Celebrating Our Agreement to Merge with Drexel: Week of June 16, 2023

 

Dear Students, Faculty, Residents, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Good morning and Happy Friday! It’s been a busy and exciting week as we celebrate our agreement to merge with Drexel, welcome students in our BLVS Summer Camp, spend time learning with our Thai students and conduct classes, labs and clinics.

We are delighted to share:

HISTORIC AGREEMENT: Salus University and Drexel University have ceremoniously tied the knot. Our two renowned institutions have formalized a merger agreement following approval from the Board of Trustees at each university. The signing ceremony, held Tuesday in the Anthony J. Drexel Picture Gallery on Drexel's campus, included an enthusiastic gathering of board members, faculty, staff and students from both universities. Read more about this important and historic milestone here.

AUDIOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES: The Master of Science in Clinical Audiology (MSCA) degree program at Salus is offered for international audiology practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills in audiologic care and to experience specialized training within a specific content area. Read more here about our latest group of international students.

A PERFECT FIT: Brandy Scombordi-Raghu, OD ‘98, Resident ‘99, grew up in a small town in northeast Pennsylvania. Historically a coal mining area, her school district was one of the lowest performing in the state. Unbeknownst to her at the time, a seemingly insignificant job in high school planted a seed for her future career in optometry. Read more about Dr. Scombordi-Raghu’s journey here.

ETHICS ESSAY CONTEST WINNER: As a former English teacher with significant writing experience, Luke Damiani MS ‘23, thought he might do pretty well in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Student Ethics Essay Award (SEEA) competition. And he did -- well enough to take the top prize. Read more here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As noted earlier, on Tuesday at a wonderful celebration hosted by Drexel University, President John Fry and I signed an agreement for our two universities to merge. Here is a link to some of the media coverage from the event.

This partnership charts an ambitious and innovative future for all of our programs. It significantly enhances and improves our student experience through expanded programs, new clinical opportunities, and a potential wealth of options for research collaboration and grant funding.

For our faculty, the merger provides enhanced professional development opportunities, research support, and of course, access to Drexel’s state-of-the-art facilities, as well as the opportunity to teach with the benefit of Drexel’s incredible technology infrastructure.

Our partnership preserves our endowment for our programs and the time-honored reputation for excellence that is the hallmark of The Pennsylvania College of Optometry, the Osborne College of Audiology and the programs within the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation: Blindness and Low Vision Studies, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Orthotics and Prosthetics, Biomedicine and Post-baccalaureate.

While the merger won’t become final for months as we secure the necessary regulatory and accreditation approvals, President Fry and I have already established a solid foundation of shared trust, integrity and drive for excellence that are fundamental to innovation and growth. I look forward to working with President Fry and his team as we form the Integration Council that will guide our efforts over the next year and beyond.

Thanks to so many here at Salus collaborating with their counterparts at Drexel, we have achieved all of the objectives that we prioritized during the course of our own strategic and scenario planning more than a year ago. I could not be more excited to begin the next phase of our collaboration.

During Tuesday’s signing ceremony, I presented President Fry with a FOX flag, a symbol we have used over many years of commencements when we launch our graduates into the world. The flag is a symbol of our shared excitement at Salus and Drexel. As we enter this exciting phase of integration, the flag says it all. Get ready: we’re preparing to launch!

As you head into the long weekend, keep in mind the significance and origin of the Juneteenth holiday we will observe on Monday. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which declared a formal end to slavery in the United States. However, slavery was not totally abolished across the country. On June 19th, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned from Union army troops that they were free, almost two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Juneteenth represents a celebration of freedom and recognition of the perseverance and spirit of Black people in America.

Our colleagues at Cabrini University will host a celebration of Juneteenth from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 19th.

Enjoy your weekend – please be safe, look out for one another, wear plenty of sunscreen when your outside, drink lots of water and come back SALUS STRONG next week!

