CHHS News

Nutritional Supplements and Education Decrease Inflammation in Diabetic Patients with Foot Ulcers

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 15:36:04 +0000

Nutritional Supplements and Education Decrease Inflammation in Diabetic Patients with Foot Ulcers Mary Cunningham Tue, 06/28/2022 - 11:36

In This Story

Raedeh Basiri, PhD, RDN

A new study by Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies Raedeh Basiri shows that nutritional interventions play a pivotal role in treatment and healing.

Nutritional supplementation and education would support faster healing in patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

A diabetic foot ulcer, an open wound on the foot, affects about 25% of diabetes patients, and without proper care, ulcers can lead to amputation. As with all chronic wounds, diabetic foot ulcers are persistently inflamed, which slows the healing process.

A new study by George Mason University Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies Raedeh Basiri finds that in people with diabetic foot ulcers, nutritional supplements and nutritional education can significantly decrease inflammation and enhance the healing process.

“Currently, nutritional interventions or referral to dietitians are not part of diabetic foot ulcer standard care. Our results show that nutritional interventions play an important role in decreasing inflammation and should be an integral part of treatment, underscoring the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to clinical care,” said Basiri, who is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies Raedeh Basiri

Participants in the intervention group of the study were educated about improving their dietary intake by increasing their consumption of low-fat/high-bioavailable protein sources, vegetables, and high-fiber carbohydrates, as well as decreasing their intake of refined and simple carbohydrates.

In addition to nutritional education, patients took a nutritional supplement. People with diabetic foot ulcers have a significantly lower intake of micronutrients, especially potent antioxidants, which have shown the potential to alleviate chronic inflammation. The nutritional supplement provided at least 50% of the Food and Nutrition Board’s recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for antioxidants, and the nutrition education supported patients receiving the remaining antioxidant recommendations from their diet.

The study evaluated the effects of nutrition supplementation and education on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. After 12 weeks, concentrations of the inflammatory biomarker IL6 decreased significantly in the intervention group, but increased drastically in the control group. Results on other biomarkers were not statistically significant. The sample size was relatively small, so researchers recommend more clinical trials with larger sizes to confirm the results.

To the research team’s knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial that uses both nutrition education and supplementation for improving inflammation status in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. “Improving Dietary Intake of Essential Nutrients Can Ameliorate Inflammation in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers” was published in Nutrients in June 2022.

Topics

CHHS News

CHHS Research

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

2021-22 Academic Year - A Year of Continued Growth and Notable Milestones

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 24 May 2022 13:25:28 +0000

2021-22 Academic Year - A Year of Continued Growth and Notable Milestones Mary Cunningham Tue, 05/24/2022 - 09:25

Another academic year is coming to a close as we celebrate 794 new College of Health and Human Services alumni. Here we highlight a few of the College's recent milestones.

The 2021-22 academic year reflects the College’s strong, positive trajectory of continued growth and notable milestones. For the past five years, the College has seen significant progress in enrollment, degree offerings, philanthropy, and research funding and expenditures – thanks to the hard work of all.

Just some of our achievements since 2017 include:

19% enrollment growth;
97% increase in budget;
122% increase in research expenditures;
254% increase in philanthropic giving;
Recruitment of 83 new faculty, 30 new administrative staff, and 14 new research technical staff; and
76% six-year graduation rate for first-time freshmen, which is a 14% increase from 2010.

In addition to sustaining our substantial growth metrics, the College has also achieved significant milestones in our journey toward becoming an accredited college of public health including:

Launching our new PhD in Public Health in August 2020 and earning degree accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) in March 2021;
Achieving CEPH accreditation for our PhD in Health Services Research in April 2022;
Submitting our Initial Application to CEPH to become a College of Public Health in April 2022;
Gaining approval from Mason’s Graduate Council for a new Master of Public Health concentration in Health Equity and Social Justice in April 2022, to launch in fall 2022; and
Receiving notification in May 2022 that CEPH accepted our initial application submission to become an accredited college of public health.

