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  • McQueary College of Health and Human Services

Outstanding mentor in MCHHS

September 21, 2023 by Olivia R. Fowler

Dr. Ashley Payne, assistant professor of psychology, mentors in multiple capacities at Missouri State University. This has earned her recognition in the form of the Bear Bridge Outstanding Faculty-Student Mentoring Award. 

Bear Bridge places an important emphasis on creating mentoring programs for faculty and students; diversity, equity and inclusion are central to its mission. 

Learn more about Bear Bridge

Black Girl Talks 

As an advocate for Black voices, Payne is the creator and lead researcher of the Black Girl Talks Mentoring program. This identity-affirming program pairs Black high school girls in Springfield with Black college women at MSU.  

Students enjoy space to discuss issues related to Black girl and womanhood, education, identity and relationships with their mentor.  

This program is also a research site for students interested in learning about the experiences of diverse populations, youth participatory action research and program development.  

Additionally, Payne is the faculty advisor of five student organizations:  

  • Sister Circle. 
  • Psychology Club and Psi Chi. 
  • Sigma Lambda Gamma. 
  • Association of Black Collegians.  
  • MSU NAACP. 

Mentor philosophy  

Payne is passionate about being a mentor to Black girls and women who participate in the program or research, as she provides guidance in education, identity or other psychosocial needs. 

“I feel a drive to be the representation and change students need to grow and evolve,” Payne said.  

“As a woman and faculty member of color, I strive to make sure students see themselves in ways they may never have dreamed and support them to reach new heights.” 

Payne tries to equip all her students with the knowledge and expertise to get where they want to go and to push themselves to reach what may feel like impossible levels.  

By being heavily involved on campus and spending one-on-one time with students, Payne has the opportunity to build relationships and share her journey. 

“It’s important for me to let my students know that anything is possible, if you use your resources and put the work in.” 

Explore psychology

Filed Under: Psychology, Spotlights, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ashley Payne, McQueary College of Health and Human Services, Psychology

Attend TechMOFest 2023

September 5, 2023 by Olivia R. Fowler

The MO Better Foundation, Missouri State University’s department of occupational therapy (OT) and Hold Fast Brewing have joined forces to present a “MO Better” Assistive Technology Awareness and Resource Day. 

This informative and fun event will take place from 1-5 p.m. Sept. 9 at Hold Fast Brewing (located downtown at old Fire Station #1). 

TechMOFest hopes to build awareness of the many resources in the Springfield area to help those living with disabilities live life “more better.” 

Show your support for this heartwarming event 

Celebrate, meet local healthcare representatives, vendors and organizations and learn more about advanced technology and recreational equipment in a family-friendly setting. 

The event will showcase many local and regional resource providers of assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication devices, adaptive recreational and entertainment devices, and much more. The event will also feature live music, a food truck, craft beer, raffles and lots of fun activities. 

Dr. Jennifer Yates, OT assistant professor at MSU, will help lead the event. She teaches a master’s level course on assistive technology and environmental adaptations. 

“We’re so excited to be part of this event and provide the opportunity for our students to feature a few projects they’re working on in my class,” Yates said.  

“The MO Better Foundation is wonderful to work with and has partnered with our department on many great causes to help individuals in our local community.” 

Learn more about the department of occupational therapy

Filed Under: MCHHS Events, Occupational Therapy Tagged With: Jennifer Yates, McQueary College of Health and Human Services, Occupational Therapy

New leadership in nursing

August 31, 2023 by Olivia R. Fowler

Close-up of a nurse checking blood pressure on a patient.

Key role changes have occurred in the School of Nursing. Namely, Dr. Kathryn Patterson is now the school’s director and Alison Alaimo has taken on the role of undergraduate program coordinator. 

School of Nursing director 

Patterson is passionate about the nursing profession, as she’s been a nurse for 40 years and “has never regretted a day.” 

This motivation is what led her to apply for the position of director. 

