IN THE INTERIM...
MIKE BOUTIN
Asst Dean for Faculty & Student Success, SHRS
I always love that moment when I'm heading outdoors to my car and I take a moment to breathe....and I spy that one tiny crocus or the tip of a brave daffodil or tulip breaking through the frozen ground, determined to be the harbinger of spring.
I've been challenged to find harbingers of spring these days: the relentless drone of war in Ukraine, and with it, the pilgrimage of mothers and fatherless children across Europe looking for new homes and lives....
Where is the hint of spring in the historic proceedings to appoint the first Black female Supreme Court justice and with it the debate and proceedings that seem ad hominem and partisan, if not outright racist and misogynist?
Spring seems no where to be found in the national statistics that suggest that 1 in 8 Americans will experience food insecurity, while a staggering 1 in 6 children will go hungry today.
Yet, if I take the time to breathe, to lift up my head and look around: the crocus and the tulip and the daffodil are there, sharing their beauty and life.
The world is united in support for the people of Ukraine. Poland has opened its borders, the US is taking refugees, and everywhere there are sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, and blue and yellow banners of hope. Students here at the IHP have organized fundraisers and signs of support.
Despite the vitriol, all signs suggest that Ketanji Brown Jackson will indeed be appointed as the first Black female Supreme Court justice. "The arc of history bends towards justice" we are reminded through the words of Dr. King.
This month, at the IHP, we will open our own Community Pantry in Building 39, to help address food insecurity among our community.
And at the end of the month, the IHP community will gather in person to celebrate a Spring Holiday party, the first in person gathering like this since March 2020.
I'm grateful to be part of the SHRS community, and the many ways that we nurture the new life of spring in our organization among our students, staff, faculty, and the local community. Spring has indeed sprung...
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Community Pantry
Opens on April 6th
The IHP Community Pantry is scheduled to open with a Ribbon Cutting on Wed, April 6th. The Ribbon Cutting is by invitation only in order to manage space limits. The Food Pantry is located in Building 39, by the printers, so that it's both readily accessible but also discreet. Supplies include canned and dry food goods, and personal care products. It will be unstaffed so that anyone can avail themselves of the Food Pantry when they need it. We will be gathering anonymous data to gauge use and to project budgeting as we move forward.
The IHP Community Pantry is a community-wide resource to deal with the very real problem of food insecurity for many people, and especially for college students. Luella Benn, Jessica Bell, Mike Boutin, Kira Kearney, an OT student, and Phyllis Wallace, an SON student, have been working on a Food Pantry proposal that gained significant support throughout the IHP community. Over the last few months, they put a proposal and time line together, learned from organizers of other local food pantries, and met with stakeholders like the JEDI Office, students, OSAS, and faculty/staff across the IHP. They also met with the Development Office to consider ways to fund this initiative.
This project is just another way that we embody the compassionate community spirit of the IHP: placing our students’ needs first, by taking this concrete step towards recognizing the food insecurity issues that are a real part of our students’ concerns and worries. We have worked hard to find ways to do that which respects the dignity of all those who will utilize the Food Pantry, so as to reduce any possible stigma, and rather, to promote this as a community-wide service for everyone to use and to support.
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Welcome to Sean Hennessey:
New Chief Communications Officer
For Sean Hennessey, it was time to return to academia.
That’s where his public relations career began after more than 20 years in the television news industry, and that’s where he wanted to work again. So, when the opportunity to be the Chief Communications Officer at the MGH Institute of Health Professions presented itself, he jumped at it.
“Having the opportunity to help build the brand awareness of the Institute, spread the world about the impressive work our faculty, researchers and centers are doing, all while getting back to academia made a lot of sense to me,” said Hennessey, who began at the Institute on February 14th. “Everyone I have spoken with has told me the Institute has so many wonderful stories to tell. My team and I are going to make sure those stories are told.”
Hennessey comes to the Institute from The Castle Group, an award-winning PR and Events firm that’s also located in the Navy Yard. As SVP, Hennessey oversaw client relations in the education, consumer, tech, banking, professional services, nonprofit, healthcare, lobbying, and construction management. Prior to Castle, Hennessey was a vice-president at Schneider Associates (now Belfort Group), an integrated marketing firm in Boston’s Financial District.