This academic year, we also made sizable strides on several strategic initiatives relative to the College’s mission of supporting students and advancing the public’s health across the lifespan, such as:

Recruiting 47 new faculty and staff in for AY 2021-22;
Opening the Virtual Reality and Simulation Lab for interprofessional student education in the fall of 2021;
Working to promote a diverse and inclusive excellence community by launching our climate survey and key priorities in March 2022;
Convening health directors, philanthropy, and technology sectors for the Transforming Public Health Workshop in March 2022;
Launching behavioral health services in the Population Health Center in fall 2021 and the Nutrition and Weight Management Clinic, which is scheduled to open in June 2022;
Awarding more than $500,000 in student scholarships to 124 students;
Continuing as a member of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network as well as advancing plans for a research collaboration with Inova;
Engaging more than 500 alumni, donors, and friends of Mason at events such as the Honoring Mason Nurses: Past, Present and Future, Fifty & Flourishing Social Work event, 5^th Annual Farm to Table dinner, and regional alumni events;
Launching a strategic enrollment marketing initiative to support our degree programs; and
Envisioning a Center for Health Equity to advance research and practice.

Congratulations also to the faculty in the College who achieved important tenure and promotion milestones this year:

Lia Fleming and Kerri LaCharite were promoted to associate professor;
Laura Poms, Margaret Rodan, and Rebecca Sutter were promoted to full professor;
Michael von Fricken and Katherine Scafide were tenured and promoted to associate professor;
Emily Ihara, Ali Weinstein, and Janusz Wojtusiak were promoted to full professor; and
Andrew Guccione and Sunny Harris Rome were appointed as faculty emeriti.

"It’s been an eventful, successful, and very busy year of achievements. We can all be proud. Your efforts will have a lasting impact on our students as well as the populations and communities we serve," said Dean Germaine Louis to faculty and staff. "I am grateful for your contributions in all that we’ve accomplished together and wish you a restful summer with family and friends. There is still much work to be done to become a college of public health and to bring health to all people."

Topics

CHHS

CHHS News

College Honors Class of 2022 Graduates at Degree Celebration

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:17:35 +0000

College Honors Class of 2022 Graduates at Degree Celebration Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/23/2022 - 13:17

Congratulations, Class of 2022!

Graduates of the College of Health and Human Services Class of 2022 were honored during an in-person Degree Celebration at EagleBank Arena on May 22. We are pleased to resume the tradition of hosting in-person Degree Celebrations, and the celebration was live-streamed for those who could not attend.

Kim Holmes, associate dean for academic affairs, hosted the celebration and welcomed the graduates and their loved ones during opening remarks, followed by comments from Dean Germaine Louis, keynote speaker Karen Dale, and student speaker Deniz Lopez-Jimenez.

Holmes opened the program by acknowledging all the hard work that led students to this moment.

“Our graduates have made their mark on Mason and their neighboring communities. Many have spent countless hours working and training in local clinics, researching topics that will improve the health of others, leading student organizations, serving the community, and other important causes,” Holmes said. The College conferred 469 bachelor’s degrees, 270 master’s degrees, 34 doctoral degrees, and 21 graduate certificates, boasting a total of 794 spring 2022 graduates who received their degrees across six departments.

“Today, we want you to know that we see your efforts, we’ve seen you in the building on early mornings putting the finishing touches on assignments, meeting classmates; we see the challenges you’ve overcome, juggling work, family commitments, classes, internships, clinical hours; and in the end you all shared a common goal of helping and serving others by proving health and services can support health and wellness,” she continued. “Whether you know it or not, you challenge all of us to be better, push harder, and to chase our dreams. After all your hard work, today is our day to honor and celebrate you.”

Dean Germaine Louis and Keynote Speaker alumna Karen Dale

Dean Germaine Louis took the podium next to share that it was the students who inspired her to overcome her writing block and complete this speech only a few days ago.

“My block was because of the many challenges in the world that are facing our current graduates as well as future ones. And to me, at times, these challenges feel insurmountable,” said Louis. “How do we overcome global hunger, housing instability, health disparities driven by social inequities, hatred, violence, trauma, climate change, in over one million lives lost from COVID-19 infections in the US alone? I asked myself, are these challenges curable? Is it reasonable to ask today’s graduates and the ones to follow to be able to solve these problems that certainly my generation has not done?”

