s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 0 4

AHSm a g a z i n e

for uic ahs alumni and friends

light and mirrors

step by step

habits for life

sticks and stones

heavy lifting with a light heart

EditorLisamarie K. Lukasassistant dean for advancement,director of development

Assistant EditorCaryn Sanders Marcusassistant director, advancement

Contributing EditorGretchen NormanNorman Design

DesignNorman Design

Contributing WritersMaricris BrionesBill BurtonLisamarie K. LukasCaryn Sanders Marcus

Contributing PhotographyRoberta Dupuis Devlinuic staff photographer

©2004 University of Illinois at Chicago. All rights reserved.Published by the Office of the Dean (MC 518), College of AppliedHealth Sciences, 808 South WoodStreet, 169 CMET, Chicago, Illinois60612-7305.

Telephone: (312) 996-6695

Fax: (312) 996-4651

e-mail: ahsalum@uic.edu

Web site: www.uic.edu/ahs

Views expressed in this publication do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of the editors or the university.

AHS Magazine has been recognized for excellence in design by theUniversity & College DesignersAssociation (UCDA) and Creativity 33.

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LIGHT AND MIRRORSINNOVATIONS IN VIRTUAL REALITY OPEN DOOR

TO IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY IN CRANIAL IMPLANTS.

STEP BY STEPROBOTICS HELPS GAIT-IMPAIRED PATIENTS LEARN

TO WALK ALL OVER AGAIN.

Cover Story:

HEAVY LIFTING WITH A LIGHT HEARTTACKLING SAFETY WITH HUMOR RESONATES WITH

WORKERS AND HELPS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

GRADUATE BUILD A THRIVING BUSINESS.

HABITS FOR LIFERESEARCHERS ENCOURAGE ACTIVITY FOR PEOPLE

WITH DISABILITIES.

STICKS AND STONESSTUDY TARGETS THE ROLE OF EXERCISE IN PREVENTING

FRACTURES AND MAINTAINING BONE HEALTH.

OTHER NEWS

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

NEWS YOU CAN USE

COLLEGE NEWS

DEPARTMENT UPDATE

CLASS NOTES

CAREER TRACK

for uic ahs alumni and friends spring/summer 2004

AHSm a g a z i n e

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Dear Friends,

During a year of persistent economic challenge and global unrest, our students, faculty, staff,

and alumni continue to accomplish extraordinary achievements. Samples are highlighted

in this second issue of AHS Magazine.

Our cover story on alumnus, Mike Keenum (PT ’77) titled “Flying High,” best sums up our collective

view of the college’s commitment to educational and research excellence. We are thrilled that our

alumni are passionately pursuing their interests with the same level of dedication!

I am pleased to announce our delight that Dr. Annette Valenta has become the permanent

Head and Professor of the Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS).

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Valenta and the newly designated Department of Biomedical

and Health Information Sciences!

On behalf of AHS, I invite you to stay connected by keeping us posted on your accomplishments and

achievements by dropping a line at ahsalum@uic.edu or UIC College of Applied Health Sciences,

Office of Advancement, Alumni News, 808 South Wood Street, M/C 518, Chicago, Illinois 60612.

We wish you a happy and safe holiday season.

Best wishes,

Charlotte (Toby) Tate, Ph.D.Dean and Professor of Movement SciencesUIC College of Applied Health Sciences

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PATHWAYS › STAMPING ABOUTEARLY GRADUATE EVOLVES FROM OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST TO SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING ENTREPRENEUR.

When Louise Toppe Burns graduated from UIC in 1963,the occupational therapy program was quite small — she was one of only seven people in her graduating class.

“I have a kind of funny brain, interested both in art and in science,” she says. “When I started looking around forwhat I wanted to study in college, occupational therapyalways came up even though it was a very, very new field at the time.”

The infant field offered Burns the perfect blend of art andscience, both in her undergraduate studies and the clinicalpositions that followed. But she never would have guessedher occupational therapy training also was laying thefoundation for a future as part-owner of a multi-milliondollar business manufacturing rubber stamps.

Burns studied at UIC under occupational therapy pioneerBeatrice Wade, whose curriculum blended the rigorousscience classes of the university’s medical school withclasses on crafts such as basket weaving. “We would try to find activities that mimicked what a person would do

once they wenthome from thehospital,” Burnssays. “Peoplelaughed becausethey didn’t knowwhat to make of us studyingscience to applyit in such apractical way.”

After graduation,Burns practicedpsychiatricoccupationaltherapy inMinnesota,

where she treated hospital in-patients. Without themedications so often used today, patients stayed in thehospital for months at a time, and Burns helped retrainthem for the practical and social aspects of daily living.When she moved to a similar job in New York, Burns dreweven more heavily on the artistic side of her occupationaltherapy training. “People came in totally dismantled,” she says. “If they liked art, we worked on crafts for therapy.Woodworking was a big thing back then, as were basichomemaking skills for women. It was very much a reality-based strategy.”

CAREER SWITCH

A job transfer for Burns’ husband in the late 1960s movedthem to Europe, where she learned German and worked at a rehab hospital for a couple years before leaving to carefor the couple’s growing family. Returning to the States in 1973, Burns continued to raise their children full timeand pursued personal interests like marathon running and cycling. She trained hard athletically and ran a sports

training program for a period but found herself missingthe workforce by the time her oldest child left for collegein 1985.

Around the same time, an ad in a cycling magazine caughtBurns’ eye and changed her life. The tiny ad was promotingbicycle-themed rubber stamps at a time when rubberstamps were extremely difficult to find. “First-class mailshould be delivered by bicycle,” said one of the stamps. As an avid cyclist, Burns was tickled by the phrase andshared the ad with her husband. A week later she receiveda package carrying two rubber stamps – one of a bicycleand the other bearing the phrase that caught her eye.The surprise gift from her husband became the first

stamps in a small but hard-won collection. “At the time, it felt like there were no rubber stamps in the world,” she says, so she made many stamps herself.

Burns’ interest in stamps led her to Hero Arts, a tiny cottageindustry in Berkeley, Calif. not far from her home. “I wantedto see a catalog so I just knocked on the door,” she says.The company did not produce a catalog, but she met theowner of the business. The two hit it off immediately. “Wedecided to work hard and build this business,” Burns says.

Because of her occupational therapy experience, sheappreciated the potential of stamps as a creative tool longbefore they became widely popular. “Inside everyone is the need to express themselves. Rubber stamping takes away the fear of being artistic,” she explains. “In occupa-tional therapy, we never put the emphasis on how nice the birdhouse or clay pot was. It was always more about the process of people expressing themselves.”

Drawing on this philosophy, Burns has created award-winning catalogs for the business and led its growth from a small shop of ten people in the 1980s to a major wholesale supplier of stamping supplies today. As executive vice president of Hero Arts, she overseesabout 100 employees and operations.

Burns says she has never feared her lack of formal businesstraining because her occupational therapy experiencehelps her face the biggest business challenge: managingpeople effectively. “You can always hire lawyers and people to manage budgets and run computers, but gettingpeople passionate about your business is much harder,”she says. “My occupational therapy training prepared me to deal with human beings on a day-to-day level and motivate them. It’s an important part of the job.”

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Since 1972, the University of Illinois Alumni Association(UIAA) has honored exceptional graduating seniors fortheir contributions as leaders of the various societies,groups and organizations at UIC and within the commu-nity. The 2004 UIAA Leadership Awards dinner was held on March 31 at the Chicago Illini Union. Two AHSstudents were honored. Among the recipients are HIM graduate Anna Ha and PT alum Vincent Nastav. Both received red cords of distinction worn at the AHSCommencement on May 7.

AHS STUDENTS ARE TOPS UIAA RECOGNIZES GRADUATING SENIORS.

Maria (Ratzel) Dastur (MVSC ’96) is combining her love of athletic training and an MBA from George WashingtonUniversity to help the world become safer for children.She’s a program associate for the National SAFE KIDSCampaign (NSKC), a non-profit organization headquar-tered in Washington, D.C. which fights to protect childrenfrom their number one killer – unintentional injury.

Founded by Johnson & Johnson in 1987, NSKC is the firstand largest of its kind and has programs throughout the

United States and in16 other countries.Dastur’s job focus is to support thevarious chapters ofNSKC as a contentexpert, helpingeducators locatearticles, experts and other resourcesfor presentationsand clinics.

The path that helpedDastur find a job sheloves started at UIC.Her father, Robert,is a 1969 alum from

Liberal Arts and Sciences, and her passion for the sport of gymnastics led her to UIC. “Once I met Peter Jansson(head women’s gymnastics coach) and learned aboutbeing a student-athlete, I was sold,” she explains. As a student-athlete, Dastur found herself in the trainingroom receiving treatments. She observed the athletictrainers and decided it was a field that combined her love for sports and medicine.

The athletic training program at UIC was rigorous, andDastur’s biggest motivator was Head Athletic Trainer

Carol Humble. “Seeing Carol reach the top of her professionas a head athletic trainer at the Division I level and servingas president of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Associationreally empowered all of the female athletic training students. Carol always encouraged us to volunteer,network and get involved with the national, regional and state athletic training organizations,” Dastur adds.

TAKING IT TO HEART

As Dastur reflects on her AHS experience, some of hermost profound memories come from the fall of 1996 when she traveled as the athletic trainer with the women’sgymnastics team. “The best moments came every time one of my athletes returned to the competition floor after rehabbing from an injury. Just knowing you made a difference really makes all the long hours worth it,” she explains.

The hardest times came when Dastur had to tell an athletethe severity of an injury. “Trying to stay upbeat and get the athlete through the initial shock was always hard. You can’t sugar coat things with gymnasts because theyknow. Sometimes I have even cried with my athletes,” she adds.

