jbond516 – SMHS Heartbeats

Almost tassel time!

jbond516February 26, 2020Leave a comment

Planning for the HS Graduation Celebration is in full swing! The 2020 Graduation Celebration will take place on Saturday, May 16^th at Lisner Auditorium. Faculty and staff should plan to arrive by 2:30 p.m. for the 4 p.m. event. Following the ceremony, we’ll host a reception in the Marvin Center’s Continental Ballroom. Additional details related to HS graduation events will be forthcoming. In addition to the HS celebration, there are department and program events occurring the week of May 11:

Physical Therapy Program Awards Ceremony – Friday, May 15. Reception from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Marvin Center Great Hall; Awards Ceremony from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Dorothy Betts Theater. Point of contact: Marsha White (mkw01@gwu.edu)
Physician Assistant Program White Coat Ceremony – Friday, May 15. Ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Betts Theater; Reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Marvin Center Great Hall. Point of contact: Allison Hardy (allisonhardy@gwu.edu)
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science (BLS) Awards and Reception – Friday, May 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Marvin Center, Room 309. Point of contact: Emma Levine (emmalevine@gwu.edu)
Department of Clinical Research and Leadership Awards and Reception – Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Location TBD. Point of contact: Ernestine Yarborough (eyarborough@gwu.edu)
GW Commencement Ceremony – Sunday, May 17 at 10 a.m. on the National Mall.

Any comments or questions about the HS Graduation Celebration should be directed to Nick Atlas or Patrick Corr at HSPgrad@gwu.edu.

Passion for Science

jbond516February 26, 2020Leave a comment

Allison Petrie is excited to be in a position where her education in the health sciences will prove helpful. “I’m very interested in working with and interacting with students,” Petrie said. “My background is in applied sciences, so I’ll be able to relate to the students, build relationships with them, and see them through their programs.” Petrie joined the Department of Health, Human Function and Rehabilitation Sciences (HHFR) this month as a program associate. She’ll work with the Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Doctorate of Health Sciences programs. Previously, she was the office manager for the School of Business Graduate Programs at George Mason University. A native of Wisconsin, she and her husband moved to Virginia last year. “It’s been a journey to experience city life,” she said. They are big outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy camping, hiking, and backpacking. “We always bring our dog, Moose, a golden retriever, with us. He’s our dog son.” One of their long-term goals is to travel the United States and car camp or backpack each of the national parks. They’ve checked off Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Shenandoah, and hope to visit Yosemite next. Petrie has a bachelor’s degree in cell biology and physiology from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Message from the Communications and Editorial Director

jbond516February 26, 2020Leave a comment

February has proven to be a noteworthy month for GW Health Sciences as we kicked off our Strategic Plan 2020-2022 with two events last week. First, about 75 faculty, staff, and students rolled up their sleeves – and donned hairnets – to prepare and package 15,000 meals to combat hunger. The February 19^thproject with Rise Against Hunger showed our strong division-wide commitment to Living Our Social Mission, one of four focus areas in the strategic plan. Now, each department will carry forth with other service initiatives. If you are interested in joining an HS group to regularly volunteer at one of the local food banks, please reach out to Amy King aking@gwu.edu or Teri Capshaw tcapshaw@gwu.edu. The second focus area addressed last week was Investing in People. A group of faculty, staff, high school teachers, plus students and families from the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy at T.C. Williams High School cheered the GW men’s basketball team Saturday against LaSalle University. GW didn’t prevail, but HS won big as we shared a fun extracurricular event – and on George’s 288^th birthday, by the way. Students enjoyed meeting President LeBlanc, who greeted attendees and asked about their studies. An Academy student, who also plays JV basketball at T.C. Williams, showed off his impressive skills during a free throw exhibition. The day started with an educational session in the Lerner Center, where Robert Turner of the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership (CRL) shared his journey from being a student athlete in high school to playing in the NFL to his current role as a researcher. Kevin O’Conner of HS Administration also took part, speaking to the Academy students about the importance of character. Two events are now in the books, but there’s more important work ahead for our strategic plan. The sky is the limit for the impact we’ll have to drive innovation and quality in health and health care delivery through education, scholarship, and service. Thanks to all who have participated so far! #GWHealthSciencesStrategicPlan #LivingOurSocialMission, #InvestinginPeople, #InfluencingHealthProfessionsEducation,HealthCarePolicyandPractice, #CatalyzingInnovationandEntrepreneurism.