“I thought about our students in the college, across all disciplines...I easily remembered how incredible they are; Something their parents, family, and friends already know and know well,” Louis continued. “As health professionals, our students show up when need arises. Words cannot come close to expressing the great pride I have for our graduates and the faculty and staff who stand with them.”

“I found my renewed sense of hope in you. You can and will correct the wrongs of the world to innovate new paths forward and to deliver health equity irrespective of remaining challenges,” said Louis.

She also offered a few words of advice and hope.

“Remain intellectually curious with a willingness to learn to advance knowledge and deliver health innovations,” she said. “Remember together we can make health visible a reality for all. In the words of Mason’s president Gregory Washington, ‘It’s Mason’s Time and it gives me hope.’”

Bachelor of Nursing alumna Dale spoke to graduates about the importance of purpose. She is the market president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for AmeriHealth Caritas’ Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) in Washington, D.C. Dale was originally scheduled to address graduates at the May 2020 Degree Celebration which was canceled due to COVID-19, but returned this year to encourage graduates to find their individual motivations.

Dale shared that clarity of purpose helps us to be more resilient and have greater life satisfaction. She recommended these steps to find that clarity: Identify your unique gifts, have courage, be inclusive, and make decisions based on what’s right.

“This is the beginning of an opportunity for you to leverage your unique gifts, to find your purpose, to be a catalyst for good,” Dale said. “I wish you immense success in all your endeavors; and I hope you leave this ceremony with positive emotion in your heart, a focus on intentional engagement in all your relationships, a magnificent sense of urgency to define your meaning and purpose, and that you have the courage, the renewable courage, to lead in ways that help you to achieve yet unimagined accomplishments.”

Student Speaker Deniz Lopez-Jimenez

Lopez-Jimenez is a first-generation U.S. college student, who wanted to share his story of hope with his fellow graduates. He thanked his family and asked graduates to give their support networks and themselves a round of applause for all they have accomplished.

“In your future endeavors, I urge you to keep advocating for and helping others, persevering, and holding dear the value of the Mason experience. Go out there and make the world a better place! If you’re a first-generation college student, know that ‘Si se puede!’ You can do it! We can do it.”

After the ceremony, graduates, their families and friends, faculty, and staff were invited to a celebratory reception at Peterson Hall.

Congratulations to our newest alumni!

Check back in a few days for a slideshow of event photos.

To stay connected, all alumni are encouraged to become a part of the public health dialogue on the College’s social media channels: chhs.gmu.edu/news | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

Topics

College of Health and Human Services and ServiceSource Establish a Center on Aging with a Focus on Healthy Aging and Workforce Development

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 18 May 2022 20:55:33 +0000

College of Health and Human Services and ServiceSource Establish a Center on Aging with a Focus on Healthy Aging and Workforce Development Mary Cunningham Wed, 05/18/2022 - 16:55

In This Story

Dr. Cathy Tompkins

Healthy aging is more important than ever in the U.S. as everyone in the Baby Boomer generation nears retirement age.

Post-doctoral student Hyun Kang, Associate Dean of Faculty and Staff Affairs and Professor Cathy Tompkins, Assistant Professor Michelle Hand, and Chair of the Department of Social Work Emily Ihara at the opening of the Wellness Center for Older Adults.

College of Health and Human Services and ServiceSource, Inc. (SSI) have established a Northern Virginia Center on Aging, which will be recognized as a satellite center with the Virginia Center on Aging (VCoA). The center will provide services, programs, and activities for older adults and workforce development and continuing education for health care professionals who support older adults. Faculty and students will be actively involved and are excited for this new opportunity.

The Center on Aging will expand the VCoA’s mission of being an interdisciplinary study, research, information, and resource facility for the Commonwealth of Virginia utilizing the full capabilities of faculty, staff, libraries, laboratories, and clinics for the benefit of older Virginians and the expansion of knowledge pertaining to older adults and aging in general. VCoA is a statewide agency created by the Virginia General Assembly.

“Healthy aging is now more important than ever as our over-65 and over-85 populations continue to grow in the coming decades,” said Associate Dean of Faculty and Staff Affairs and Professor Cathy Tompkins. “This collaborative program will help prepare the current and future geriatric workforce to optimize opportunities to maintain and improve physical and mental health, independence, and quality of life throughout a person’s life.”