In the fall of 1997 within three months of graduation,Dastur passed the national certification exam to become a certified athletic trainer and landed a job at BartlettHigh School in Bartlett, Ill. as head athletic trainer. She says, “When I arrived for my first day on the job, the training room had nothing in it. I had one week before football began to get everything ready. It was time to sink or swim.”

She remains an avid gymnastics fan to this day, travelingacross the country to see top athletes and serve as anambassador for AHS. “I am where I am today because of AHS. Each of my professors and coaches really shapedme into the person I have become,” Dastur adds.

PROTECTING WHAT REALLY MATTERSGYMNASTICS, ATHLETIC TRAINING AND BUSINESS DEGREE MAKE THE PERFECT TEAM.

MARIA DASTUR

VINCENT NASTAV AND ANNA HA

““Inside everyone is the need to express

themselves. Rubber stamping takes

away the fear of being artistic”

LOUISE TOPPE BURNS, CO-OWNER, HERO ARTS

LOUISE TOPPE BURNS

REACH OUTAS A MEMBER OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION,

YOU CAN OBTAIN SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT JOB

AND SALARY TRENDS. ORGANIZATIONS SERVING AHS

PROFESSIONALS INCLUDE:

AMERICAN DIETETICS ASSOCIATION

WWW.EATRIGHT.ORG

DIETARY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION

WWW.DMAONLINE.ORG

AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION

WWW.APTA.ORG

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATORS

WWW.ACHCA.ORG

MEDICAL GROUP MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

WWW.MGMA.COM

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH SERVICES EXECUTIVES

WWW.NAHSE.ORG

AMERICAN MEDICAL INFORMATICS ASSOCIATION

WWW.AMIA.ORG

AMERICAN HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

WWW.AHIMA.ORG

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE

WWW.ACSM.ORG

ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL ILLUSTRATORS

WWW.AMI.ORG

AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION

WWW.AOTA.ORG

interactions is communicated via handheld electronicdevices. Patients are using the Internet to obtaininformation about their diseases and to connect withsupport groups dealing with their medical conditions.

› INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY. The shift has alreadybegun from inpatient to outpatient healthcare and that trend will continue. Increased use of technology will promote greater outpatient care with homemonitors, telecare, self-administered medications and treatments. Healthcare standards may become more consistent as large inpatient organizationscontinue to incorporate home health, assisted living and wellness organizations. These mega-organizationswill articulate integrated planning and standards. The primary motivator for integrated healthcare deliverywill be cost containment. At the same time, the drivetoward in-home, assisted living and in-communityoutpatient care will fit with the Baby Boomer value of being active members of society.

› CHANGING REGULATORY STANDARDS. Healthcare adminis-trators and providers will be subject to increased change in regulatory standards and managed care decision-making which may result in more consulting work. Many predict a national health insurance program to fully or partially replace current coverage. Medicalillustrators will benefit from legal cases that challengethe acceptable standards of care as accurate artistrenderings will be needed to convince judges and juries.

As a person connected to AHS, you have every reason to be excited about the future. Data suggests that your careeropportunities will be favorable for years to come. It’s up to you to make the most of it.

Healthcare students and professionals can charge withcertainty into the future. The U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics (BLS) projects 28 percent employment growthfor the health services industry through 2012. Sixteenpercent of all new wage and salary jobs added to the U.S.economy from 2002-2012 will be in health services. Theoutlook is bright for AHS students, faculty and alumni.

According to research conducted by the University ofIllinois Alumni Career Center, hospitals will continue tohire many, however employment growth in the sector willslow due to a shift to outpatient services. Still, hospitalswill have a great need for healthcare professionals,especially nurses and nursing assistants.

Mary Anne Buckman, vice president of the University ofIllinois Alumni Career Center, explains that AHS profes-sionals have reason to be optimistic. “The employmentoutlook is good for occupational and physical therapists,medical illustrators and nutritionists. It’s more difficult to predict the national job picture for other AHS profes-sionals because the BLS doesn’t keep records for thesespecific groups,” she says. “But it can be assumed that the job outlook is promising for all AHS professionals,especially in the growing field of outpatient healthcareservices and likely in long-term care.”

Long-term salaries are difficult to predict due to theunknown supply-demand ratio and anticipatedcost-containment measures inhealthcare. Even still, salariesshould rise especially if there is an undersupply of people trained to do the work.

DEMOGRAPHICS DRIVE GROWTH

The oldest BabyBoomers will celebrate their 58thbirthdays in 2004, and they will live longer thangenerations before them.

The entry of this aging population into its golden years will spur unprecedented change in the healthcare industry.Baby Boomers and people currently over age 60 will wantto remain active contributors to society, and they will takeadvantage of preventative healthcare. They will enroll infitness and wellness programs served by nutriti-onists andmovement science professionals. They will seek occupa-tional and physical therapy when disease or injury strikes.And to remain independent, they will require driverrehabilitation and training as well as vision rehabilitationfrom occupational therapists.

As a result, issues surrounding healthcare costs will mul-tiply in number. Professionals with financial and bioethicalbackgrounds will assist and lead in choices that will beinevitable. Many are on the table right now. In 2003, 43 million Americans had no health insurance, and thecost of pharmaceutical drugs in the United States startedto be questioned. During 2004, insurance premiums areexpected to rise 17 percent, and a Medicare funding crisisis predicted for the future.

WHAT TO EXPECT

A host of factors will impact tomorrow’s healthcareprofessionals:

› TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENTS. We read daily about biomed-ical research and new treatments. Genomic research

should lead to non-invasive genetic treatmentfor many ailments that are now

untreatable or surgically treated.Already, health information

management professionals areusing technology to maintain

inpatient and outpatientrecords and treatment plans.

They are beginning to supplyhealthcare providers withpoint-of-care patient

and medical treatmentinformation. For example,

information about drug

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JOB TRENDSOPPORTUNITIES WILL BE ABUNDANT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.

Two AHS academic programs have been recognized byU.S.News & World Report in the publication’s America’sBest Graduate Schools rankings. Occupational Therapy(OT) continues to be rated first among public universityprograms and fourth overall in the nation just behindWashington University (3), Boston University (2) andUniversity of Southern California (1).

AHS’ Physical Therapy (PT) was awarded the 16th spoton the prestigious list. This is a first-time recognitionfor the PT program. Dr. Suzann K. Campbell, depart-

ment head for the program responds, “We are pleasedthat our first ranking ever has placed us in the top quarterof physical therapy programs nationwide because itattests to the reputation of our faculty, curriculum andgraduates. Our goal is to move into the top ten overalland the top five in public universities.”

Each year, U.S.News ranks graduate programs in the areas of business, education, engineering, law and medicine. These rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program quality and

information for this article was researched by the universityof illinois career center, a member benefit of the university ofillinois alumni association. it was obtained from professionalassociations, the occupational outlook handbook and america’scareer infonet.

statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’sfaculty, research and students. This year, U.S.Newsproduced new rankings of graduate programs in selectedhealth fields and public affairs, surveying nearly 2,700faculty and administrators. These rankings are basedsolely on the ratings of academic experts.

“The only thing better than being ranked by an outsidesource in the top four is knowing what your recognizedexcellence means,” says Dr. Gary Kielhofner, departmenthead for the OT program. “We pride ourselves in being

a first rate program because it means something. Our research is altering practice and influencing policy and organizations to change throughout the world.Students and practitioners all over the globe read ourbooks. Our clinical sites recognize our students as the very best trained. Rankings are great validation, but it’s truly the above that really tell us how good we are.”

Congratulations to these two departments on thisoutstanding recognition!

AHS PROGRAMS RANKED IN U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORTOCCUPATIONAL AND PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAMS AMONG THE NATION’S BEST.

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UIC will soon break ground on a new 152,000-square-footstudent recreation facility. The Sport & Fitness Center willbe a showcase building situated at the northern gateway tocampus, located at the corner of Polk and Halsted Streetsacross from Chicago Circle Center. Construction is expectedto begin next October with a grand opening in January 2006.

The facility will be configured around a three-story, centralatrium lobby. Large windows will offer commanding viewsof the Chicago skyline and UIC campus. The recreationcenter will offer a lap-and-leisure swimming pool,climbing wall, one eighth-mile jogging track, multi-courtgymnasium, racquetball and squash courts, weight andcardiovascular fitness rooms, and exercise equipmentareas. Other amenities will include locker and changingrooms, a juice and snack bar, a fitness services lab, depart-mental offices, multipurpose rooms and meeting rooms.

According to Ray Clay (MVSC ’75, ’85), director of UICcampus recreation, students at universities across the

country are yearning for facilities such as this. “For thiscampus, it’s a dream that will be realized,” he adds.

Funding for the $35 million facility will be achievedthrough a $70-per-semester increase in student feeswhich will take effect once the building is completed.Students overwhelmingly approved the fee increase in a 2002 referendum.

At its November meeting, the Board of Trustees approvedthe design by the architectural team of Phillips SwagerAssociates of Peoria, Ill. and Moody/Nolan Ltd., Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. These same firms designed therenovation plans for the Sport & Fitness Center on theWest Campus. This renovation project was approved inMay and has already started. The $10 million project, alsofunded by the fee increase, will add 18,000 square feet to the facility at 828 S. Wolcott Ave. It will include areasfor weight and cardiovascular fitness, multipurpose group fitness, staff offices and a new street-level entrance.

NEW UIC STUDENT RECREATION FACILITY UNVEILEDAMENITIES WILL INCLUDE A SWIMMING POOL, CLIMBING WALL, JOGGING TRACK AND MORE.

UIC’S NEW 152,000-SQUARE-FOOT STUDENT RECREATION CENTER AT POLK AND HALSTED STREETS WILL OPEN IN JANUARY 2006.

