and Flash.
"Digital video editing and multimedia content development skills are at the top of the list," Nugent said.
"The ability to self-teach new technology quickly is also a valuable skill," Goodell added.
Marie Anzalone, assistant professor of occupational therapy, turned to STEP when she wanted help with
digital video editing for use in her lectures.
"Videotaped examples of clinical evaluation and intervention are central to my teaching about practice with
children - seeing a child with a disability cannot be learned via books or lectures," Anzalone said.
Anzalone said she saw the value in digital video technology's effectiveness and efficiency, but didn't know what
editing programs to use or how to use them.
Anzalone has been working on her project since November and said her STEP experience was a positive one.
She said that the help of her student intern, Ashnfara Murphy Judy, was invaluable.
"At this point, I am almost ready to be able to go with the projects independently," Anzalone said. "I am sure
that I would not be at this point without Ashnfara."
Murphy Judy, a sophomore kinetic imaging student, said his referance to STEP was an opportunity for him to
use his technical expertise, which includes video and audio editing.
Murphy Judy called his STEP experience rewarding.
"With the exception of some bugs in the editing system, which Dr. Anzalone and I are using, and the down time
between semesters, the process is swift," Murphy Judy said.
In the five years since STEP was founded, Goodell said informing the VCU community of the service has been
difficult, partly because of the large size of the university.
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 13
"The folks who have actually participated kept saying, 'Boy, this is the best thing that nobody knows about,' "
Goodell said.
Reprinted from The Commonwealth Times, 3/19/07, News section.
O.T. Department Apparel to Order
OT Apparel Order Form
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: (C) ____________________ (H) ___________________
Email: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Total # of items:
______
Total amount paid: $______
Cash______ Check #______
Orders will be accepted until September 10, 2007. Orders will not be accepted without payment.
Please fill out this form & mail or turn it into:
Lisa M. Richardson
114 Overbrook Rd.
Richmond, VA 23222
Questions can be directed to Lisa:
lisamrichardson@gmail.com
(540)809-6239
Checks can be made out to: VCU Occupational Therapy Class of 2008
Additional order forms available by e-mail & on the student bulletin boards. All shirts are screen printed.
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 14
Item
Design
Size
S
M
L
XL
2XL
Sizes
6-8
10-12
12-14
14-16
16-18
Qty
Total
6-8
10-12
12-14
14-16
16-18
$
Total
34-36
38-40
42-44
46-48
50-52
54-56
$
Total
$
3XL
Sweatshirt
$25.00
S
M
L
XL
2XL
3XL
Women’s Polo
$17.50
S
M
L
XL
2XL
3XL
Men’s Polo
$25.00
Women’s Fitted T
S
0-4
M
4-8
L
8-12
XL
12-16
S
0-4
M
4-8
L
8-12
$12.50
Total
XL
Women’s Long-sleeved Fitted T
$15.00
$
12-16
Total
$
All shirts are screen printed.
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 15
1000 East Marshall Street
P.O. Box 980008
Richmond, VA 23298-0008
U.S. News Ranking
#15
VCU’s OT Graduate Program ranked
one of America’s Best Graduate Schools
"Cultivating Future Therapists through a Tradition of Excellence"
Alumni Newsletter
“Cultivating Future Therapists Through a Tradition of Excellence”
Page 16