By 2030, every person in the Baby Boomer generation will be 65 or older. With this generation being larger than generations before it, more resources are necessary to support the population.

The new center will provide workforce training to students across the College’s departments through practicums, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities on how to effectively work with older adults. Additionally, the Center will partner with other community organizations to provide continuing education and training for frontline workers and licensed professionals. College faculty will have opportunities to evaluate current interventions implemented by SSI staff and community partners.

The Northern Virginia Center on Aging will be housed at the new Wellness Center for Older Adults (WCOA), which is less than four miles from Mason’s campus.

The College is home to the Department of Social Work and leads research and workforce development initiatives focused on healthy aging. Other departments actively involved in the new Northern Virginia Center on Aging include the School of Nursing and the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.

SSI’s mission is to facilitate services, resources, and partnerships to support people with disabilities and it offers a wide range of services to serve the community, including operating the WCOA.

Other WCOA community partners supporting the Center include AARP Virginia, The Alzheimer’s Association American Health Care Professionals, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, INOVA Community Health, Insight Memory Care Center, Northern Virginia Community College, Shenandoah University, the Shepherd’s Center, and the Parkinson Social Network.

About Mason

George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public research university, enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at http://www.gmu.edu.

About the College of Health and Human Services

The College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and to shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including 6 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 6 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college of public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

Topics

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Nutrition News

George Mason University’s Master of Nutrition Concentration in Dietetics Accredited by Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 16 May 2022 16:03:10 +0000

George Mason University’s Master of Nutrition Concentration in Dietetics Accredited by Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/16/2022 - 12:03

In This Story

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

Sapna Batheja, PhD, RDN, LDN

New concentration will matriculate students in fall 2022 and provide skills to become a Registered Dietitian

The George Mason University College of Health and Human Services announced today that its Master of Nutrition Concentration in Dietetics has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). In 2024, a master’s degree will be required in order to become a Registered Dietitian (RD), and this new concentration allows Mason to help raise the standards across the field.

“Nutrition is an essential component in public health and the fight for health equity. With this newly accredited program, Mason will help future dietitians gain the required knowledge and increased credentials to meet the growing need in the field,” Larry Cheskin, MD, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, said. “Additionally, we are thrilled to be able to train students locally and in our soon-to-open nutrition clinic in the College’s Population Health Center.”

The program follows the Future of Education model for preparing RDs. To ensure career-ready graduates, the Future Education Model integrates coursework and an internship into a two-year master’s program. Mason is the second college in Virginia to offer this program.

“As a deeply embedded member of the community, we work closely with local Registered Dietitians and clinics that are ready to partner with our students for practicums and internships, which will happen in the second year of the program,” said Program Director and Assistant Professor Sapna Batheja, PhD, RD.

The College will matriculate its first students in fall 2022. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has approved Mason’s concentration in Dietetics, as well as a concentration in community and a no-concentration option.

Learn more about Mason's Master of Science in Nutrition in Dietetics here.

Topics

CHHS

CHHS News

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Food and Nutrition

Accreditation

Graduation Spotlight: Laurel Jennings (MSN ’22) Rises as a Researcher

John Brandon Cantrell — Mon, 16 May 2022 12:46:23 +0000

Graduation Spotlight: Laurel Jennings (MSN ’22) Rises as a Researcher John Brandon C… Mon, 05/16/2022 - 08:46

In This Story

Raedeh Basiri, PhD, RDN

Jennings’ research in the Master of Nutrition program propelled her interest in incorporating scholarship with a career as a Registered Dietitian.

Laurel Jennings’ devotion to public health led her to Mason to better understand how the food system can impact social justice and health equity. She found the coursework and research opportunities at Mason to support and propel her goal of educating others on the power of micronutrients and how vitamins and minerals can aid disease prevention. As she graduates with a Master of Science in Nutrition degree in May 2022, she shares how she discovered an interest in research and how it will improve her future work as a dietitian.

“I am passionate about the pursuit of social justice in the food system, and I believed that an education at Mason would prepare me to meet the diverse demands of the world’s most vulnerable populations,” said Jennings. “As Mason prepares new health professionals to conduct innovative research to better domestic and global public health, I sought out this opportunity in the preparation of transforming nutrition interventions at all population levels.”