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A state-of-the-art biomechanicslaboratory and exercise center is upand running after a massive $1 millionrenovation that took nearly two yearsto complete. The 7,000 square footspace on the first floor of the 1640 W. Roosevelt building has beencompletely transformed from aformer cafeteria and kitchen into a cutting-edge facility for the AHSDepartment of Movement Sciences(MVSC) and Department of Disabilityand Human Development (DHD).

“As a team, we are orders of magnitudemore productive than when the workhad to be directed from a distance,”says Mark Grabiner, Ph.D., professorand head of Movement Sciences, who conducted the bulk ofhis research at the Cleveland Clinic while the facility wasunder construction. Adds James Rimmer, Ph.D.,professor, enthusiastically, “It’s so much nicer than whatwe had before.” Rimmer and his team previously workedaround the room’s old industrial kitchen appliances.

Today, the space is divided into three sections. It includes a biomechanics lab, an exercise area with more than 40 pieces of cardiovascular and strength equipment, and a smaller human performance lab between the twohousing a variety of sophisticated equipment for advancedmetabolic diagnostics, a DXA Scan which measures bonedensity, and a BOD POD which measures body composition.

In addition, the facility houses accessible locker rooms,restrooms and a shared conference room.

Construction crews completed their work last fall, andresearchers began working in the facility this past winteras equipment was installed. An official dedication andopen house for the space was held on April 20. “The spaceprovides a good area for collaboration,” says Amy Rauworth,associate director of operations and exercise physiologyresearch in the National Center on Physical Activity andDisability located in DHD. “With exercise equipment and diagnostics all in one area, we will be able to supportand facilitate future grant research within the college andother units across campus.”

TWO-YEAR LAB RENOVATION COMPLETENEW FACILITY TO AID RESEARCH IN BIOMECHANICS, EXERCISE SCIENCE AND DISABILITY.

Michael Keenum (PT ’77) was among seven individualsrecognized on April 27 at the 2004 Jefferson Awardceremony sponsored locally by NBC5 Chicago and HarrisBank. The Jefferson Awards honor individuals for theircontributions to public and community service.

In 1972, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator RobertTaft, Jr. and Sam Beard established the American Institutefor Public Service in order to create a Nobel Prize for publicand community service. It was their hope that the JeffersonAwards would inspire others to become involved in theircommunities.

As you may recall, Keenum was profiled in the Fall2003/Winter 2004 issue of AHS Magazine for his work as a volunteer pilot for LifeLine Pilots, an organization

that transports seriously ill patients to distant medicalfacilities where life-saving treatment awaits.

ALUM HONORED WITH 2004 JEFFERSON AWARD MICHAEL KEENUM RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE.

THE INVITING NEW ENTRANCEWAY WELCOMES GUESTS AND STAFF. A NEW CONFERENCE ROOM PROVIDES

COLLABORATIVE MEETING SPACE.

PHYSICAL THERAPY PROFESSOR CLIVE PAI AND GRABINER CHAT ABOUT BIOMECHANICS WHILE

(RIGHT) AN EXERCISE CENTER STAFFER MONITORS A PARTICIPANT.

MICHAEL KEENUM

The 7,000 square foot space has been completely transformed from a former

cafeteria and kitchen into a cutting-edge facility for AHS’ Department of Movement

Sciences and Department of Disability and Human Development.

HINTS ON LIFE BY LYNNE C. BARNES

THE EDITORS OF AHS MAGAZINE INVITED BARNES TO SHARE HER COMMENTS WITH OUR READERS. THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM HER ADDRESS:

“I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME HINTS; THINGS I HAVE TOLD MY DAUGHTER AND OTHERS WHOM I CARE ABOUT. THEY ARE ONLY HINTS AT WAYS TO

LOOK AT LIFE AND WAYS TO LIVE YOUR LIFE THAT SIMPLY HAVE SERVED ME WELL IN MY 50 YEARS OF LIVING. I DON’T ALWAYS GET THEM RIGHT, BUT

THESE ARE MY DOCUMENTED GOALS.”

“FINALLY, LOOK FOR THOSE “JELL” MOMENTS. ACTUALLY, THEY ARE ALL AROUND YOU. THESE ARE THE TIMES WHEN ALL IS CLICKING ALONG IN YOUR

UNIVERSE. SMILE, RECOGNIZE IT AND RELISH IN IT.”

you may recall that this page is usually reserved for “looking back” which captures the history of our college and its departments.in this issue, we decided to celebrate our history by applauding our new graduates.

› ASSUME PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

› HAVE A BRAG FEST WITH YOURSELF.

› CONFLICT SHOULD BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU. TAKE THE HIGH ROAD.

REMAIN THE CONSTANT POSITIVE.

› DO THE LITTLE THINGS WELL. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL. PROVIDE WHAT I

LIKE TO CALL "COMPLETED STAFF WORK." PRESENT YOUR WORK WITH

CLASS. IT GETS NOTICED.

› ENVISION YOUR DAY AND YOUR INTERACTIONS.

› ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS.

› EXERCISE.

› ALWAYS FORGIVE. GRUDGES AND VINDICTIVE BEHAVIOR WEIGH YOU DOWN.

IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO GET ANGRY AT WRONGDOINGS, DO SO WHEN

THEY ARE AGAINST THE LESS FORTUNATE OR ON BEHALF OF OTHERS.

› AVOID GAPS BETWEEN WHAT YOU SAY AND DO. LIVE A CONGRUENT LIFE.

MAKE SURE YOUR ACTIONS AND WORDS OVERLAP.

› HONOR THE INDIVIDUALITY OF OTHERS AND YOURSELF.

On May 7, the College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS)celebrated commencement at the Chicago Circle Center,750 S. Halsted St. Dean Charlotte (Toby) Tate presidedover the ceremony, and UIC Provost Dr. R. Michael Tannerpresented greetings. Commencement speaker Lynne C. Barnes (’77 OT, ’89 UIUC), vice president of operationsat Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.,addressed over 180 new graduates and their family andfriends with thoughtful remarks of encouragement.

Barnes began her career 27 years ago working at thehospital, hired as Carle’s first occupational therapist. For 22 years, she led the therapy services business, and under her leadership, it grew from four physicaltherapists and one occupational therapist to more than200 therapists and support staff. These professionalsprovide physical, occupational and speech therapy in 17 different locations throughout East Central Illinois.

In addition, Barnes has been active in the IllinoisOccupational Therapy Association (IOTA) and has

served as president of the organization. She has beeninvolved with the American Occupational TherapyAssociation (AOTA) as well. For several years, Barnes has been representative for Illinois, served as speaker of the representative assembly, and most recently held the position of treasurer. More than three years ago, Carle promoted her to vice president of operations. In that role, Barnes has led a $50 million expansionproject, oversees several patient care and supportdepartments, and initiated an air medical service for Central Illinois.

Following the ceremony, graduates, their families andfriends, faculty and staff of AHS continued the celebrationwith a reception in the InnerCircle Room at the ChicagoCircle Center. Congratulations to the graduates on theirachievements and welcome to the UIC AHS alumni family.Best wishes for future success and happiness!

SURVIVING CANCER AND ITS STIGMABY CHARLOTTE (TOBY) TATE, PH.D., FACSM, DEAN

I was at the top of my game the day I impatiently satwaiting for preliminary results from my doctor.

One year into my deanship at University of Illinois atChicago, I was on a roll. Hired as a “change agent,” I had just led the college through a successful strategicplanning process. My home life was vibrant and strong. I was healthy, financially stable andsomewhat wise.

That all changed when the doctorwalked in and said “I have bad news –it’s cancerous.”

Little then did I know that those twowords would set me on a journey oftransformation, one I’m glad I had,although I wish the path to itsoutcome could have been different.

Indeed, cancer survivors often saythey were “blessed” with cancer andthat they are better for the experience.But I bet none wanted it. Cancer justisn’t fun.

My doctor’s visit that day was to examine a lump in mythroat, just below my vocal cords. I had noticed it a fewyears earlier, but my physician at that time said it wasnothing and not to worry. But the lump grew and it wastime to see a specialist.

The next four months saw two surgeries and a postoperativeprocedure called “hypo hell” in which my synthetic thyroidhormone was withdrawn, making me totally devoid ofthyroid hormone. This unpleasant procedure preceded aradiological scan to see if there were any residual thyroidcells hanging around to potentially turn into additionalcancerous tumors.

I will spare you the details. Just know that I gained about 20 pounds, felt really chilled in a warm house and experienced the most awful fatigue.

Although I did whine readily, in hindsight it was mywillingness to self-disclose (a nicer way of whining) that subsequently taught me what I needed to know.

Now if you’re going to get cancer, you just might wish forthyroid cancer. While serious, the chances of survival areexcellent. But you still have cancer. And when people findout, they usually react by either bending over backwardwith over-encouragement or looking like they have justreceived a very bad case of the cooties.

I noticed that people treated me like I was a delicate flower,ready to bite the dust at any moment. They would stare at

the healing scars on my neck that I refused to hide with ascarf. At times I felt dirty, unclean and unworthy of beingamong those healthy people around me. It felt strange.

But it also had another effect. People began to discloseprivately their own stories of diseases affecting them andtheir loved ones. I began noticing the number of other

people with scars on their necks. I even approached a few to suggestthat we were part of the same club. I joined an online chat group forpeople with thyroid cancer and found a community that understood,without saying.

I learned that there are a lot of peopleout there who are managing chronicdiseases, conditions that are silent

“disabilities.” In fact, the 2000 censusdata indicate that about 11 percent of Americans have one or moredisabilities. I was one of them!

I am dean of a college with a nationallyrecognized faculty devoted to thescholarship of disability studies.

Ironically, prior to my “cancer experience,” as I like to call it, I was almost clueless about the breadth of disabilitystudies today. I was thinking along the lines of what’scalled the “medical model” – the acute intervention, theprevention of impairment, the disease model. See that guy in a wheelchair? That’s a disability. Not me, I don’thave a disability.

