School of Health Professions News

SHP students receive awards for leadership, service, research and clinical excellence

Monday, March 30, 2020

By Kate Hunger

Lisa Le never considered herself to be an academically strong student, but she says something clicked when she began clinical rotations. In recognition of her performance during the clinical phase of her program, the third-year physical therapy student recently won the Student Clinical Excellence Award.

PA professor still relies on her medical laboratory sciences training

Monday, March 30, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Department of Physician Assistant Studies Admissions Chair and Assistant Clinical Professor Leticia Bland wasn’t sure about her path after graduating high school, so she decided to join the U.S. Air Force. When she asked the recruiter to recommend a career that paid well and offered transferrable skills to the civilian world, she was given assigned a medical laboratory science.

“It was the best decision I ever made,” says Bland, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C.

OT professor co-authored one of the most-cited articles in journal

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Learning that an article she co-authored is among the most read, cited and shared from the 2018-2019 international journal Spinal Cord gives Assistant Professor Ana Allegretti, Ph.D., OTR, hope that clinical care for patients with spinal cord injuries is improving.

OT student is TOTA student representative and Presidential Ambassador Scholar

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Occupational therapy first-year student Jennifer Sanchez decided she wanted to become an occupational therapist after her older brother suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident. She was 13 years old. 

After the accident, her brother had limited function in one of his arms. Occupational therapy services helped him make huge progress and made a big impression on Sanchez.

Physical Therapy students present at national conference

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Five students from the Department of Physical Therapy presented research projects at the American Physical Therapy Association 2020 Combined Sections Meeting held in Denver in February.

Second-year doctor of physical therapy students Cat Lira and Helen Valentine Fleck gave a platform presentation on their investigation to characterize the cardiometabolic profile of more than 5,000 South Texas patients living with HIV and their risk of metabolic syndrome. The students used an online database. 

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders to offer leveling program

Thursday, February 27, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Prospective students who wish to apply to a graduate speech-language pathology program but lack the required undergraduate preparation in communication sciences and disorders soon will be able to complete pre-requisite coursework through a new leveling program offered by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

The leveling program is slated to begin in the fall of 2020, pending its final approval, said Associate Professor Fang-Ling Lu, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, speech-language pathology program director and interim department chair. 

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders to offer leveling program

Thursday, February 27, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Prospective students who wish to apply to a graduate speech-language pathology program but lack the required undergraduate preparation in communication sciences and disorders soon will be able to complete pre-requisite coursework through a new leveling program offered by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

The leveling program is slated to begin in the fall of 2020, pending its final approval, said Associate Professor Fang-Ling Lu, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, speech-language pathology program director and interim department chair. 

PA Studies graduates post 100% first-time pass rate on national exam

Thursday, February 27, 2020

By Kate Hunger

All of the Physician Assistant Studies class of 2019 graduates who took the national certifying exam passed on their first try, making the program’s five-year first-time pass rate average 100%.

Forty-four students took the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) between December and Feb. 1, said PA Studies Program Director, Chair and Assistant Professor Paul B. Allen, Sr., DSc, MPAS, PA-C, FAAPA. 

PA Studies professor named distinguished fellow of AAPA

Thursday, February 27, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Assistant Professor Meredith Quinene, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, was recently named a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of PAs (AAPA).

Quinene is the academic coordinator for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. She earned her undergraduate degree in education and taught biology before deciding to go to PA school. Her goal always was to return to PA education.

New MLS program director plans to continue legacy of excellence

Thursday, February 27, 2020

By Kate Hunger 

Assistant Professor Gerardo Ramos, MS, Ph.D. MLS (ASCP), F-ABFT, officially assumed the duties of Medical Laboratory Sciences program director on Jan. 1.

“The first goal is to continue the legacy of excellence,” established by his predecessor, former Program Director and Associate Professor Cheryl Burns, M.S., MLS (ASCP), Ramos said. “She has done an amazing job.”