May 9-13, 2022
WesternU’s Austin Lecture examines unintended consequences of COVID-19 mitigation efforts
COVID-19 mitigation strategies were established in March 2020 to decrease viral transmission and to support our health care delivery systems. But these strategies, while necessary, had a deeply impactful effect on children’s health – most notably through delayed diagnoses, missed vaccinations and a negative impact on mental health, said Dr. Judy Guzman-Cottrill at the eighth Dr. Robert L. Austin Endowed Lectureship in Pediatric Medicine, Pharmacology & Health Care Policy at WesternU.

WesternU’s Ray Symposium focuses on improving health systems
While breakthrough innovations are important, equally important are follow-through innovations that allow those breakthroughs to be equitably delivered worldwide to reduce suffering, according to Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, executive director of Ariadne Labs, who served as the keynote speaker for WesternU's Ray Symposium on April 28, 2022.
WesternU COMP-Northwest earns recognition for partnership with Lebanon Fire Department 
WesternU COMP-Northwest students volunteer as firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers for the Lebanon Fire District as part of the WesternU Lebanon Emergency Alliance (WLEA). The Lebanon Fire District received the Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO) Outstanding Special District Program Award in the 26+ employees category for the WLEA and Fire Corps programs
Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences news
"The Lack of Diversity in Healthcare: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions," a paper co-authored by GCBS Associate Dean and Professor Christina Goode, PhD, will become part of the National Diversity Council's online resource platform, the DiversityFIRST™ Toolkit. The toolkit is offered to partners and graduates of the National Diversity Council's certification programs through a password-protected website. It is intended to help them raise awareness and advance diversity and inclusion efforts within their organization. The National Diversity Council is a nonprofit organization fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and community. 
Congratulations to MSBS student Sarah Sayers, working in the lab of Dr. Ed Wagner, who won an award for most outstanding poster presentation at the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences conference conducted in Los Angeles from May 2-5. "This serves as yet another bright and shiny reminder of the value this program brings to the University, and the quality of the students that we in the program and the GCBS are blessed to have the opportunity to mentor," Dr. Wagner stated.
College of Graduate Nursing news
CGN has many reasons to celebrate. National Nurses Week runs May 6-12, and CGN is celebrating its 25th anniversary from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. The festivities include a CE event, "Living Into the Future of Nursing," from 3-4 p.m., followed by refreshments and a tour of the Nursing Simulation Lab.

Commencement 2022
WesternU Commencement ceremonies will be held May 18-20, 2022 in Pasadena, California and May 27, 2022 in Lebanon, Oregon.

The Commencement website provides important information on the schedule of ceremonies, COVID-19 requirements and much more.
WesternU in the news