Hennessey was an award-winning reporter for more than 20 years, with most of his time spent in the top ten markets of Boston and New York City. Following his television news career, Hennessey returned to his alma mater, Boston College, and worked in the Office of University Communications. Here, he implemented a system that secured media coverage in every regional and national print and broadcast outlet.
Hennessey also earned an MBA from Boston College. He is a two-time Ironman and 13-time Boston Marathon finisher who lives in a Boston suburb with his wife and two children.
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Another Professional Development Grant Awarded
From time to time professional development opportunities arise between the October 15 and January 30 deadlines for dean’s office funding. While applications submitted at the regular deadlines will receive priority consideration, we will also consider off-cycle requests with the support of the department and when resources allow. One such request came from PT faculty member Leslie Smith, and we are pleased to facilitate her participation in the New Faculty Development Workshop in Chicago this summer. Congratulations, Lesley!
The purpose of the SHRS Dean's Office Professional Development Grant is to provide matching funds to faculty and staff to encourage the pursuit of additional skills and experiences when the annual allotment of department professional development funds has been depleted. Priority is given to applicants who haven’t previously received support, demonstrate clarity and impact of the proposed opportunity on career goals and identify the potential to give back to the SHRS community. Funds can be used for registration, travel, accommodations, food, and consultant fees.
Applications for the next round of Professional Development Grants are due by October 15th, 2022. Click here for eligibility, selection criteria, and application form.
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The Institute’s Spring Holiday party will be held Wednesday, April 20, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in 1CW.
As in previous years, we will be hosting a fundraiser. All proceeds from this will go to the IHP Student Emergency Fund. Every dollar donated is worth a sweepstake ticket! Go to: Student Emergency Fund before Friday, April 15, to donate. Next, go to Holiday Sweepstakes Form and fill out your name, how many entries (one ticket per dollar donated), and choose which prize(s) you want your tickets to go towards. It’s that easy!
Prizes include:
- Apple Air Pods Pro
- Camping Tent/Chairs/Lumen Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker Lantern
- YETI Hopper Flip 18 Portable Cooler
- Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board, Beach Umbrella and Chairs
- Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones
- Fitbit Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker
- Echo Dot
Hope to see you there!
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CSD Students Meet with Gov. Baker
Second-year SLP students (l-r) Adrienne Rau, Annika Canta, Laura Nagy, Emma Wyatt, and Rainy Sun, along with CSD faculty Jenn Mackey, met Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker recently and discussed House of Representatives Bill H.4245. The bill, which is supported by the Massachusetts Speech-Language Hearing Association, would provide for provisional licensure in the state for speech-language pathologists.
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SHRS Anti-Oppression Task Force
Each month, faculty, staff, and the SHRS JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Fellows meet to discuss JEDI initiatives and programming throughout the various SHRS programs, and to find ways to share ideas, collaborate, and support one another. In order to share the good news of the work we are doing, we will publish the minutes here each month. We encourage your ideas and questions!
On March 3/28/2022, the Anti-Oppression Task Force had our monthly meeting. The program updates included:
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CSD: 2 brave spaces on post-colonialism and allyship; working on MGB religious holidays calendar; working on a JEDI welcoming syllabus; autistic SLP affinity group
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GC: series of coffee talks on JEDI related topics, meeting with JEDI office to review competencies
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OT: curricular review, review COTAD surveys, post professional program curriculum review for JEDI topics, fieldwork preparation workshop
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PA: recently surveyed alumni/students, pre-matriculation work, affinity groups for incoming cohort
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PT: hosted a virtual alumni panel discussion in February in honor of Black History month, looking for GRE alternatives and improving holistic admission process, reviewing social justice/health equity curriculum content
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PhD: looking through lib guides for workshops
The JEDI Office updates included:
- Instructional design workshop on 4/5/2022
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Our next Power, Privilege, and Positionality (PPP) Orientation workshop is on 6/6/22 from 3:30-5:00pm on the topic of health at the intersection of race/immigration. Facilitators are always needed. Contact Callie Watkins Liu for more information.
- Reviewing 2019/2020 DEI survey results
- Foundational work for Fellows program
A subcommittee of the AOTF is tasked with curating shared training for SHRS faculty, term lecs, lab instructors, and preceptors.
A discussion was held on future steps for the task force.
