Salutations Masthead 2011 

    
March 2014     
In This Issue
New Provost Named
New Appointments
Brown Bag Lunch Series
Salus PCO Event

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______________
 WE SALUTE
 
The Salus University community offers sincere congratulations to the following members:
 
 

Dr. Radhika Aravamudhan and Dr. Victor Bray, on the publication of their co-authored paper, "Preservation of Auditory Brainstem Response Thresholds After Cochleostomy and Titanium Microactuator Implantation in the Lateral Wall of Cat Scala Tympani" in the April issue of Otology & Neurotology, a peer-review journal (Vol. 35 - Issue 4: p 730-738).

 

Dr. Richard Brilliant, on the recent publication of an article on night driving with low vision in Medscape Eye.

 

Benjamin Foreman '15OD, who was recently awarded the 2014 Dr. Seymour Galina Grant from the American Optometric Association.

 

Alta Fried, '14OT, who will have her article about her journey to the Occupational Therapy profession published within the next few months as a special feature article/cover page of OT Advance.

 

John Kilpatrick '14MS, who won the Delta Gamma Award at the American Foundation for the Blind's Leadership Conference, in Brooklyn New York in February. According to Dr. Fabiana Perla, O&M program director, John was one of a few graduate students in the country given this award for his accomplishments and potential for leadership in the field of visual impairments.  

 

Vitto Mena '14OD, who was a winner in Transitions Optical's annual Students of Vision "Share Your Impact" contest. More than 45 optometry and opticianry students submitted a video, short story, photograph, poster, drawing, painting or illustration demonstrating how they will use (or have used) their professional expertise to impact the lives of others.

 

Charita Smith,'14OD, 

who co-authored two posters at SECO in March. The posters'  abstracts will be published in the April Optometry and Visual Performance (OVP).
OVP is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by the Optometric Extension Program Foundation and the Australasian College of Behavioral Optometry.  

 

Marian Weber who, after 21 years at PCO/Salus, retires today from the Cottet Library, where she has served hundreds of students as our library technician.

 

Alison Wilk, who has left her position as administrative assistant at the College of Education and Rehabilitation to become the new library technician in the University's Cottet Library.


REMINDER

 

The University will be closed on

Friday, April 18 and Monday, April 21.  

 

Dr. Janice Scharre Named Provost    

President Michael H. Mittelman, OD '80, MPH, FAAO, announced the appointment of Janice Scharre, OD, FAAO to the position of provost earlier this month. In his announcement to the Salus community Dr. Mittelman said, "Dr. Scharre brings a history of success in key areas that include her considerable experience in academic affairs, accreditation, research, program expansion, increasing national test rates, and creating collaborative programs with area universities and colleges."

     Dr. Scharre currently serves as the University's interim associate vice president of Academic Affairs and facilitated the development of the Salus PCO Scholars program a few years ago. A graduate of Illinois College of Optometry, she is an academic leader whose more than 25 years of experience includes appointments as vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of Optometry for Illinois College of Optometry (ICO).  

     Dr. Scharre was associate dean for clinical education; Rehabilitative Services coordinator; chief, Pediatric/Binocular Vision Service (ICO/Illinois Eye Institute), and director of Infant/Preschool Vision Clinic, Developmental Visions Clinic, Quality Assurance, and Externships. As advisor to the provost and chancellor at University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), she helped to facilitate that institution's expansion of its graduate healthcare programs into optometry and physical therapy, and assisted in the institution's strategic planning and self-study process.

     Dr. Mittelman commended the Provost Search Committee for their efforts during this process: Dr. Radhika Aravamudhan; Dr. Victor Bray; Dr. Linda Casser; Dr. Craig Cassey; Dr. Alexander Dizhoor; Dr. John Fitzgerald; Mr. Don Kates; Ms. Vivien Li; Dr. Lorraine Lombardi; Dr. William Monaco; Dr. Fabiana Perla; Ms. Susan Platt; Dr. Audrey Smith and Dr. Brooke Smith (chair)..

      Dr. Scharre will begin to transition to her new position at the end of May.

She succeeds current vice president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Anthony F.   Di Stefano, who is taking a year's sabbatical and will be enhancing and expanding the University's Public Health programs.

