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MMI Monthly
The electronic newsletter of the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
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The virtue of hope
Recently I read a book about the nine virtues of leaders, which included humility, honesty, courage, perseverance, hope, charity, balance, wisdom and justice.
Hope particularly resonated with me -- not the foolish, "wishful thinking" kind, but the hope that is coupled with action, courage and perseverance.
Asking myself, "What do I hope for in my professional life?" I came up with a hope I will witness in my lifetime: I hope that one day individuals with special needs will have equal opportunities to love, enjoy life, be respected and be treated fairly by the rest of the society.
It is such a small thing to wish for, yet it would be one giant step for the human society.
We will get there one day, but our work is far from done. It will take all our nine virtues to get there.
Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
Munroe-Meyer Institute
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Munroe-Meyer Guild's Garden Walk set for Sunday
For its 49th year, the Munroe-Meyer Guild's Garden Walk is offering a change of pace. In addition to four visually arresting private gardens, this year's event will also feature the Helping Omaha People Eat (H.O.P.E.) Garden on the grounds of Faithful Shepherd Presbyterian Church. The Garden Walk helps the Guild support programs and initiatives at MMI. Come out on Sunday and support the event! Read more here.
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Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, Ph.D., M.V.S.C. (D.V.M.)
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Easi-CRISPR a breakthrough in genome engineering
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Sandy Willett, director of physical therapy at MMI, said, "I love this photo since I am doing what I love most -- interacting with kiddos!"
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Sandy Willett is MMI's new director of physical therapy
When Sandy Willett first came to the Munroe-Meyer Institute, it was 1986 and she was a UNMC physical therapy student on a clinical internship.
Now, she is the director of the MMI Department of Physical Therapy.
Read more here
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Jennifer Sanmann, Ph.D., director of the Human Genetics Laboratory
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Dr. Sanmann named director of Human Genetics Laboratory
Jennifer Sanmann, Ph.D., has been named the director of the Human Genetics Laboratory.
The appointment is the culmination of a journey that began in 2005 when Dr. Sanmann joined MMI as a technologist and enrolled at UNMC as a graduate student.
Read more here.
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Project SEARCH class graduates all receive job offers
Nine students graduated in May from UNMC/Nebraska Medicine's most recent Project SEARCH class, with all nine offered a job and four already working. Read more here.
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MMI community gives back during Omaha Gives!
The MMI community participated in Omaha Gives!, a one-day online fundraising event to show off the area's spirit of giving, by supporting the Munroe-Meyer Guild, the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities and the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha.
All three organizations are longtime supporters of MMI.
MMI donations were made through "Cheers" pages set up to support each organization.
The Munroe- Meyer Guild had 39 unique donors, 22 of whom donated a total of $1,028.33 through the MMI "Cheers" page.
The Meyer Foundation for Disabilities had 44 unique donors, 20 of whom donated a total of $1,028.34 through the MMI "Cheers" page.
The Scottish Rite of Omaha had 41 unique donors, 17 of whom donated a total of $933.33 through the MMI "Cheers" page.
The MMI donations included a $1,000 match, split between the three organizations, from MMI Director Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., because donations from the MMI staff reached the goal of $400 to each of the three organizations.
"This is an amazing, caring community!" Dr. Mirnics said to the MMI donors. "Thank you for your generosity - we will put the funds to the best possible use to further our mission: to transform the lives of all individuals with disabilities and complex health care needs."
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From left, Amanda Mills, Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., and Ann Goering
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MMI Standouts program seeks nominations
May's MMI Standout awardees, some of whom are pictured above, included Nicole Hackendahl, genetics; Kim Tyree, genetics; Amanda Mills, education and child development; Ann Goering, interpretation services; and Tammy Molinelli, physical therapy.
June's MMI Standout awardees include Jackie Hankins, education and LEND administration; Chris Edelbrock, occupational therapy; Peggy Whitsell, PIO; Ann Kruger, physical therapy; and Liz Konopasek, physical therapy.
Nominations are being accepted for future monthly Standout Awards. Awardees will be
invited to lunch with Dr. Mirnics, receive a coffee mug or water bottle and have their picture featured in MMI Monthly.
Anyone in the MMI community may be nominated, and anyone on the UNMC campus or in the greater Omaha community may nominate. Anyone who works or volunteers at MMI is eligible, and up to five individuals will be selected monthly for this honor.