At Mason, Jennings’ aspirations for working in health equity and social justice were met and even exceeded with research opportunities that allowed her to have a role in strengthening public health.

Jennings began in the Master of Public Health program, but she transitioned into the Master of Nutrition program when she realized the program better aligned with her career interests. She soon became a graduate research assistant (GRA) to Raedeh Basiri, assistant professor of Nutrition, to help progress Basisri’s research on individualized nutrition therapy and type 2 diabetes. The opportunity gave Jennings insight into how to design research, apply for grants, conduct human studies, and conduct her own research for publication.

“I completed the process of submitting our protocols to Mason’s Institutional Review Board and the Institutional Biosafety Committee. I also completed the clinical trials application and worked rigorously to develop our questionnaires [for research participants],” Jennings said.

The experience of working with Basiri inspired Jennings to pursue her own research project. With Basiri’s supervision, Jennings wrote a review paper on the relationship between amino acids, B vitamins, and choline to study how they may influence Autism Spectrum Disorder. In April, Jennings’ research resulted in her winning a 2022 Celebration of Scholarship award.

Jennings said that the opportunities she obtained in the Master of Nutrition program grew her interest in pursuing research in her future career.

“A career goal of mine is to work directly with micronutrients, as they relate to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and to improve disease outcomes,” said Jennings. “Coming into the program, I intended to do this solely through a clinical focus, but after my GRA position and coursework, I’ve found the importance of research. Although I still hope to focus on clinical dietetics, my MS degree program has influenced my interests in incorporating research in my career.”

When asked what others should know about Mason’s Nutrition program, Jennings spoke about the value that the Nutrition Department’s teachers and staff provide. “I experienced a positive and encouraging environment at Mason, where peers and teachers aimed to assist my learning and provide me with constructive feedback,” Jennings said. “This was essential in my learning processes and improving my work without discouraging me.”

After graduating with her master's degree in nutrition, Jennings will attend North Carolina Central University in August to pursue the Future Education Model Dietetics Certificate Program.

Topics

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Graduation

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 09 May 2022 20:18:57 +0000

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/09/2022 - 16:18

Dr. Germaine Louis gives a patient a COVID-19 vaccine at the Mason and Partners Clinic vaccination event with Prince William Health District on February 23, 2021.

As Dean Germaine Louis retires at the end of the 2021-22 school year, we reshare this story where she reflects on the similarities in the beginning and end of her career.

When Germaine Louis became Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, she never envisioned serving during a pandemic like COVID-19. “Certainly, when I accepted the position in 2017, a pandemic was not on my horizon—what was on my horizon was bringing together the College’s faculty, staff, and students to become a college of public health.”

When asked about leading the future college of public health during COVID-19, Louis is quick to point out that the COVID-19 is not the first pandemic in her lifetime or her 30+ year career as an epidemiologist, referencing the AIDS pandemic which peaked in the U.S. while Louis was completing her graduate studies. “Becoming an epidemiologist during the AIDS pandemic was impactful for me on so many levels, as this new infectious agent disproportionately took the lives of young men and women. I sadly recall the stereotyping and other shaming actions on the part of some towards affected individuals. As a reproductive epidemiologist, I understood why individuals with risky behaviors were often being blamed for their disease, and I recall with great pride the many scientific advances that led to successful treatment and a more compassionate understanding of AIDS."

“Of course, COVID-19 is very different from AIDS in many regards with a larger susceptible population and its airborne transmission,” says Louis. Still, COVID-19 is an important reminder why public health is essential for contemporary life. “COVID-19 has taught us that it’s almost impossible to imagine a world without a strong public health infrastructure to protect the health and safety of all people.”

Louis credits the College's faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their many contributions in fighting COVID-19 and protecting communities, saying “I’ve been incredibly impressed with everyone in the College each of whom has stepped up to make sure we deliver on our academic mission and one that includes practice and community service.”

Leading by example, the Dean has also been active in the University’s response to COVID-19 – from helping develop Mason’s randomized surveillance testing plans to administering vaccines for the community at the Mason and Partner Clinics. Louis can clearly see how her early career as a nurse and then as an epidemiologist led to this moment.

