The College of Health Professions and McAuley School of Nursing is debuting a brand-new research symposium on Sept. 28 from noon to 4:00 p.m.
The College of Health Professions does a lot of research surrounding healthcare as well as improving healthcare, specifically in Detroit, yet students and faculty are unaware of each other’s research.
The dean of the college, Ahmed Radwan, wanted to increase awareness of all the research being done in connection with the college.
The idea for the event started with faculty informing everyone about their research but then quickly the ideas of students and alumni were added.
“What we hope to achieve is not just to inform the world about the research that is being done here,” Radwan said. “We are also very interested in bringing back our alumni to connect with us, to hear about our updates, and to see the innovations that we do here in the College of Health Professions and in the School of Nursing.”
The event is designed to assist in strengthening collaboration of the research being carried out by faculty, students and alumni. It provides a platform to showcase the wide range of research being conducted.
“I really hope that the students get inspired by their faculty’s research, so that they continue to do research for the rest of their life, once they graduate,” Radwan said. “It is infectious, if we touch their hearts now at this age, they will want to do that for the rest of their life.”
It aims to foster a supportive academic community, emphasizing the importance of research in shaping healthcare practices.
“I think it makes perfect sense for our college and the programs that we have in this college that we inform the world of the type of research that we do,” Radwan said.
It will feature an impressive display of 40 presentations, including 18 podium presentations that offer in-depth insights and 22 poster presentations, which allow for interactive discussions. Attendees have the option to choose which presentations to attend based on their own interests.
Two of the 40 presentations will be done by assistant professor Ashlee Barnes. Her presentations will focus on student mental wellness and integrating mindfulness practices into nursing classrooms as well as implementing a youth exploration camp on urban Catholic universities.
“I hope that we bring awareness to unique topics that might not be discussed all of the time in healthcare or in academia,” she said.
The topics discussed will vary, and some will give insight into artificial intelligence and higher education as well as student wellness and the integration of practices in the classroom to enhance it.
The symposium will highlight progressive healthcare solutions that support patient-centered care, community health and wellness of healthcare workers. Altogether, it demonstrates improvements in the overall quality of care and promotes healthier communities.
“I hope it becomes a successful symposium, and we plan to do it every year,” Radwan said.
All alumni, community members, current students, faculty and staff are invited to the College of Health Professions building to attend. Sign-up is free and can be done through the 2024 Homecoming Registration form.