Nominations are due by 8 a.m. on the 15th of each month for the next cycle of Standouts. These nominations may be submitted
online or e-mailed to
Sandy Willett for consideration
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News in brief
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| Brooke Rasmussen and Rafael Herrera |
Scholarship winners announced
The winners of the Rhoda Davis Blatt Scholarship and the Hattie B. Munroe Scholarship attended the MMI Board of Directors meeting in May.
Rafael Herrera, winner of the $1,000 Blatt Scholarship, just completed his junior year at Creighton University majoring in neuroscience. He told board members and Blatt family members that he wants to be a pediatrician or family practice doctor.
Brooke Rasmussen, winner of the $1,000 Munroe Scholarship, just graduated from the University of South Dakota. She will pursue a doctorate of occupational therapy this fall at Creighton University.
MMI's De Souza wins ABAI award for dissertation research
Andresa De Souza, Ph.D., who graduated from MMI's Applied Behavior Analysis Ph.D. program in December, won the award for the best student dissertation research paper from the Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). The paper also has been accepted for publication in "The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis." Dr. De Souza received her award in May at ABAI's annual conference in Denver.
Dr. Smith to serve on CSR's Language and Communication Study Section
Shelley Smith, Ph.D., director of developmental neuroscience, has been invited to serve as a member of the Language and Communication Study Section, Center for Scientific Review. Dr. Smith's term will run from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021. Dr. Smith's invitation letter noted the "members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors."
MMI faculty take part in conference on integrating mental health and primary care
BHECN hosted a conference in Kearney, Neb., in May on the topic: "Integrating Mental Health and Primary Care." People from 10 different cities in Nebraska attended the conference. MMI presenters at the event included Joe Evans, Ph.D., Holly Roberts, Ph.D., and Roderick O'Handley, Ph.D., from the psychology department. Attendees ranged from nurses and therapists to administrators.
The half-day conference introduced the concept of integrating behavioral health into primary care facilities and elaborated on how to establish the practice.
There are more than 35 integrated clinics and collaborating sites in Nebraska where MMI has psychology faculty, former faculty, interns and/or postdocs, including two new clinics being established in Falls City and Humboldt. Both are located in communities considered professional shortage areas by the Health Resources & Services Administration.
Mitteer nets prestigious grant from the Association for Behavior Analysis International
Ph.D. student Dan Mitteer has received the Innovative Student Research Dissertation Grant from the Association for Behavior Analysis International. The funds from this grant will support the completion of his dissertation titled, "Improving the Persistence of Caregiver Treatment Adherence."
Retzlaff receives grant to develop net-based training module for SLPs
Ph.D. student Billie Retzlaf has received a small grant from the Speech Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis
Special Interest Group
of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. The purpose of the grant is to develop and validate an Internet-based training module to train novice speech and language pathologists to accurately interpret single-case research designs using structured, ongoing visual inspection, an interpretive approach with strong reliability and predictive validity.
Shorts
- Dave Arpin, research assistant in the MMI Department of Physical Therapy, received a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship with the Kentucky Spinal Cord Institute in Louisville.
- Sandy Willett, director of the MMI Department of Physical Therapy, received an American Physical Therapy Association Mentored Scholar's Grant Award of $10,000.
- Margie Nelsen is retiring from the PT department after 17 years of service.
- Tammy Stephens and Chris Edelbrock earned their Specialty Certification in School Systems credential.
- Tammy Molinelli is retiring from the PT department after 12 years of service.
- Max Kurz, Ph.D., will be a member of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Transition Advisory Team, which will identify questions, issues and opportunities for UNMC/MMI and UNO collaboration.
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Upcoming Events
Upcoming events of interest to the MMI community:
June 11:
9 a.m.-4 p.m., Munroe-Meyer Guild
Garden Walk
, gardens are from 159th and Dodge streets to Cornhusker Road. Tickets are $15/$20 day of garden walk.
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Links of the month
News from around the internet of interest to the MMI community.
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Send your news to MMI Monthly
Is there something exciting going on in your department? Send your news to MMI Monthly to share with your colleagues at the Munroe-Meyer Institute. MMI Monthly will be published during the first week of each month.
Send your news to us!
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Contact the Munroe-Meyer Institute
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