On March 12, The Rowan University Foundation announced that Comcast Corp. executive and Rowan alumnus Lawrence J. Salva, and his wife, Rita, donated $1.055 million to CMSRU to establish the Lawrence & Rita Salva Medical Scholars Fund at Rowan. The single largest gift to date for CMSRU, the Salvas' pledge will establish a $1 million endowment to benefit students enrolled at CMSRU. The additional $55,000 - and the earnings on the endowment - will provide $100,000 in scholarships for the medical school's charter class.

The Salvas wanted to help address the significant debt incurred by medical school graduates. "This scholarship fund gives us a tremendous opportunity to help medical school students pursue their dreams as they work to make a positive impact on the lives of others," said Mr. Salva. 

At a press conference announcing the gift, Founding Dean Paul Katz, MD, expressed gratitude on behalf of CMSRU's faculty and future students, and noted the significant and lasting effect the donation will have. "Each and every patient that receives care from a CMSRU graduate benefits from the generosity of all of those who have already given."

Dr. Katz noted that in addition to helping to allay medical student debt, the gift also puts CMSRU in a more competitive position. "Since many of our accepted students have been accepted by other medical schools, offering them financial assistance is critical for us as we look to attract the most highly qualified students who match our mission and who need financial assistance to attend our school."

In less than nine weeks, construction will be completed on the new medical education building, and we will begin the process of installing furniture, AV and IT equipment, and actually moving faculty and staff in! We expect to have all of our staff relocated by mid-July, with only a few short weeks remaining before the students arrive in mid-August.

Over the past weeks, we have seen the signage installed on the east façade of the building, and expect the west façade signage to be installed within the next several weeks. Most of the progress, however, is happening inside. Last week, the scaffolding was taken down in the auditorium, finally showing us how impressive that space will be when it's filled with 250 people. We're starting to see areas of polished terrazzo floors, painted walls, carpeting, and even casework - in both the laboratories and the active learning rooms. We can almost see our charter class sitting and studying there.

We took our first rides in the elevators, and have seen all of the boilers, chillers, air handlers, and other large equipment moving into place in the penthouse. Within a few more weeks, much of this equipment will come on-line and start to heat, cool, and manage the internal climate of the building. Climate control will be necessary prior to installation of final wood and other finishes, so we're well on our way.

Stay tuned - it won't be too long before construction will be a topic of the past!

 Clinical and basic science faculty at CMSRU will be able connect with students and develop an engaging learning environment using Blackboard, one of the most innovative, high-tech learning management systems in the world. Rowan University has been successfully using Blackboard for the past several years.

"Blackboard can be an excellent tool that enhances and streamlines the teaching experience. Today's students are accustomed to this type of technology in their education," says Joe Ferrarie, Instructional Designer at CMSRU. "My goal is to educate CMSRU faculty so they understand how to use it to its full potential."

Joe, who joined CMSRU in February, is beginning to work with faculty to introduce them to the system and its numerous customizable features, like discussion boards, student journals and blogs. He will also assist faculty with organizing course materials for electronic posting. Joe is co-presenter with Sergio Zanotti-Cavazzoni, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, at the April 3rd Faculty Development Forum, "Using Technology to Enhance Teaching Effectiveness."

This spring, more than 80 local high school students will participate in CMSRU's Junior Urban Medical Pioneers High School Academy (J.U.M.P. High), a selective educational program designed to encourage minority students to pursue higher education in the areas of science and medicine.   

J.U.M.P. High is a one-day event held at Cooper University Hospital and is filled with hands-on activities and interactive learning sessions.  CMSRU's Office of Multicultural, Community, and Special Academic Programs is working with local high school guidance counselors and science teachers to identify students for the program.

Dozens of Cooper faculty and residents representing Emergency Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Anesthesia, Pediatrics and Basic Science departments volunteered to participate in the three J.U.M.P. High sessions scheduled this spring. The first class was held Saturday, March 17, and according to Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, MD, PhD, Associate Dean for Multicultural and Community Affairs, it was a tremendous success."The dedication and enthusiasm of the medical professionals really made a difference," she said."The remarkable teens who participated were engaged and motivated, and I'm confident the program will have an influence on their career and educational goals."