“I used to tell my nursing colleagues that being a nurse made me a better epidemiologist. What I’d learned in a hospital setting really helped me design better study protocols when focusing on clinical populations. I could think about what it meant to implement a research protocol in a hospital setting for busy nurses and physicians or patients under varying stages of duress. And I really do think that my experience as a nurse was formidable in the success that I experienced with clinical studies (e.g., Buffalo Women’s Health Study, ENDO Study, and NICHD Fetal Growth Study). What I didn’t expect at the time was that I would be using some nurse skills as an epidemiologist in responding to a pandemic,” says Louis.

She reports that prior to volunteering at the MAP Clinic vaccination events, after years of not administering an intramuscular (IM) injection, she was required to refresh her injection skills and have her competency checked. “All of a sudden, I was very anxious about vaccinating after years of not doing so as some technical guidance had changed. Mason’s student nurses were a great source of reassurance, and they shared tips with me. I have found that early training really never leaves you, and it kicked in when I needed it most. It does remind me of the importance of lifelong learning.

Louis shares a story about an opportunity to also bring her training in reproductive epidemiology to bear while vaccinating a group of early childhood workers. A young female worker asked if Louis had a few moments to talk with her after her vaccination. She wanted advice on when to safely begin trying for pregnancy following her vaccination. “And I thought, 'Now that is something I know about,’” said Louis.

Dr. Germaine Louis began her career in nursing before becoming an epidemiologist.

After 30 years as a reproductive epidemiologist and working with couples trying for pregnancy, she was reminded how desperate people are for reliable information about pregnancy-related exposures and lingering data gaps. “My advice to her was that healthy pregnancies and babies start with healthy women and mothers. And, first and foremost, unless there is a contraindication from her physician, the woman was doing the right thing to ensure her own health by being vaccinated. I could see the woman’s smile behind her mask and knew there was a good chance she would take that message back to sisters, friends, and coworkers who may have similar questions about the vaccine.”

“It is rewarding to think about taking nursing skills to epi and now epi skills back to nursing,” says Louis.

When asked for advice she would share with future generations of men and women about empowering women who wish to make history in science, health, and leadership - Louis’ response is simple and clear: mentorship.

“I know what made a difference it made in my life – and that was having a mentor (who happened to be a man) who believed in me. When I was worried about finishing my dissertation, he was already talking about my first faculty appointment—before I was even thinking about a position. When I was in my first faculty position and worried about tenure, he was already talking about my next career move. Having someone believe in you or to see something in you that you may not see in yourself is impactful - you need to pay attention to that.”

Louis believes that academicians have an obligation to seek out students who may have natural leadership abilities or who otherwise have a skillset or narrative that sets them apart and to talk with them ... encourage them for even more. “We should support everyone, but we will always need leaders,” she says. “We also need to do a better job of cultivating hunger in our graduates. By that, I mean helping students really think about and become excited about pursuing a career beyond having a job.

Louis closed the conversation by sharing a story about Ruth Kirschstein (former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, deputy director of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 1990s, and acting director of the NIH in 1993 and 2000-2002) who during a presentation to female leaders at NIH once said that women sometimes need to ‘remind people to think of you.’ “Her advice has always resonated with me,” said Louis. “It’s ok to self-nominate or to apply for positions even if not invited to do so, as long as you have the qualifications.” Louis also says that women can help others by nominating them for awards and special recognitions. “Most nominations take time and effort to do well," cautions Louis, “But, if we don't create a culture of recognition for women and for future women leaders then we will never have the same recognition as others.”