But I did (please notice the past tense), because otherssaid I did, because they treated me differently, becausethey looked past me like I was invisible when they saw myscars, because they were condescending. My experiencepersonified the social model, which simply says that theenvironment creates the disability.

Today, however, I no longer have a disability. As long asmy blood thyroid hormone levels are normal, I’m happy,thinner and more energetic. The scars are barely noticeable.You’d never know that nearly four years ago I underwent a transformation. And you’d never know that my friendhad both of her breasts removed. We aren’t disabled, butwe do have a couple of chronic medical conditions that we have to manage.

How about that guy in the wheelchair? Is he disabled?Nope. He gets around pretty well these days in that newlightweight wheelchair. He too just has a manageablechronic health condition.

It’s all a matter of how you look at it.

CHARLOTTE (TOBY) TATE

this article was reprinted from an editorial that ran march 2, 2004 in the chicago tribune.spring/summer

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LOOKING AHEAD › MOVING ONMORE THAN 180 STUDENTS GRADUATE AT AHS COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER LYNNE C. BARNES ADDRESSED THIS YEAR’S

GRADUATING CLASS.

THE COLLEGE OF APPLIED HEALTH SCIENCES HELD ITS

GRADUATION CEREMONY ON MAY 7.

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This has been a year of significantrecognition and accomplishment for faculty, staff and students. Onceagain, U.S.News & World Report rankedus in the top four programs nationallyand first among public universities.Brent Braveman received ahumanitarian award from AlexianBrothers for his contributions to thecare of persons with AIDS. MarciaFinlayson was inducted into theAmerican Occupational TherapyFoundation’s Academy of Research.Elizabeth Peterson received an AOTA Service Award for her work inGerontology. Joy Hammel’s federallyfunded project, Moving out of theNursing Home, was honored by theKellogg Foundation as an exemplaryproject linking research to policydecision making in the community.Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar representedthe university at a university-community partnerships summit

funded by the Wood Foundation andthe University of Vanderbilt and wasalso invited to the Berlin Network ofCommunity Researchers. Two profes-sional master’s students and twooccupational therapists in our jointdoctoral program in disability studiesreceived university fellowships.

The department has over $1.5 millionin research funding that supports awide range of projects of which thefollowing are a few examples:

› Elizabeth Peterson’s study ofbarriers to hip protector adoptionin the United States.

› Marcia Finlayson’s investigation of unmet health service needs ofpeople aging with MS.

› Brent Braveman’s and my study of the impact of an intervention

to improve independence andemployment of persons with AIDS.

› Joy Hammel’s study of barriers and supports to community livingand participation with people withdisabilities and older adults.

› Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar’scommunity-based participatory and empowerment evaluationingestions.

› Renée Taylor’s inquiry intopredictors and functional outcomes of post-infectious fatigue syndromes in adolescentsfollowing mononucleosis.

› Christine Helfrich’s study ofoccupational therapy interventionwith women victims of domesticviolence.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPYBY GARY KIELHOFNER, DRPH, OTR/L, FAOTA, DEPARTMENT HEAD

My greetings to alumni and friends as we celebrate the graduation of ourfirst Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)class. May’s graduation and pinningceremony was the culmination ofmany years of planning for doctorallevel professional education at UIC, a dream the faculty achieved throughthe leadership of Jules Rothstein andSandra Levi and implemented byCurriculum Coordinators MichelleBulanda and Demetra John.

Our graduates are doing well on thejob market, currently booming withdaily faxes and phone calls to myoffice with offers. The students arealso gearing up for the AmericanPhysical Therapy Association (APTA)conference to be held in Chicago thissummer. Our faculty members will be highly visible as presenters: Drs. Clive Pai, Alexander Aruin, Ziaul Hasan and myself will bepresenting a symposium on postural

control. Dr. T. George Hornby ispresenting a program on body-weightsupported treadmill training. I will be hosting a breakfast roundtable andleading a poster session discussion.

We continue to offer graduate coursesfor continuing education credit sokeep an eye on postings at our web siteof upcoming offerings. This summerMichelle Bulanda will be offering a course on motor development.

We were recently gratified to learnthat UIC Physical Therapy (PT) wasranked 16th in the nation in U.S.Newsand World Report’s ratings of America’sbest graduate schools. I also note with pride that we are 7th amongpublic universities. These rankingsare based on a national survey offaculty members and deans who areasked to rate programs based onassessment of the curriculum andreputation of the faculty and graduates.

Congratulations to all alumni whohelped us to rank so highly. Pleasekeep us informed of your activities so we can add them to our web site.

PHYSICAL THERAPYBY SUZANN K. CAMPBELL, PT, PH.D., FAPTA, DEPARTMENT HEAD

SUZANN CAMPBELL

Academic year 2003-2004 was aproductive, exciting and rewardingyear for the faculty, students and staff of the Department of Disabilityand Human Development. DHD’sacademic programs are the onlygraduate programs in the country that specifically address the socialand cultural situation of disabledpeople. The programs include signi-ficant numbers of students withdisabilities, comprising nearly one-third of the master’s students andone-fourth of the doctoral students.

We are especially proud of ourstudents. This year, many wererecognized for their excellence in scholarship. Congratulations to Andrea Dinaro, DHD master’sstudent, and Ann Cameron Williams,Ph.D. in Disability Studies student, for receiving the Ann and EdwardPage-El Scholarship Awards. The Ann and Edward Page-El, M.D.Scholarship Award was established to honor the memory of Dr. Page-Eland to support educational opportu-nities for graduate students, residents,or fellows interested in the social or medical aspects of neurological

disabilities. In addition, MeenuBhambhani received an AHS Achieve-ment Award and was recognized in “Who’s Who Among Students inColleges and American Universities,”and Kelly Munger received theCollege’s Graduate Student Award.

The Ph.D. Program in DisabilityStudies (a joint interdisciplinarydoctoral program with theDepartments of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy) had a student receive the Dean’sScholar Award (Susan Magasi) and a University Fellowship (Joseph Caldwell). Magasi, Caldwelland Cameron Williams wererecipients of Provost ResearchAwards. Eunjung Kim was awardedthe prestigious International StudentService Award from UIC and theAmerican Association of UniversityWomen Scholarship. Not to beoutdone with recognition, 2002 DHD alumna Cathy Ficker Terrill, washonored on June 3 with the SpecialAward at this year’s annual meeting of the American Association onMental Retardation in Philadelphia,Penn. Great work!

Currently, DHD has 39 studentsenrolled in the master of disabilityand human development program.Thirty-two students are in the inter-disciplinary doctoral program in disability studies. To improveaccessibility, we plan to add anaccessible copier, computer softwarefor accommodations and will contin-ue to solicit financial support andassistance for students (scholarships,travel awards, etc.) from our alumniand friends. We are delighted by ourstudents’ and alumni accomplish-ments and look forward to buildingon these next year!

DISABILITY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENTBY TAMAR HELLER, PH.D., DEPARTMENT HEAD

TAMAR HELLER

In the area of publication, Joy Hammeland Marcia Finlayson edited a specialissue of Journal of Disability PolicyStudies on Assistive TechnologyFinancing. Our Center of OutcomesResearch and Education developed a special focus issue of the AmericanJournal of Occupational Therapy.Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar co-edited a special issue of the Journal ofPrevention and Intervention in theCommunity focused on empowermentand participatory evaluation. Severalof the faculty have participated in aforthcoming special issue ofOccupational Therapy in Health Carethat will highlight our scholarship of practice. As associate editor of the American Journal of OccupationalTherapy, I will edit a department onclinical research.

In addition, a total of seven books haveemanated from the department this

year. Renée Taylor and colleaguespublished the Handbook of ChronicFatigue Syndrome & Fatiguing Illnesses.Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, RenéeTaylor and colleagues publishedParticipatory Community Research:Theories and Methods in Action.Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar andcolleagues published Empowermentand Participatory Evaluation ofCommunity Interventions, MultipleBenefits. Marcia Finlayson publishedOccupational Therapy Practice andResearch with Persons with MultipleSclerosis. Lastly, I published the third edition of ConceptualFoundations of Occupational Therapyand saw the publication of theSpanish edition of A Model of Human Occupation.

This list of accomplishments onlyhighlights a few of the many goodthings that we have realized and have

underway in the department. By allmeasures, they indicate that UIC is clearly exercising leadership on a national and international scope.

GARY KIELHOFNER

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First and foremost, I begin with hope that this year brought health,happiness and prosperity to all ofyou. The department has enjoyedmany accomplishments this yeardespite two years of budget cuts:

› The department accepted ninestudents to the newly-developed,fully-online Specialist in BloodBank Technology (SBB) certificateprogram in January 2004. TheIllinois Association of Blood Banks demonstrated its support byproviding each student with $100toward the purchase of textbooks.The SBB program was created tomeet the needs of experienced,post-baccalaureate, clinicallaboratory science professionalsseeking advanced understanding of blood bank technology and itsrelated disciplines. The programfulfills requirements for eligibilityto take the SBB certificationexamination given by the AmericanSociety of Clinical Pathologists(ASCP) Board of Registry.

› The VRMedLab and ElectronicVisualization Lab at UICdemonstrated the new PARIS(Personal Augmented RealityImmersive System) at the 2003annual meeting of The Radiological

Society of North America (RSNA).This networked virtual reality systemfor surgical consultation and implantdesign includes haptics, whichsupply a realistic sense of touch tothe virtual models. General Electricshowcased our new system in theG.E. Pavilion, technology section.

› A record number of qualifiedapplicants sought admissions for the incoming BiomedicalVisualization (BVIS) class withapproximately three applicants for each of the 15 slots. An articleon the BVIS program featured on the Apple Computer web site(www.apple.com/pro/science/barrows)generated numerous calls, e-mails,and possible opportunities includinginternships, employment positionsfor graduates, collaborations, andrequests for information.