-Mike

Happy Holidays! Week of December 23, 2022

 

Dear Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

As classes wind down and we look toward 2023, I want to thank our extraordinarily talented faculty and staff for all you’ve done for our students, patients and clients throughout the year. What a remarkable year we’ve shared -- filled with many individual and team successes! Next year promises to be interesting and exciting, presenting all of us with new opportunities and challenges in which to learn and grow together.

A few items of interest for you:

DECADE OF OT EXCELLENCE: In its 10th anniversary of training students, Occupational Therapy has made its presence known. Salus OT graduates are recognized among the best in the country. Read here about the history of the OT department as it marks its first decade.

MARCHING TO NEW ORLEANS: The Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) and Audiology programs at Salus University recently took the party to New Orleans for the annual American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convention. SLP faculty, staff, students and alumni gathered at the weekend-long conference to engage in workshops, networking, continuing education opportunities, and other fun festivities. Read more about their trip to the Big Easy here.

POST-BACC POSSIBILITIES: Salus University’s Post-baccalaureate programs serve students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or are working toward a secondary degree from an accredited institution. Click here to read more about these programs and the opportunities they present for students.

FINAL THOUGHTS: President Zelensky’s remarks to Congress on Wednesday evening provided an combination of courage, eloquence and dignity while under fire. It also was a stark reminder of how lucky we are to be in a country that can come together and provide support to the Ukrainian people who have been repeatedly attacked by a totalitarian government determined to break their will and our commitment to support them. Neither will succeed. President Zelensky clearly articulated the strength and will of the Ukrainian people; our leadership conveyed their support. While this may seem far away from us, their fight, as noted Wednesday evening, is one with direct implications for Europe and our own democracy. It’s important for us to remain cognizant of these events. What Russia does can impact us.

As you prepare for the Christmas weekend, please keep the people of Ukraine in your thoughts and prayers. I also ask that you be very careful when traveling as the weather is turning very cold on Saturday. No matter where you go, please also keep in mind that covid, the flu and RSV are still circulating. Please continue to follow CDC masking guidelines and exhibit good common sense when out and about. I look forward to seeing you in January healthy and SALUS STRONG!

As has been my custom since coming to Salus, I am following a Navy tradition of leaving you with an original Christmas Eve poem that the Officer of the Day was supposed to write in the ship’s logbook that evening, based on the famous “Night Before Christmas” poem by Clement Clarke Moore.

‘Twas the day before Christmas when all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

PCO fixed to screens, through lenses and frames,

In hopes that the Birds win our Christmas Eve’s game.

When out on the field there arose such a clatter,

OCA and DICE ran to see what was the matter.

Reddick, Brandon and Sweat for the sack,

Assisted by Fletcher, no chance had poor Dak.

Now, Goedert and Stoll, Sanders and Scott,

On Watkins, Smith, Brown -- lined up in the slot.

With the seed on the line, Hurts out for the game,

PAs and OTs could assist if he’s lame.

Out walked the Gardner, moustache like a flame,

In as a backup to clean up the game.

His eyes—how they squinted! He lurched and he scurried--

BLVS shouted, “there’s nothing to worry!”

As our O&P, SLP and PhD’s watched with delight

Would our Eagles swoop in for the win? What a sight!

The story has yet to be finished, so we wait

For Saturday 4:25, don’t be late--

One final wish for one and for all:

As you spend time with family and friends

The happiest of holidays ‘til this quick week ends!

Our programs in order of appearance:

PCO = Pennsylvania College of Optometry

OCA = Osborne College of Audiology

DICE = Department of International and Continuing Education

PA = Physician’s Assistant Studies Program

OT = Occupational Therapy Programs

BLVS = Blindness and Low Vision Studies Programs

O&P = Orthotics and Prosthetics Program

SLP = Speech Language Pathology Program

PhD = PhD Biomedicine Programs

-Mike

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving: Week of November 22nd, 2019

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends, 

Greetings this early morning from our Elkins Park campus where it’s feeling like Fall and we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving next week!