New Appointments for Dr. Scheiman and Dr. Monaco

Dr. Anthony F. Di Stefano,vice president, Academic Affairs, announced new appointments earlier this month for Mitchell Scheiman, OD, FAAO,  and William A. Monaco, OD, PhD, FAAO.

     Dr. Scheiman is now interim dean of Research for the University. Inan announcement to the Salus community, Dr. Di Stefano said Dr. Scheiman's "outstanding career as a researcher, educator and clinician- scholar" includes appointments as associate dean of Clinical Research and director of the PCO Pediatric/Binocular Vision Programs. Recognized nationally for his leadership in binocular vision, serving with such groups as the DOD Clinical Practice Consensus Steering Committee on Vision Pediatric Eye Doctor Investigator group (PEDIG), Dr. Scheiman has extensive clinical research extramural funding serving as the Co-Protocol Chair of the NEI Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Study (CITS) and Study Chair of the NEI Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT). He is currently awaiting a final decision on his proposed NEI/U10 Cooperative Clinical Research grant entitled the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial - Attention and Reading Trial (CITT-ART). Dr. Di Stefano also noted that Dr. Scheiman will bring administrative leadership and a distinctive track record to his new position.

       Dr. Monaco has assumed the position of interim associate dean for Graduate Programs in Biomedicine (GPBI) and brings "broad and extensive academic and clinical leadership experience to the position." Over the past several years Dr. Monaco has served as the associate director of the University's Master of Public Health (MPH) program and as special assistant to the vice president of Academic Affairs for Program Development.  Dr. Di Stefano also noted that, during this period, Dr. Monaco has been instrumental in building the on-line pedagogical infrastructure for the MPH and subsequently for the PhD/MSc in Biomedicine, both programs in which he teaches.

         Dr. Monaco's career spans significant leadership positions including: US Navy Residency Research director; research director of the St. Vincent's Medical Center, Heart and Lung Institute; dean, College of Optometry at Northeastern State University; director of the Optometry Service at the Veterans Health Administration; and research optometrist at the US Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen (MD). He has continued his long-time work as a clinical optometrist, serving underserved populations in nursing homes and other institutional settings and also teaches gerontology in our MPH program. Dr. Monaco brings distinctive leadership skills to the GPBI which will allow us to build on the foundational work of Dr. Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker, professor emeritus and founding dean of the Biomedicine program.   

Spring Brown Bag Lunch Session
Earlier this month Susan Platt, MEd, LPC, NCC, director of the University's Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), hosted the second of the Center's Brown Bag lunches for faculty, students and staff. The topic for this discussion was "Graduate Student Development and Learning."
      The group explored the topic from a developmental perspective, with conversations about common developmental processes and the common strengths and challenges a graduate student faces. They also examined young adult and adult development in the learning environment, whether Salus Students are the same or different from their peers in other graduate health professional schools and how to help a student in distress. Another Brown Bag lunch is planned for next semester, with more to follow in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Salus PCO Special Event at AOA

 

Attention PCO Alumni!

Watch your April mail for your official invitation to the Salus PCO fundraiser and special event on June 27 supporting Salus community outreach programs. It's an evening to get together with old friends and former classmates to celebrate our PCO legacy and support our Salus outreach programs. The event will take place at the National Constitution Center, a few blocks from the convention.  A win-win all around! 

SECO 2014

 

Pictured at the SECO annual meeting in Atlanta this month with Dr. Mittelman (far right) are from left to right: Michelle Kelly, Paul Kotch and Steve Wyman of Alcon. (photo credit: Dr. Tony Di Stefano).
CONTINUING EDUCATION  OPTOMETRY
New Jersey Chapter
of the American Academy of Optometry
 NJAAO will hold its 12th Annual Education Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC from April 23-27.  In addition to 16 hours of COPE CE, your afternoons will be free to join your colleagues on the golf course or just to relax at the Hilton Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation.
Registration
Joseph Toland 24th Annual
Excellence in Education Conference
Sunday, May 4, 2014
"Contemporary Optometric Care"
8 hours COPE (approval pending)
Cost: $195.00