Academic Round Up
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
CHASS Presents Annual Bernadette E. O’Connor Lecture on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition
The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences recently hosted its annual Bernadette E. O’Connor Lecture on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Addie Lorraine Walker, SSND, PhD, professor of Theology and director of the Sankofa Institute at the Oblate School of Theology as well as the president of the National Black Sisters Conference, was this year’s keynote speaker. Sr. Walker’s lecture was called Out of the Shadows Into the Light: The Growth and Development of a Black Catholic Intellectual Tradition in the United States.
The annual lecture, which originated in 2016, was created to engage some facet of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT), most broadly understood as the dynamic and mutually illuminating conversation between the Catholic faith and human culture.
UIW Professor of Philosophy Dr. Christopher Edelman shared, “given that the Mission of the University is informed by and draws on the CIT, we think it is important to invite experts on various dimensions of the CIT to come share their expertise with the UIW and San Antonio communities so that we can deepen our understanding of that Mission.”
Learn more about the CIT here.
UIW Feik School of Pharmacy
FSOP Sponsors Community Health Fair
The Feik School of Pharmacy chapter of the National Hispanic Pharmacists Association (NHPA) and students of the school’s Spanish for Pharmacy courses, taught by Dr. Amalia Mondriguez, recently sponsored a community health fair for the UIW housekeeping staff. Approximately 30 students, observed by pharmacy faculty preceptors, tested blood pressure, serum glucose, A1C and cholesterol levels, provided diabetic foot exams, took a medication history, and provided lifestyle information for attendees. Additionally, a dietetic intern provided nutrition information and important food tips.
The health fair was twofold. It focused on providing UIW housekeepers with insights into their health status. It also provided education on nutrition, medications and healthy lifestyles. Community insurance providers attended to share information about and registration for the Affordable Care Act insurance plans or Medicaid for those attending who needed insurance for themselves or their families. These providers also distributed masks and COVID-19 testing kits.
Through this health fair, the students had the opportunity to practice important patient care activities and communication skills, while the preceptors had a chance to observe students in a healthcare setting.
FSOP Students Share Lab Experiences with Colleagues
Third year Feik School of Pharmacy (FSOP) student Cydney Stephens recently presented a poster titled Optimized and Expedited Synthesis of Janelia Fluor Rhodamine-Based Dyes at the American Chemical Society’s Crossroads of Chemistry annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Stephens, along with Dr. Matthew Valdez, FSOP post-doctoral fellow, and Dr. Paulo Carvalho, associate professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, discussed her work at the poster session. She discussed the highly powerful dyes in her study, which are capable of highlighting drug-binding cellular structures in very small quantities with a high fluorescence (quantum) yield.
Having undergraduate and FSOP students working in the lab side by side has been a long-standing practice in Carvalho’s labs, particularly over the past two years when students have benefited from being trained in lab techniques by Valdez. Valdez has been an active participant in helping lab students prepare their posters for meeting presentations. In addition to the educational value of the experience, Stephens also shared that “working on this project and presenting it to people was fun!”
UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine
UIWSOM Professor Named Osteopathic Family Medicine Educator of the Year
Dr. Carol Browne, professor of Osteopathic Medicine, was selected as the Osteopathic Family Medicine Educator of the Year by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP). The ACOFP awards this honor to an individual who is active in osteopathic education, exemplifies the profession’s highest standards, and has made significant impact on students, peers, and the profession. Browne was recognized at the ACOFP 60th Annual Convention and Scientific Seminars. The ACOFP was founded in 1950 and has a membership of 20,000 current and future family physicians, including osteopathic medicine students.
Browne earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in family practice at the Fort Worth Osteopathic Medical Center and is board certified in Family Medicine and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. She previously taught at the University of North Texas Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and was in private practice in Missouri and Florida. Browne serves as the vice president of the Texas Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, as well as an American Board of Osteopathic Family Physicians examiner and as a National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examination Comlex Level 3 item writer and test reviewer.