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

Epidemiology

Public health leadership

Public Health

College of Health and Human Services

CHHS News

2022 CHHS Instructional Faculty Promotions: Congratulations to Fleming, LaCharite, Poms, Rodan, and Sutter

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 15:58:17 +0000

2022 CHHS Instructional Faculty Promotions: Congratulations to Fleming, LaCharite, Poms, Rodan, and Sutter Mary Cunningham Mon, 04/25/2022 - 11:58

In This Story

Laura Poms, PhD

Kerri LaCharite, PhD

Margaret Rodan, ScD, MSN, MPH

Lila Fleming, PhD, CHES

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

College recognizes teaching excellence and commitment to student success

The College is proud to announce the promotion of five faculty members:

Lila Fleming – Associate Professor, Department of Global and Community Health
Kerri LaCharite – Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Laura Poms – Professor, Department of Global and Community Health
Margaret Rodan – Professor, Department of Nursing
Rebecca Sutter – Professor, Department of Nursing

“The past two years have presented even the most seasoned faculty with new challenges for instructing and supporting students. We are grateful for the way our entire faculty has helped support student success and are extremely proud to announce instructional faculty promotions for 2022,” said Cathy Tompkins, associate dean for faculty and staff affairs.

Fleming, LaCharite, Poms, Rodan, and Sutter are recognized for their excellence in teaching and dedication to students. Our faculty embrace the rich diversity of our student body and seek to engage students to achieve their full potential. Below faculty share a glimpse into their teaching philosophies, how they support students, and their commitment to preparing the future health care workforce.

Lila Fleming

On supporting all types of learners:

Mason students represent the wonderful diversity of America and the world, including students from a wide range of ages, ethnicities and races, sex and gender identities, language backgrounds, and life experiences (such as military service and parenthood), and they bring a fantastic variety of perspectives to the classroom. I am intentional about developing my courses utilizing universal course design practices that support the success of all learners.

Part of accessibility is making sure that all course content is captioned so that students who are blind or have low vision have access to descriptions of all the images in course documents and students who are deaf or hard of hearing have access to captions for all audio and video course components. Accessibility also means making relevant course materials available to students early so that they can prepare for in-person class sessions (especially if they are English language learners or have learning differences) and can complete online work at their own pace when work and school responsibilities make it necessary to finish quizzes and assignments days before the scheduled deadlines.

Kerri LaCharite

On the importance of experiential learning:

At Mason, all my classes involve experiential learning as much as possible. I see the Nutrition Kitchen much like a campus farm or garden in terms of experimentation and communal experiences. In Fundamentals of Cooking, we cook together. When we are not cooking together, I try to take an active approach in covering some of the science and culture of cooking. We handle different types of flour when discussing the bonds formed by gluten to witness the effect of protein levels on the plasticity and elasticity of the dough. We look and taste the differences between conventional and pasture-raised eggs when covering the difference in omega-3 and omega-6 ratios in each.

I believe that experiential learning, both lab and project-based, can uniquely engage students through both affective and cognitive realms, connect with prior learning, and create student-led learning. And, to be honest, it is so much more enjoyable for me as well as the students. It feels good when students smile in class because they are having fun. We often make greater learning gains in areas and topics that are interesting, engaging, or important to us.

Laura Poms

On her teaching philosophy:

My overarching teaching philosophy is that learning does not stop when the class ends. I encourage my students to apply what we talk about in class to their everyday lives. I often directly ask, “Why should you care about this? Why does this matter?” Sometimes it takes a while for students to make those connections, but when they “get it,” there is nothing more rewarding. It is in this less tangible way that I believe my teaching has a significant impact on my students.

As I have learned through years of practice and research into pedagogy, there is no right answer, there are an array of options for teaching and learning. A good teacher knows when to use what. And if something doesn’t work, an excellent teacher isn’t afraid to change.

Margaret Rodan

On teaching students:

My career focus has been to build nursing expertise, research, and training in the broader context of society, communities, and the policies and institutions – private and government – in which nurses practice and interact. I have implemented this by blending research on nursing and public health with teaching and community service, addressing the critical role of nursing in a rapidly changing society and healthcare delivery structures. COVID-19 highlighted the importance of nurses but also accelerated an already rapidly changing dynamic of evidence-based practice and data interpretation, remote learning, and clinical practice, amidst social tensions related to healthcare policies, inequities, and funding. These factors will increasingly impact nurses and the nursing profession.

My teaching philosophy is to find the proper level of instruction that gives each student his or her greatest opportunity for success. My teaching objective is and will be, to equip nurses to advance in this changing socio-economic and technological world, all the while staying true to our career calling to care for the health of people. The ultimate goal is to use research-based teaching strategies to promote curiosity, imagination, independent thinking, learning, and research.