Kathryn Patterson

“As director, I can share my passion and commitment to nursing with our faculty and students,” Patterson said. “I want students to know that we can help them succeed if they are interested in becoming a nurse or advancing their nursing education.”  

Nursing is much more than passing tests; it’s a profession defined as both an art and a science. Patterson firmly believes that as healthcare continues to advance and evolve, so must the education of nurses. 

“Science is our evidence, and art is the heart and soul of the nursing profession,” Patterson said.

It’s her hope that all students in the nursing program understand the impact and responsibility that comes with being a nurse. Therefore, the focus of all programs is to continuously evaluate, improve and advance the education they provide.  

Her goal is to ensure graduates are equipped with the clinical and academic expertise needed to thrive in today’s complex healthcare environment. 

Undergraduate program coordinator

Alison Alaimo

Alaimo is an alumna of both Missouri State’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014 and her Master of Science in Nursing, with an emphasis as a Nurse Educator in 2020.  

She applied for the position because she enjoys working with students.  

“I hope to be an integral part of the work we’re doing to make the MSU nursing program a model educational program,” Alaimo said. 

Explore the School of Nursing

Filed Under: Nursing, Spotlights Tagged With: Alison Alaimo, Kathryn Patterson, McQueary College of Health and Human Services, Nursing

What do you know about AI and higher education?

August 30, 2023 by Olivia R. Fowler

McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a fast-growing technology worldwide. We still don’t know how AI will impact our lives, resulting in excitement and celebration, but also fear and concerns. 

Missouri State University’s McQueary College of Health and Human Services will host an AI Speakers Series with the featured presentation titled, “AI and Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges.”  

List of events 

The series will take place Sept. 15, Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 and is open to all MSU faculty, staff and students: 

Sept. 15 

“AI and Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges,” 1:30 p.m., McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall 126 or over Zoom. 

As the featured presentation, these panelists will delve into the opportunities and challenges of AI in higher education: 

  • Dr. Xiang Guo, interim department head for information technology and cybersecurity (ITC), MSU. 
  • Alfonso Mendoza Jr., Google innovator and founder of “My EDtech Life.” 
  • Alyssa Rochwerger, senior director of the digital member experience, Blue Shield of California. 
  • Dr. Zhiguo Yang, associate professor in the ITC department, MSU. 
  • Dr. Tori Mondelli, founding director of the Teaching for Learning Center, University of Missouri. 

RSVP for this event

Oct. 27 

“AI in Public Health and Healthcare: How I Learned to Love the Machine and Fear it too,” 1:30 p.m., McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall 126 or over Zoom. 

For the second presentation of the series, the lead speaker, Dr. David Luxton will discuss his experience as an affiliate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. 

Luxton is an author and research scientist focused on the design and study of innovative technologies in health care with specialization in AI and ethics. 

Other topics to be presented: 

  • Current and emerging AI advancements in medicine and behavioral health. 
  • Core ethical issues and risks. 
  • What health professionals need to know to be prepared for the AI revolution. 

RSVP for this event

Nov. 10 

“Write Effective ChatGPT Prompts to Boost Research Productivity,” 1:30 p.m., Zoom. 

For the final installment of the series, Dr. Ruopeng An will discuss his experiences as an associate professor at Brown School of Social Work and as part of the Division of Computational and Data Sciences at Washington University St. Louis. 

An is the founder and chair of the AI and Big Data Analytics for Public Health (AIBDA) Certificate Program, as well as the author of over 200 journal publications. He is within the top 2% most citied scientists on Elsevier and a fellow at the American College of Epidemiology. 

Learn more about AI 

Join all sessions to hear engaging discussions on the intersection of artificial intelligence, health and higher education. There will be plenty of information to help you discover the latest advancements and explore potential challenges in these critical fields. 

There will be light refreshments and prize drawings at the in-person sessions. 

Attend the fall speakers series

Filed Under: MCHHS Events Tagged With: Artificial Intelligence, McQueary College of Health and Human Services

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