› There was an article in the Jan. 11, 2004, “Career Builder”section of the Chicago Tribunethat featured health informationtechnology/administration as acareer. Karen Patena, programcoordinator for the undergraduateprogram in Health InformationManagement (HIM), was quoted in the article as were several of our graduates.

› For the second year in a row, faculty from the graduate healthinformatics program participated in University Row at the annualmeeting of the Health InformationManagement and Systems Society(HIMSS). This activity generatedthree full days of recruiter inquiriesand potential new students. Thisyear, several alumni and currentstudents joined us in answeringquestions and greeting visitors.

› Faculty in the graduate healthinformatics program were busy thispast year participating in a widerange of speaking opportunitiesacross the country.

BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION SCIENCES BY ANNETTE VALENTA, DRPH, DEPARTMENT HEAD

ANNETTE VALENTA

At our recent commencementceremony, we celebrated theaccomplishments of the class of ’04 and launched these graduatestoward the next phase of their lives.In parallel, we are celebratingcompletion of the first academic yearof our new undergraduate major inmovement sciences. John F. Kennedysaid, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.” In the three yearssince I joined the faculty at UIC,we have been engaged in substantialchange. However, at this point intime as judged by many metrics, it appears that change has resulted in tangible progress.

The scope of our graduate programand number of graduate students hasgrown. In the past year, the master’sand Ph.D. programs in musculoskel-etal biomechanics and a revisedmaster’s program in applied exercisephysiology have been launched. The collective research contributionsfrom the department have remainedconsistent and strong.

Nevertheless, perhaps more than anyother time since I joined the faculty,this was the year of the undergrad-uate. I’m happy to report thatfeedback from our undergraduatestudents reveals a high degree ofsatisfaction with the new curriculae.

Both concentrations of the major arechallenging, integrated and taught bya faculty with a renewed commitmentto excellence in teaching. As part ofthis commitment, in the last year eachof our distinguished faculty offeredclasses to our undergraduate students.

All of our undergraduates are thebeneficiaries of the new laboratoryfacilities that support our exercisephysiology classes. Indeed, one of the new facilities which house boththe Musculoskeletal BiomechanicsResearch Laboratory and the ExerciseCenter were formally dedicated inApril. Our effort to link undergrad-uate education with research is now

MOVEMENT SCIENCESBY MARK GRABINER, PH.D., DEPARTMENT HEAD

in its second year. This summer, twoundergraduates have been named therecipients of the prestigious HelenBarton research scholarship. One ofthe students will be working in thearea of skeletal muscle physiologywith Timothy Koh. A second studentwill be working with Jane Marone inthe area of biomechanics of posturalequilibrium. Notably, one of lastyear’s Barton scholarship recipientshas entered our master’s program in biomechanics.

As we bid au revoir and bonne chanceto our graduating classes, we do thesame for Karyn Esser. She has beenan eminent member of our faculty

for ten years and will be joining aresearch team at another university.Over the years, we have been enrichedby her presence and contributions to the department. We’re happy forher as she embarks on a new life andcareer adventure. Meanwhile, in the autumn, we will welcome anotherincoming class. It’s with this classthat we will continue to work harderto build upon our past and invest in our future. Once again quotingJohn F. Kennedy, “The goal ofeducation is the advancement ofknowledge and the dissemination of truth.” Simple and elegant.

MARK GRABINER

This has been a particularly excitingyear for Human Nutrition with severalsignificant changes and expansions.For the first time, we will be acceptingstudents for the undergraduateprogram leading to a bachelor ofscience degree in nutrition. Thesestudents will have the opportunity to pursue a variety of professionaldegrees or can apply for internshipsif they choose.

The faculty has had a great year after being awarded approximately$650,000 in grants from a variety of private foundations as well as local and national funding agencies.Nineteen research papers emergedfrom our scientific efforts as well.

Our newest faculty member, YoufaWang, joined the department threeyears ago from the University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill andobtained National Institutes of Healthfunding with an impressive publica-tion record in just the last few years.His areas of expertise are in theresearch of domestic and interna-tional childhood obesity preventionand consequences, and they haveadded new depth to the department.

The newest addition to the departmentis Giamila Fantuzzi who will join us this fall from the Department of Medicine at the University ofColorado Health Sciences Center at

the rank of associate professor. With training in both nutrition andimmunology, her research is focusedon the effects of inflammation on thedevelopment of obesity and malnutri-tion-associated metabolic alterations.

Also joining the department as adjunctassociate professor is Joseph Espatfrom the Department of GeneralSurgery. His research is focused onthe anti-cancer effects of omega-3-fatty acids. With the addition of thesetwo individuals, the department hasestablished the nutritional impact on cancer and obesity as focus areas.

This year has also seen the promotionof Carol Braunschweig to associateprofessor, and Phyllis Bowen hasbecome the assistant dean for theUrban Allied Health Academy. Whileseveral members of the departmentreceived recognition for their researchand teaching, it is noteworthy that I received the The E.L.R. StokstadAward for Research in Nutrition pre-sented for cutting-edge discoveriesrelated to cellular and molecular roles for selenium. The award,sponsored by the American Societyfor Nutritional Sciences, included a financial award of $2,500 and a wooden plaque presented at anawards ceremony in Washington D.C.

I will be joining three to four othernutrition and AHS scientists in

occupying new laboratories on thefirst floor of the 1919 W. Taylor St.building. Scheduled for completionin September, these laboratoriesrepresent a $3 million renovationproject that will convert the oldkitchen and laboratories in thatbuilding to a state-of-the-artmolecular biology research facility.Along with newly-renovated officespace on the 5th floor of thatbuilding, students and researcherswill occupy what will be among themost aesthetically pleasing andfunctional research space in theentire Chicago area.

The future challenge of the depart-ment will be to continue this progressby obtaining new research support,growing our undergraduate andgraduate teaching programs, and to continue the expansion of ourfaculty numbers.

HUMAN NUTRITIONBY ALAN M. DIAMOND, PH.D., DEPARTMENT HEAD

ALAN DIAMOND

Recovering the ability to walk after a stroke or spinal cord injury not only demandspersonal effort and determination from the patient, it also can require a team of professionals. In a rehabilitation setting, helping a person recover walkingability means retraining the brain, spinal cord, and muscles to move in a walkingpattern. Research performed over the past 20 years has indicated that one specificform of therapy, called body weight supported treadmill training, can help increasethe walking ability of patients with gait dysfunction. Such therapy involvespartially suspending a patient over a treadmill with a harness-counterweightsystem, and using three therapists, one to hold the patient’s torso in place andone on either leg, to assist a patient to move their legs over and over in a normalstepping pattern.

Such therapy can be very effective but not readily accessible in today’s healthcareenvironment, explains T. George Hornby, PT, Ph.D., assistant professor in theDepartment of Physical Therapy. “Typically, you can’t get three therapists to focuson one patient. Usually it’s the reverse – you have three patients for one therapist.”

A new innovation in robotics may change that. The Lokomat Robotic GaitOrthosis mechanizes walking motions for gait-impaired patients, relievingtherapists of the most strenuous and repetitive aspects of manual training. As the first machine of its kind, the robot’s automated process has the potentialto open an important therapy to a much wider body of patients.

“Lokomat gives patients the sensory information associated with walking,” saysHornby, who conducts his robotics research with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). “If this proves to be as good as having therapists move patients’legs, then machines like this should be integrated into the clinical setting.”

REPETITIVE MOTION

In 2001, RIC was the first rehabilitation center in the United States to obtain aLokomat, and it remains one of just a handful of centers in the country to havethe machine. With assistance from the robot, a single therapist can help a patientout of his wheelchair into a harness, suspend them over a treadmill, and align hislegs with specialized braces and the machine’s motors. Lokomat then takes overthe work of moving the patient’s legs in a symmetrical walking pattern.

“The most important aspect to recovery after a nervous system injury ispractice,” Hornby says. “Lokomat does the most menial, physical workof providing assistance to move the legs in a walking pattern so patientscan receive more walking practice.”

In a study of patients whose ability to walk remained severely limitedmore than two years after their injuries, eight weeks of regular Lokomat training helped them walk an average of 50 percent fasterand significantly improved their endurance. Preliminary studies alsoshow the robot is at least as effective as traditional training wheretherapists move a patient’s legs on a treadmill.

“No matter what the robot can do, it’s clinicians who need to decidewho will best benefit, and when is the best time to stop training on themachine,” Hornby says. “Lokomat equips therapists with a tool that does the most time-consuming aspects of their work so they can direct their energy elsewhere.”

T. GEORGE HORNBY AND PHYSICAL

THERAPY STUDENT JEFFREY ISRAEL

STEP BY STEPROBOTICS HELPS INDIVIDUALS WITH GAIT IMPAIRMENTS LEARN TO WALK

ALL OVER AGAIN.

In a study of patients whose ability to walk

remained severely limited more than two

years after their injuries, eight weeks of regular

Lokomat training helped them walk an average

of 50 percent faster and significantly improved

their endurance.

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The realm of virtual reality often generates images so vivid that users feel theycan reach out and touch them. Now a new generation of VR technology makes it possible to actually do so.

The Tele-Immersive system at AHS not only produces a realistic, three-dimensional image, it also allows users to interact with it as if it were the realthing. “The sense of touch is something that’s been missing in virtual reality,”says Mary Rasmussen, director of the AHS Virtual Reality in Medicine Laboratory.

“This system provides an amazing tactile sense.” Building on research from theAHS Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, the system’sdevelopers now can generate virtual skulls that surgeons and medical modelerscan use to form cranial implants for traumatic head injuries.

The technology is so realistic that when it was featured at a recent meeting of radiologists, one person after another looked under the half-silvered mirrorcreating the effect, searching for the “real” skull. “They couldn’t believe therewasn’t something there,” Rasmussen says.