A few nights ago, Drs Eckert, Trego and I, along with Ms. Jacquie Patterson and Kate Braemer were in Chicago for our last stop on the Centennial Tour. We had a great time visiting with both optometry and audiology alumni.  I’d like to thank the whole Institutional Advancement team for planning and organizing all of the events over the last 3 months as well as all of our faculty, staff, alumni and friends who came out to see us!   We’ll start planning for similar events sometime early next year so we can continue this important outreach to all of our alumni around the country.

Speaking of reaching out to alumni and friends, Dr. Eckert and I are on the road again as you read this as we head down to Orlando to spend time with our Audiology and SLP students, faculty, alumni and friends at the annual meeting of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).  Many of our students and faculty will be presenting lectures and posters during this annual meeting.  Additionally, we’ll be hosting an Alumni and Friends reception later this evening (Friday) in Plaza Ballroom 1 of the Hyatt Regency Orlando starting at 8PM, so if you’re at the meeting or just happen to be in the “neighborhood”, please stop by and join us!

December 3rd is the international day of charitable giving, Giving Tuesday.  In honor of the special day, we have a special request for you - help Looking Out for Kids and its Big Red Bus!  As some of you have seen, first hand, our 18-year old Big Red Bus has grown tired and old and is in desperate need of replacing. To learn more and see how you can help, please visit salus.edu/givingtuesday and think about giving, even as little as $10, to this most worthy cause on Giving Tuesday. Every dollar helps!

The Salus University Alumni Association, in an effort to support our students and their professional endeavors, is pleased to announce our ninth application period for financial support to students attending professional conferences or traveling with qualifying student outreach programs.  This application period is for travel that will occur between February 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020. The following link details the criteria/qualifications, the process for evaluation, and the actual application https://forms.gle/CSGxMBGKLpD6xsFH9  The submission due date is December 31, 2019.

Finally, today has historic significance in that it was the day that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas in 1963. For those of you old enough, do you remember where you were?

I hope you all have a great weekend and have some time to get out and enjoy the late fall weather.  Be safe and look out for one another!

Mike

Blogging in the Clouds: Week of November 16, 2018

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Greetings from the air as I head up to Boston to join our speech-language pathology and audiology colleagues at their annual American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) conference. Isn’t technology great?! I’m excited to see their posters and interact with many of our students, faculty and alumni! Dr. Aravamudhan represented OCA at the convention attending her CAA board meeting and making a presentation on her research project with mild Traumatic Brain Injury patients.

I hope everyone survived our first taste of winter weather yesterday. It was quite a surprise! Even with our pre-winter surprise, things remained busy at Salus.

On Tuesday evening our staff from The Eye Institute was honored with the Montgomery County School Nurse Association’s (MCSNA) School Health Partnership Award in recognition for the School Vision Programs. Tanis and I had the honor of attending, along with Dr. Brandy Scombordi, Dr. Luis Trujillo and Cathie Muhr.

Last week I mentioned that Dr. Bisant Labib became the 15th diplomate in the Comprehensive Eye Care section of the AAO. What I didn’t’ know at the time was that Dr. Labib made history by being the youngest female to ever attain this historical achievement - many congratulations to her!

Given the almost total devastation of the town of Paradise, California from the terrible fires out there, I felt compelled to mention that in this week’s update. Here are some staggering stats as of yesterday:

California officials said they've identified most of the 59 people known to have died in wildfires that started a week ago. Searchers recovered eight more victims of the "Camp Fire" north of Sacramento on Wednesday along with a third victim of the "Woolsey Fire" near Los Angeles. In the "Camp Fire," 130 other people are still unaccounted for. The blaze has destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and forced at least 52,000 people to evacuate.

If you are interested in assisting those affected by devastating California fires, the Red Cross has a separate pull down item "California Wildfires" for this purpose on their "Donate Now" page.

As we approach this weekend, please keep the folks in California in your thoughts and prayers. Have a safe and restful weekend!

Mike