Elon School of Health Sciences celebrated student accomplishments at the 2020 SHS Global Engagement and Research Forum.
Elon School of Health Sciences celebrated student accomplishments at the 2020 SHS Global Engagement and Research Forum.
Associate Professor Paula DiBiasio, Department of Physical Therapy Education Global Learning Opportunities (GLO) coordinator, and Associate Professor Srikant Vallabhajosula, Department of Physical Therapy Education research coordinator, hosted the event.
This year the forum was virtual. To provide students the opportunity to present live and to offer attendees the opportunity to interact with students, the entire event was structured very similar to an in-person poster session. With the assistance of Michael Vaughn, Denise Cowardin and Ben Tupper in Teaching and Learning Technologies, each student presenter had their own Zoom room. Visitors moved from room to room to view the students’ posters and discuss the students’ projects.
Dean Becky Neiduski kicked off the event with a warm welcome and heartfelt comments acknowledging everyone’s efforts during this challenging time. First-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students presented their research projects including studies examining the effect of music on motor cortex excitability, classifying toe walking in children, and addressing fall risk in lung cancer survivors. Second- and third-year DPT students explored the intersection of healthcare and culture, and presented aspects of their domestic GLO clinical experiences that contributed to their professional development. Additionally, Hannah Buckingham, the DPTE’s first sports physical therapy resident, presented her work with Division One athletes.
The event was a great success with 115 attendees, including a few students’ family members who would normally not be able to attend the in-person event due to distance. While DiBiasio and Vallabhajosula hope the 2021 Forum will be in-person, they were pleased with the high quality of students’ work and their extraordinary flexibility. Many of the posters presented will be submitted for upcoming national conferences.