HARNESSING VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY FOR REAL PATIENT BENEFITS

The search for a less invasive way to create cranial implants began with Ray Evenhouse (BVIS ’82), assistant professor at the AHS School of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences and Dr. Fady Charbel, Head of NeurologicalSurgery at UIC. Currently, surgeons and medical modelers fabricate cranialimplants interoperatively, meaning they must open the patient’s scalp, exposethe defect in the skull, and mold the implant while the patient is still on theoperating table. Evenhouse developed a way to create the implant before the operation.

The sophisticated process called “stereolithography” uses CAT scans to build a plastic model of the patient’s skull one sliver-thin layer at a time. Medicalmodelers then work off the model and use traditional molding techniques tocreate an acrylic implant. While the process has shown extremely promisingbenefits for patients, the labor-intensive process can be prohibitively expensive. “It seemed to me because we had this new technology, there were ways we could speed up the process,” Evenhouse says.

Developed on the UIC Electronic Visualization Laboratory’s Personal AugmentedReality Immersive System (PARIS™), the Tele-Immersive system lets medicalmodelers perform the most time-consuming parts of the process digitally. PARIS allows a participant’s hands to share the same space as the model as if it were a real one, and it includes a stylus that gives force feedback when it hits the surface of a virtual object. “You can literally thump on the skull,”Evenhouse says. Researchers now are refining the system to make the newimplant production process available to a wider audience.

Led by researchers Zhuming Ai and Jason Leigh, work also is underway tointegrate the Tele-Immersive system with advanced networking technologies so physicians and specialists can consult on implants from remote locations.

“A patient will not necessarily have to travel to us anymore,” Ai says. “Data can be shipped to us and specialists can work with medical modelers on the otherside of the world.”

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LIGHT AND MIRRORSINNOVATIONS IN VIRTUAL REALITY OPEN DOOR TO BETTER

CRANIAL IMPLANTS.

“The sense of touch is something that’s

been missing in virtual reality,” says

Mary Rasmussen, director of the AHS

Virtual Reality in Medicine Laboratory.

“This system provides an amazing

tactile sense.”

UIC RESEARCHERS ZHUMING AI, CHRIS SCHARRER

AND RAY EVENHOUSE

THE PARIS™ SYSTEM AT WORK.

GRADUATE STUDENT SCHARRER

DEMONSTRATES INTEGRATION OF HAPTICS

(TOUCH) INTO THE PARIS™ SYSTEM.

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The first time AHS graduate Michael Melnik made a workplace safety presentation, he faced a room full of truck drivers with arms crossed and zero interest in what he had to say. Wearing his white lab coat, he worked eagerly to win them over with his enthusi-asm and technical experience in preventing workplace injuries. “Here were these gruffguys practically daring me to teach them something,” Melnik recalls. “In short, they won that battle.”

Getting “blown out of the water” that day remains one of the worst experiences ofMelnik’s life. But it sparked a quest to learn the best ways to get through to employeesand influence their workplace behavior. Since then, the occupational therapy graduatehas worked with hundreds of companies and more than 100,000 participants. Buildingon his OT experience and quick to learn from his early mistakes, he has built his owncompany with an extensive client roster including corporations like Wal-Mart, HomeDepot, Best Buy and 3M.

Melnik (OT ’83, UIUC ’85) travels around the country making presentations that coverthe same ground he first struggled through almost 20 years ago – only in a much differentway. Now his focus is as much on entertaining as it is on being the expert. “Mike can readpeople and shows an understanding of what’s going on,” says Michael Manning, a formerclient and now president of Manning and Associates Safety, Inc. “He’s as comfortable inthe board room as he is in front of the punch press, and that’s very important.”

Both know the problem firsthand – the rate of workplace injuries is staggering. Each day, an average of 9,000 U.S. workers sustain disabling injuries on the job, reports the National Occupational Research Agenda published by the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services. According to Liberty Mutual Group, a major provider of workerscompensation insurance, overexertion injuries caused by excessive lifting, pushing,pulling, holding, carrying or throwing of objects is the leading cause of workplaceinjuries. Proper training and ergonomic adjustments by occupational or physicaltherapists can prevent many of them from happening in the first place.

STUMBLING ONTO THE RIGHT THINGMelnik’s road to becoming a successful entrepreneur began with a serendipitous parkingspot for his car. Following one year of college at the University of Miami in Florida, a year at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. and a year living in Israel, he paid a visitto the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus to inquire about the university’sphysical therapy program only to learn he didn’t have the prerequisites to be admitted.He returned to his car disappointed when he noticed he was parked in front of the OT building. “I had never heard of OT prior to parking my car in front of that building,” he says. He learned the bare bones about the field and applied for the program.

Melnik found he loved the practical nature of his studies. After graduating in 1983, he left Chicago to begin acute care rehab work for a Champaign, Ill. hospital and startedpursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology at the University of Illinois. While he wanted to better understand the science behind his rehab recommendations topatients, he realized early on he would not be following the traditional occupationaltherapy career path. Melnik knew he thrived on constant change, and the predictabilityof his life as a clinician prompted him to consider careers beyond the hospital walls.

Melnik had no concrete plans when applying for graduate school, but he started thinkingabout how he might incorporate a long-standing interest in public speaking into his career.

“I’m always happiest when I have an audience,” he says frankly. “I knew I wanted to becomean authority on something – I just wasn’t sure what. Everyone I knew who spoke for a livinghad initials after their name.”

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tackling safety with humor resonates withworkers and helps occupational therapygraduate build a thriving business.

HEAVY LIFTING

“EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE SERIOUS THINGS, BUT THE BIGGEST

MISSING INGREDIENT ON THE PLANET IS FUN. IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT

A WAY TO MAKE LEARNING A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE, IT WILL WORK.”MICHAEL MELNIK

form Prevention Plus, Inc., a Minneapolis-based company devoted to marketingMelnik’s presentations, consultingservices and products. His humorousapproach to the serious topic of workplacesafety became such a hallmark that it wasapparent even when he wasn’t trainingemployees.

During a job as a technical consultant for avideo on workplace safety, the productioncrew was so taken by his comments andattitude that the producer scuttled theoriginal actors and script and had Melnik

“star” in the video himself. He went on toproduce a line of safety videos that now aredistributed throughout the United States,Canada and Australia. True to form, thevideos are likely the only ones on backinjury prevention that incorporate comedyclub routines. “We broke the mold for howpeople learn and train, and what videotraining should look like,” Melnik says.

BUSINESS BUILDINGMelnik’s commitment to carving a differentpath for himself has carried him throughthe bumps of starting and growing his owncompany. No matter how sophisticated histechnical knowledge of injury prevention,his training did not prepare him for thepractical aspect of running a business.

“Until you do it, you don’t realize how muchmoney you spend on staying alive – thingslike paper clips and copies and faxes – all the things someone else used to takecare of,” he says.

By following his passion and continuallylooking for new opportunities, Melnik’s

business now is flourishing. The line of safety videos born from one technicalconsulting job has evolved into producingcustom-tailored safety videos for specificcompanies. His original work trainingemployees has grown to include a consult-ing practice that helps companies actuallymake the changes they need to create saferwork environments. And through eachevolution of his business, he has continuedto make the training presentations thatstarted it all. “Much of my success comesfrom me being committed to doing what I thought was the right thing and hangingaround long enough,” he says. “Five yearsago I could not have been doing what I’mdoing now.”

The path that began with a parking spotoutside the OT building has led Melnik towork with some of the biggest companiesin the country, but he is not resting on hislaurels. “Each year brings new opportuni-ties for personal and professional growth. I believe that as long as I maintain a healthyattitude, doors will continue to open,” hesays. “I feel very lucky. I still can’t believepeople pay me and praise me for this.”

No matter which direction Melnik goesnext, he’s learned not to take anythingmore seriously than having fun. “Educationand training are serious things, but thebiggest missing ingredient on the planet is fun. If you can figure out a way to makelearning a pleasant experience, it willwork,” he says. “Whether it be school or your first job, you have to make fun part of the equation because it won’thappen by default. You have to go after it.”

WORK HARDENINGEarly in Melnik’s clinical practice, “workhardening” was emerging in occupationaland physical therapy circles. The practiceaims to rehabilitate injured workers so they not only recover from their job-related injuries, but also return to workconditioned to prevent future occurrences.Eager to branch out of his routine, Melnikbecame coordinator of his clinic’s workhardening program. “It involved dealingwith families and relationships and insur-ance companies and lawyers,” he says.

“It was kind of messy, and I loved it.”

Employers of Melnik’s patients saw their returning workers apply the lessonslearned from work hardening and beganinquiring if he could provide the sametraining to other employees as a preventivemeasure. Jumping at the opportunity to take his clinical knowledge to a newsetting, he dove right into the disastrousencounter with the truck drivers. “I hadtalked to people all my life, but trainingadults in a difficult environment is totallydifferent,” he says. “I got thrown into thefire.” Nevertheless, the public speakingaspect of training excited him, and hevowed to connect better with his audiencein the future.

Melnik recognized industrial consultingcould be his vehicle for a different kind of OT career. When it became increasinglydifficult to balance new employee trainingprojects with the clinic’s patient load, hestarted searching for a way to train fulltime. Such preventive training was in its infancy at the time, so prospects werescarce. Leads from his physical therapy

colleagues eventually took him to Duane Saunders, an early pioneer in the backschools concept, or behavioral training for preventing and treating back problems.He wrote to Saunders in Minnesota and convinced him to give an interview. While Saunders had other therapists onstaff, Melnik was soon hired as the firststaff member to actually go out and do the training.