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Meet Meagan Daly, PA's New Program Coordinator
My name is Meagan Daly, and I am the new Program Coordinator for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. Before joining the IHP I was the interim Pro Bono Coordinator at Memphis Area Legal Services, engaging private attorneys in assisting individuals and families in their civil legal matters. I previously spent three years in AmeriCorps, serving in Memphis, TN and Boston, MA.
I am originally from New York and Connecticut. I moved to Cambridge, MA after finishing my first year of AmeriCorps service and have stayed in the area since.
I have a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware, where I majored in Human Services, concentrating in Administration and Family Policy. I also minored in both Psychology and Disability Studies.
I am excited to join the IHP community and getting to know the wonderful faculty, staff, and students.
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Meet Olivia Tennyson, CSD's New Program Coordinator
My name is Olivia Tennyson and I recently joined the IHP as the Program Coordinator for CSD.
I am originally from Memphis, Tennessee and earned my B.A. in English from the University of Richmond.
Prior to joining the Institute, I worked at a Boston non-profit where I coordinated service programs for older adults.
Outside of work, I enjoy long distance running and crochet.
I look forward to joining the important work happening at the IHP!
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Laura Plummer Named Chair of Physical Therapy
Effective April 1, 2022, Laura Plummer, PT, DPT, MS, NCS, EdD will become Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. She has served as interim chair since April 2021, and, over the past year, has steered the department successfully through a curricular review, created professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, prepared for an accreditation visit, and offered stability during unexpected crises.
Dr. Plummer is an alumna of the Institute’s DPT program and a faculty member since 2009. Her scholarship focuses on teaching and learning in physical therapy and interprofessional education and practice. Her peer-reviewed manuscripts, many co-authored with IHP colleagues, have explored online teaching during the pandemic, the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and an evaluation of child development day.
She has applied her scholarly interests to enhance the student experience, as evidenced by receiving the Nancy T. Watts Award for Excellence in Teaching, being named a Teaching Excellence Academy for Learning fellow, and being accepted to the APTA Education Leadership Fellowship. Dr. Plummer has also extended her focus on best practices in teaching to include preparing clinicians to care for people with neurodegenerative disorders. She also serves on the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy’s Movement System Task Force to develop a framework for balance diagnosis.
Through her expertise in teaching and learning, her commitment to interprofessional education and practice, and her experience as a clinician and colleague, Dr. Plummer is well positioned to lead an already outstanding department to even greater excellence.
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SHRS Awards & Recognition
This monthly feature in our newsletter will highlight awards and recognition for our students, faculty and staff. Follow @IHPResearch to learn more. Send news stories here.
Joanna Christodoulou contributed with other international authors to Chapter 4, Working Group 2: Diversity and social justice in education of a UNESCO-published large-scale assessment of knowledge of education
Joanna Christodoulou, Katharine Radville, Emilie Larrivee, Lauren Baron, and Trish Nazzarro published: Online Training Modules for Teaching Assessment Skills to Graduate Student Clinicians https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00068
Tiffany Hogan was interviewed on CBSNews, New York Times, and other media about stunting of academic growth due to COVID-19
Sarah McKinnon, associate director of the PP-OTD program, was selected as a Distinguished Scholar Fellow of the National Academy of Practice. She was nominated by her IHP interprofessional colleague, mentor, and NAP Fellow Margie Sipe, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.
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Amazon Smile
Support the IHP all year long by shopping with AmazonSmile. Just sign in to your Amazon or Amazon Prime account and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.05% of the proceeds from your qualifying purchases to the IHP. Contact Christopher Bjork in the Office of Development for more information.
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The IHP will celebrate 2022 Earth Week on April 18−22 with a series of events, raffles, prizes, and more. More details will be announced as the week approaches. | |
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SHRS Dean's Office
Peter S. Cahn, PhD
Interim Dean, SHRS
pcahn@mghihp.edu
617-724-6138
Mary Ellen Ferolito
Asst Dean of Operations
mferolito@mghihp.edu
617-724-4841
Emile R "Mike" Boutin, Jr, EdD
Asst Dean for Faculty & Student Success
eboutin@mghihp.edu
617-726-8021
Comments about our newsletter? Article ideas?
Mike Boutin: eboutin@mghihp.edu
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