Rebecca Sutter

On her goals for the future for herself and the health care workforce:

My first 10 years at Mason have been one of growth, innovation, and hard work. The hard work has paid off as I watch students at every level and students from different professions see healthcare differently, specifically healthcare for vulnerable populations. They will go beyond what they have learned here at Mason and change the outcomes at the individual, community, and national levels. My greatest goal continues to be to influence our future workforce and empower them to be the change agents we need in our health care system. I firmly believe that if we want to see change, it starts with how we are educated. I will continue to bridge the gap between practice, teaching, and research while serving the community and preparing innovative solutions to health care challenges.

Promotions take effect at various times in summer 2022. Tenure promotions will be announced at the end of May 2022.

Congratulations to all!

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CHHS Dean Finalist Candidates

mthomp7 — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 17:45:07 +0000

CHHS Dean Finalist Candidates mthomp7 Fri, 03/18/2022 - 13:45

The Mason community is invited to attend public presentations by the five current finalist candidates for the position of dean of the College of Health and Human Services. Those who attend will be asked complete an online survey to provide feedback regarding each candidate.

Each finalist candidate will discuss the following topic: “What are the key challenges facing interdisciplinary colleges of public health over the next decade, and how would you lead the College to meet these challenges? ”

All presentations will be held in-person and also will be available for virtual participation. Sessions will be recorded.

RSVP to attend in-person or virtually Presentation schedule:

March 22, 9:00-10:15am (Merten 1202)
March 24, 9:00-10:15am (Merten 1202)
March 30, 10:30-11:45am (Merten 1201)
March 31, 11:00-12:15pm (Merten 1201)
April 1 10:30-11:45am (Merten 1202)

The CVs of candidates will be distributed 48 hours in advance of the scheduled presentations. For questions, contact gmuprov@gmu.edu.

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5th Annual CHHS Farm To Table Dinner Celebrates 10th Anniversary of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

eander6 — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:04:20 +0000

5th Annual CHHS Farm To Table Dinner Celebrates 10th Anniversary of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies eander6 Thu, 10/21/2021 - 09:04

In This Story

Kerri LaCharite, PhD

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

The College’s Development team and the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies hosted its 5th Annual Farm To Table event on Friday, October 15^th, with the support of the CHHS Alumni Chapter Board and student volunteers. The event celebrated the bounty of Fall as well as the Department’s 10^th anniversary. Guests enjoyed a jazz ensemble, nutritious appetizers, and a variety of drinks as they mingled outdoors and in the multipurpose room of the Population Health Center. Attendees, including alumni, faculty, staff, and other guests enjoyed a buffet style dinner, including an array of local treats: butternut squash soup, spinach salad, Capon Chicken, beef tenderloin, wild mushroom strudel, and assorted vegetables. Sacher Torte was served for dessert with seasonal apple cider.

Following a brief introduction from Dean Germaine Louis, attendees enjoyed a 10th-anniversary video for the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. In the video affiliated faculty members reflected on the growth and success of the department.

Constance Gewa, associate professor, talked about how the program become a formal department within the College back in 2011, recalling just how far the department has come in just 10 years. “Because there was no space on campus, we had our offices located on Democracy Blvd, and our kitchen was a former Silver Diner,” remembered Gewa. The first graduating class had 21 graduates.

“…I don’t think that many other programs in this country have such a range of expertise and specifically focus on community nutrition and sustainable food systems,” said Kerri LaCharite, assistant professor. Presently, the department enrolls 57 students who participate in a host of field placements across Northern Virginia.

Members of the nutrition faculty were able to reconnect with alumni.

To conclude, the Chair of the department, Dr. Lawrence Cheskin, discussed the future of the program. “As we become a College of Public Health, it’s very important that nutrition continues to play an important role.” There are 217 alumni in the department to date.

After the presentation, the Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations, Trishana Bowden, highlighted the importance of the department. Dr. Cheskin also presented alumni awards to Jaianna Johnson (MS Nutrition ’20) and Jessica Reilly (MS Nutrition ’20), in acknowledgment of their continued support to the department and the College.

See the 10th-anniversary video for the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies here.

All COVID safety protocols were followed at this event.

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