MAKING SAFETY FUNMelnik plunged into his new role, trainingemployees on injury prevention in a widerange of settings from large oil companiesto factories. Eager not to relive his earlymistakes, he constantly sought feedbackfrom his participants and worked on devel-oping his personal style. “My major philo-sophy is figuring out how to have fun whileconveying serious information,” he says.

“I only have one speed – high gear – and I found that if I can keep employeeslaughing for an hour, I’m safe and they are learning.”

He quickly abandoned his early desire to appear as an authority figure to hisaudience and worked more on becomingapproachable instead. “Mike’s got thetechnical knowledge and knows how to relate to people in a blue collar workenvironment,” says Manning, who valuedMelnik’s ability to reach out to unionelectricians and teamsters. “He doesn’tshow up in a three-piece suit – he comes in work boots and Levis.”

Melnik worked with Saunders for threeyears before striking out on his own to

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MELNIK PRODUCES SAFETY VIDEOS DISTRIBUTED IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA.

A broken bone is a painful inconvenience at any age. But for elderly people,fractures can pose much more serious complications from decreased quality of life to loss of life altogether. AHS researchers are working to stave off such injuries by finding the right mix of strategies to increase bone density and preserve maximum health.

From childhood through early adulthood, bones build in density and strength until peaking around a person’s late 20’s or early 30’s. Bone mass then deteriorates slowly with age, dropping off suddenly for women after menopause. An estimated 10 million people in the United States haveosteoporosis, a major risk factor for fractures, and almost 34 million more are at increased danger for the disease because of low bone mass.

“One in every two women over 50 will eventually experience a fracture at sometime,” says Mary Lou Bareither, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor in theDepartment of Movement Sciences. Researchers know the key to prevention lies in maintaining bone mass built in the early years. The challenge lies in figuring out how.

BEARING THE LOAD

The research community agrees that at least 20 percent of bone mineral density isattributable to genetics but divided when it comes to determining the remaining 80 percent. “You should be able to manipulate bone mineral density if you know the right causes,” says Mark D. Grabiner, Ph.D., professor and head of theDepartment of Movement Sciences. “Physical activity is one of those factors.”

A primary strategy for maintaining bone health centers on weight-bearingactivity. Bareither and Grabiner aim to determine how much bone loading actually affects its mass. “One recent paper attributed a very high percentage of bonemineral density, up to 40 to 50 percent, to bone loading,” Bareither says.

“If that were really the case, then we think exercise would have a much greatereffect than it does.”

Using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) which is cutting-edge measuringequipment, the researchers will study young women and how specific exercises

affect bone density at the hip, the site of the most debilitating fractures. By looking at the impact of exercise, they hope to determine how to maximize the bone density a person acquires before they start to lose it.

Just as people now know they can help to prevent heartdisease and stroke by maintaining their ideal weight,

cholesterol level and blood pressure, Bareither hopes to eventually come up with a similar prevention plan

for osteoporosis and bone loss. “We want to learn how much people need to walk, run, or jump

every week to maintain maximum bonedensity,” she says. “That way we can developan exercise program to prevent bone loss.”

STICKS AND STONESSTUDY TARGETS THE ROLE OF EXERCISE IN PREVENTING FRACTURES

AND MAINTAINING BONE HEALTH.

“We want to learn how much people need to

walk, run, or jump every week to maintain

maximum bone density,” says Mary Lou

Bareither, clinical professor in the Department

of Movement Sciences.“That way we can develop

an exercise program to prevent bone loss.”

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Anyone who has vowed to eat better and exercise more knows it’s a far leap between wanting to make healthy lifestyle changes andfollowing through with them. Physical limitations and emotionalbarriers make the challenge even harder for people with disabilities. Yet maintaining a healthy lifestyle may be far more important for them than their able-bodied peers.

“As able-bodied people age, our muscles lose strength and elasticity,” explainsJames Rimmer, Ph.D., professor with the Department of Disability and HumanDevelopment and Movement Sciences. “If you’re disabled that progression can be faster because of the impact of the disease process. Diseases like diabetesand heart disease or conditions like arthritis only complicate the situation.”

Rimmer and his AHS colleagues are trying to change the dynamics of healthcareand health promotion for people with disabilities. "Many people with disabilitiesfeel it’s a dead end because of the many barriers they encounter when trying touse a fitness facility or join aerobics class,” he says, “but taking care of yourselfcan help prevent other conditions from occurring.” By individually tailoringexercise and diet plans as well as eliminating barriers to participation, Rimmerand his team have found they can help people with disabilities turn short-termintentions into long-lasting habits.

STAYING ON TRACK

Led by Rimmer, AHS researchers have confirmed that regular, sustained physicalactivity can help people with disabilities dramatically reduce secondary conditionsand increase quality of life. One study enrolled participants with stroke and diabetesin a 12-week, on-site program to improve exercise and other health behaviors.

“Participants made impressive improvements across the board,” Rimmer says. “That includes a whole gamut of physical and psychological factors – blood

lipids, quality of life measures, nutrition inventories, general function and level of depression.”

Physically transporting participants to the program was key to its success, butsince such measures are too costly to sustain permanently, Rimmer and his teamwill test more affordable ways to provide support. This spring, the PersonalizedExercise Programs for Overweight Adults with Mobility Limitations study, or

“Project PEP,” began working closely with physicians from the UIC Medical Center to test alternative support measures like regular phone consultations with fitness professionals.

The research team will work with participants in AHS’ new facility devoted to studying physical activity and disability. Outfitted with state-of-the arttechnology for researchers to evaluate and record fitness parameters likeoxygen consumption, the space also contains a full range of exerciseequipment so researchers can help people with disabilities develop exercise regimens they can continue on their own.

“People with disabilities have been ’patients’ for too long. We teach themhow to become participants,” Rimmer says. “If we can provide people withdisabilities opportunities to participate in health promotion, they can really turntheir lives around in a dramatic way.”

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HABITS FOR LIFERESEARCHERS ENCOURAGE ACTIVITY FOR PEOPLE

WITH DISABILITIES.

JAMES RIMMER

By individually tailoring exercise and

diet plans as well as eliminating barriers

to participation, James Rimmer and his

team have found they can help people with

disabilities turn short-term intentions

into long-lasting habits.

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ELVIS AT SOX BALLPARK

Join the University of Illinois Alumni Association for the 6thAnnual UIC Alumni Night with the Chicago White Sox at U.S.Cellular Field. The night’s festivities will feature Elvisimpersonators and a fireworks display after the game. If youlike, meet other alumni for a tailgate before the game inParking Lot A. Here are game details:

Friday, August 20Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox7:05 p.m., U.S. Cellular FieldUpper deck box seats available for $10 (regularly $20)

All orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.Deadline for orders is August 8. Tickets will be mailed prior tothe game. To order tickets by credit card, call Jason Kmet at(312) 674-5335 or e-mail uicalumniinfo@chisox.com. Formail orders, send checks payable to the Chicago White Soxand mail to:

Chicago White SoxAttention: UIC Alumni Night333 W. 35th St.Chicago, Ill. 60616

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’94ann kesey o’brien (MVSC, MS ’98)

works as physician extender at

the UIC Sports Medicine Clinic.

’95joe koselleck (MVSC) is

the sports medicine outreach

manager for Accelerated Rehab

in Chicago.

caryn sanders (LAS, MVSC ’00) wed

Eric Marcus on June 6 at Indiana

University’s Rose Well House in

Bloomington, Ind. Caryn is the

assistant director of advancement

for UIC’s College of Applied

Health Sciences, and Eric is the

managing broker of ESM Realty.

The newlyweds will reside in

Chicago. Congratulations Caryn

and Eric! Pictured with Sanders

Marcus is Dan Droy (OT ’97) ,

Julie Hutson (LAS ’95, MVSC ’97)

and Kira Atkinson (LAS ’97)

’97florin mitran (MVSC) works

as a licensed certified athletic

trainer and is honing his

entrepreneurial skills

in the real estate business

by rehabbing homes.

’98phil chiaramonte (MVSC)

works at Hines Veterans Hospital

in Hines, Ill. and is currently

working on his MBA.

noah lowenthal (BVIS) was

promoted to creative director

at Abelelson-Taylor Inc., one

of the nation’s top-rated phar-

maceutical advertising agencies

and located in Chicago

’99tiffany lange (BVIS) was pro-

moted to creative director at

Discovery International, located

in Chicago and one of the largest

medical education companies

in the country.

’01andrea charest (BVIS) works

on staff at Loyola University

Medical Center in Maywood, Ill.,

and her work is currently on

display on the second floor of the

Department of Biomedical and

Health Information Sciences.

adrienne boutwell (BVIS)

created a display on the second

floor of the AHS Building at 1919

W. Taylor St. to highlight the work

of BVIS alumni. Currently,

Adrienne is also working on a

Ph.D. in education from UIC.

’02allison dow bradbury (HN)

and Joshua Vaughn Augsburger

were married on July 19, 2003.

She is a clinical dietitian at

Lake Forest Hospital. He holds

a degree in management from

Indiana University and works

as a sales consultant. The couple

resides in Evanston, Ill.

in memoriamamy louisa parchmann richey(OT ’77) passed away on Jan. 8,

and a memorial service was held

Jan. 31 in Wheaton, Ill. During

her career, Ms. Richey worked

as a registered occupational

therapist, providing early

childhood therapy to

developmentally-delayed

children in the Chicago suburbs.

She was active in the Presbyterian

church serving on various

committees. She enjoyed

traveling and using her creative

talents to help children in her

work and volunteer efforts.

Ms. Richey is survived by

her husband Peter, daughter

Samantha, cousins, aunts

and uncles

margaret “peg” earlenbaughhollowell (OT ’46) passed away

on April 16, 2004. She is fondly

remembered by family, friends,

former faculty, colleagues and

her fellow classmates.

OCTOBER9-14 American Health InformationManagement Association NationalConventionWashington D.C. Call Karen Patena at (312) 996-1444for more information. An HIM alumnireception is planned.

NOVEMBER4-6 Illinois Occupational TherapyAssociation ConferenceGalena, Ill.Call (708) 386-9393 for more information.

Cruise Classic Italy, Greece and the Dalmatian Coast ›September 22-October 2, 2004

Begin your journey in Naples and delight in Sicily’s Catania. Sail the Minerva II

on the seas surrounding the Italian peninsula and Western Peloponnese

to discover the Dalmation Coast and Greece. Round the Italian “boot heel” to

Brindisi and see the golden architecture of Lecce. Cross the Adriatic Sea to the

Croatian city of Dubrovnik. Visit the island of Corfu, discover the Mycenaean

palace of Pylos and conclude in Piraeus.

Alumni College in Spain-Ronda › October 11-19, 2004

From your base in scenic Ronda, embark on an exploration of this extraordinary

territory – a land of orange trees, flower-filled patios and flamenco dance.

Travel to the ancient towns of Jerez, Cadiz and Seville. Tour the breathtaking

beautiful Costa del Sol. Cross the Straits of Gibraltar for a firsthand encounter

with the cultural allures of Morocco in the 14th century town of Tetouan.

For a comprehensive list of scheduled trips and costs, please visit

www.uiaa.org/explorer or call (312) 413-2384.

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DEGREE KEY

BVISbiomedicalvisualization

DHDdisability and humandevelopment

DS disability studies

HIMhealth informationmanagement

HNhuman nutrition

LASliberal arts and sciences

MLSmedical laboratorysciences

MVSCmovement sciences(formerly Kinesiology)

OToccupationaltherapy

PTphysical therapy

NEED TO GET AWAY?If want a little relaxation and lots of fun,

a UIC-sponsored trip may be just what you’re

looking for. Our Explorers Alumni Travel Program,

available to UIC graduates, is your connection to great

travel and learning opportunities. These are just

a few of the adventures scheduled later this year.

Salmon River Whitewater Adventure › July 29-August 4, 2004

The Salmon River is the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states and

home to one of the healthiest river ecosystems in the nation. White sand beaches

punctuate the stunning inner gorge, and the journey navigates thrilling rapids.

Riverside camps are set on beaches where guides prepare delicious meals.

Evenings are spent in good company below Idaho’s spectacular night sky.

Alumni College in Scotland › August 25-September 2, 2004

Stirling is the ideal base from which to explore the many intrigues of Scotland.

Venture into the mystic lands of Scottish lore with a visit to the Trossachs.

Walk along the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and see Scone Palace in Perth.

Visit the capital city of Edinburgh. The remnants of Castle Urquhartthe perched

above the shores of the Loch Ness in the heart of the Highlands provide an

excellent vista for sightings of Nessie.

’72elaine novak (OT) received

a promotion to hospital

administrator at Chicago Read

Mental Health Center. Prior

to working at Chicago Read,

she was the clinical director

for occupational therapy at

the UIC Medical Center.

’74karen patena (HIM) received the

Professional Achievement Award

from the Illinois Health Infor-

mation Management Association

at its annual meeting on April 30.

Karen serves as program director

for the Health Information

Management program at AHS.

’76scott barrows (BVIS), program

director for AHS’ Biomedical

Visualization program, was re-

cently profiled on Apple’s web

site. To read the detailed article,

please visit:www.apple.com/

science/profiles/barrows/.

’81joanne bradna (MLS) was named

Citizen of the Year on April 17 by

Naperville American Legion Post

43 in Naperville, Ill. for opening

a branch of Operation Support

Our Troops which puts together

care packages for soldiers

overseas. Throughout the year,

Joanne and other volunteers have

sent 2,000-2,500 care packages.

’82mike gapski (MVSC) is head

athletic trainer with the

Chicago Blackhawks.

’84john bojchuk (MVSC, MS ’89)

is physician extender at the

Rush/Midwest Orthopedics

Sports Medicine Group.

’87annette schnabel (PT) is earning

her doctorate in physical therapy

and has recently become director

of rehabilitation and physician

services at Clay County Hospital

Medical Clinic in Flora, Ill.

’90todd buck, (BVIS) graduate and

lecturer, has joined the faculty in

Scientific Illustration at Northern

Illinois University. The under-

graduate program headed by

Kimberly Martens (BVIS ’97) is

one of the best feeder programs

inthe country for schools of

medical illustration.

’91tracy dildy (KINE) was recently

hired as the men’s basketball

assistant coach at the University

of Mississippi. He joined the

Rebels staff in mid-April. Before

going to Ole Miss, Tracy spent

two seasons at Auburn and was an

assistant at DePaul University

and Ball State. He helped DePaul

land the nation’s number one-

rated recruiting class in 2001 and

the number two class in 1999.

JUNE23Career Marketing Plan and Effective Marketing StrategiesCall the UIAA Career Center at (312) 575-7830 for more information.

29Physical Therapy Association Annual ConferenceChicago, Ill.Call (630) 571-1400 for more information.

JULY8 Checklist for an Effective Resume: A Lunchtime Mini WorkshopCall the UIAA Career Center at (312) 575-7830 for more information.

21Starting and Thriving in Your New JobCall the UIAA Career Center at (312) 575-7830 for more information.

28 Taking Charge of Your Professional SavvyCall the UIAA Career Center at (312) 575-7830 for more information.

AUGUST6 Northern California UIC Alumni Night.Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco GiantsFor details call (800) 556-2586 or e-mail scodn@uic.edu.

9-11 Annual Rehabilitation ServiceAdministration Conference ofGranteesWashington, D.C. Call DHD at (312) 413-1647 for more information.

SEPTEMBER8 Preparing for, Starting and Sticking to Your Job SearchContact the UIAA Career Center at (312) 575-7830 to register.

14 Free! Identifying Your WorkAccomplishments: A Lunchtime Mini WorkshopCall the UIAA Career Center at (312) 575-7830 for more information.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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The College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS)(312) 996-6695

www.uic.edu/ahs

UIC Athletics(312) 996-2772

www.uicflames.com

UIC Office of Continuing Education(312) 996-8025

www.uic.edu

UIC TranscriptsOffice of Admissions and Records

(312) 996-4350

www.uic.edu

University of Illinois Alumni Association, Chicago Office(312) 996-8535

www.uiaa.org/chicago

University of Illinois Career Services(312) 575-7830

www.uiaa.org/careers

REACH OUT TO US

Xin Wang (HN ’98, ’01) found her way to the HumanNutrition program at AHS after receiving a medical degree in pediatrics from the China Medical University. It was during her pediatric clinical practice when shewitnessed many children with illnesses due to malnutrition.Determined to combine her experience with a growinginterest in human nutrition, she connected with UIC.Wang soon realized that she enjoyed human nutrition so much, she wanted to stop practice as a medical doctorand pursue this interest.

Wang first completed her master’s degree in HN and feltthat earning a Ph.D. was an added step in her commitmentto the field. “The education I received from the master’sprogram opened doors for more academic curiosity.Earning my Ph.D. was a natural path to learn how to thinkand research independently,” Wang adds.

She credits Carol Braunschweig, Ph.D., associate professorand director of undergraduate studies in Human Nutrition, for encouraging her to pursue her dreams. She says, “Carolis a strong believer of passion, and she encouraged me tothink outside the box.”

During her Ph.D. studies, Wang evaluated her long-termcareer goals and knew she wanted to join an industrywhere she could make the most impact with her nutritionknowledge. She accepted an internship at Kraft where she researched the health benefits of several nutrients and provided recommendations on new productdevelopment. Wang explains, “An internship was my first real taste of how nutrition can impact real life and help people be healthier.”

SCIENCE APPLIED TO REAL LIFE

She has been employed full-time at Kraft for over threeyears, leading the development of heath and wellnessstrategies as the internal nutrition expert. “Using mynutrition knowledge and skills, I translate new scienceand technology in the academic field to healthier productsin the grocery store,” she explains. Some products that

Wang has helped developare the Balance Satisfaction Bar, a higher protein andfiber energy bar than theregular Balance Bar, andCapriSun Sport, a sportdrink geared to children.

Wang sees nutrition scienceconstantly evolving and hasnoticed a focus on healthand wellness products.

“Often people associate theword ‘healthy’ with bad

taste. Now, with new product development, we can makealmost any healthy food taste good,” she adds.

Her satisfaction comes from giving people more choicesin healthy eating, and she’s always on the forefront of thenewest nutrition research and findings. As an alumnus,Wang also hopes that current AHS students can find a career that they are passionate about. She advises,

“Finding what makes you happy is the most importantmotivator for accelerating your career and personal life.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

What’s new in your life? Where do you live?

Have you recently gotten married, had a baby,

gone back to school or switched jobs? Please

let us know what you’ve been up to, and we’ll

include your news in our next Class Notes.

Send your information to:

Via regular mail:University of Illinois at Chicago

College of Applied Health Sciences

c/o Caryn Sanders

808 South Wood St., 169 CMET (MC 518)

Chicago, Ill. 60612

Via e-mail:ahsalum@uic.edu

MY SAY: AN ALUMNI PERSPECTIVEPEDIATRICIAN SWITCHES GEARS TO CONSUMER FOODS AFTER DISCOVERING PASSION FOR HUMAN NUTRITION.

XIN WANG

1. one’s particular attitude or state of mind

2. a sense of enthusiasm and loyalty that onefeels through belonging to a group

3. see “Become a Member” at www.uiaa.org

spir-it n

Building Relationships for Life

University of Illinois at Chicago�

Office of the Dean (MC 518)�

College of Applied Health Sciences�

808 South Wood Street, 169 CMET�

Chicago, Illinois 60612-7305�

Address Service Requested

non-profit�organization�u.s. postage �paid�permit no. 4860�chicago, il

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