Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. In recognition of Athletic Training Month having just concluded in March and Occupational Therapy Month having just started in April, this week’s featured faculty member is Dr. Lisa Potts, Assistant Professor, who teaches anatomy and neuroscience courses in both the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program and the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) programs.

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I like that Spalding values compassion and understanding. As far as teaching, I like that class sizes are relatively small, which gives me the opportunity to get to know my students.

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

My background is in neuroscience. My doctoral and postdoctoral work focused on Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

Why are the programs you teach in a good option for students to consider?

I am in a unique position in that I teach for both the MSAT and OTD programs. Since starting at Spalding, I have learned a lot about both of these professions and have grown to better understand and appreciate the value that each has in terms of client-centered care. Both of these are great programs with faculty who are invested in students’ success.

Though athletic training doesn’t have to be limited to sports, if you enjoy being around sports and want a career that will be challenging and rewarding at the same time, this would be a great option for you. The small cohorts, supportive faculty and variety of hands-on classes are specific things that make this program special.

Much of the same can be said about the OTD program. I have enjoyed seeing students’ passions to help others really be fostered in this program. Faculty are dedicated to providing meaningful experiences for students both in and out of the classroom. I love that OT includes a client-centered, empathetic approach. Again, if you want a career that will be both challenging and rewarding and enjoy helping people do what they love, this would be a great program for you.

ATHLETIC TRAINING | Overview of Spalding’s MSAT
MSAT FACULTY | Bios on all our professors
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY | Overview of Spalding’s OTD program and tracks
OTD FACULTY | Bios on all our professors

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

I like to incorporate different ways of delivering and reviewing content. One thing I use often in my classes is Kahoot. Students always have fun playing this game, and I sometimes use challenging questions to spark further discussion. In the neurosciences classes I teach, I typically incorporate some kind of journal club type of assignment when myself or students will present a relevant journal article and lead discussion on it and how it relates to the current lecture topics. I find these are usually the most engaging and rich conversations because it really gets us thinking and talking about practical applications for what they are learning about.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

Right now the most interesting things I have in my office are probably the oversized model of the human eye and brain. I also have a Lego minifigure my son made to look like me, coffee cup and all. 🙂

Spalding’s mission is to meet the needs of the times, to emphasize service and to promote peace and justice. What is an example of how your teaching style, your research, your class or your curriculum is supporting the mission of Spalding?

I think I incorporate this mission the most through my teaching style. Currently, I have found various ways to utilize collaborative tools and apps to keep students engaged while learning in an online environment, which is necessary right now during COVID. I also try to incorporate these values in our class discussions. I like to take time at the beginning of each term to hear a little bit about each student and why they chose the AT or OT path. I remind students to be mindful that we all come from different backgrounds and may therefore have different perspectives and opinions. I encourage them to be open to working with people that have different opinions and perspectives as this is how new and innovative ideas are developed. I believe these considerations are also important for both of the professions these students are working to join.

FACULTY FOCUS FRIDAY ARCHIVE | Read all our professor Q&As

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. In recognition of March as Social Work Month, this week’s featured faculty member is Glynita Bell, Assistant Professor in Spalding’s School of Social Work. Professor Bell has been on the fulltime faculty at Spalding for three years and teaches in the Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Master of Social Work programs. Professor Bell is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who earned a master’s from the University of Louisville and a bachelor’s from Ball State University and who is currently pursuing a doctorate from Ashford University. Professor Bell is co-chair for Louisville’s Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods. Outside of Spalding, she is the founder/owner of Heart 2 Heart Wellness Center in New Albany, which provides quality mental health therapy in a holistic approach with the center offering yoga and massage amongst other services.

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

The best part of working and teaching at Spalding is being able to collaborate with my colleagues in the School of Social Work. The commonality of being committed to being, teaching and creating – all geared towards radical changes to improve the world around us – is inspiring. The enthusiasm of our students is motivating to keep working toward our connected goals as social workers.

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

My academic specialty is mental health and clinical social work. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Indiana and Kentucky. My research interest currently surrounds educators’ own mental health and how that impacts classrooms.

Why is social work a good option for students to consider?

For any student that is dissatisfied with the current state of the world, social work as a discipline equips students with a skill set to create change at the micro, mezzo and macro levels. Understanding how each of those elements impact one another, allows students to genuinely target where changes are needed strategically. Even students wht are interested in other careers would benefit from at least a social work minor to be able to better understand the world around them and be a change agent within their profession.

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

My favorite course to teach is SW 630, Integrative Practice, which is a course that is all about mental health. In this course, my students have the opportunity to do a practice clinical intake evaluation with their mock client being a licensed therapist from our community, so the students get invaluable feedback into their clinical assessment skills.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

I have a full-size red, old-school popcorn machine with glass doors on wheels in my office that I used during the first week of classes for students.

Tell us more about your work outside of Spalding and the Heart 2 Heart Wellness Center?

At Heart 2 Heart Wellness Center, we believe that a holistic approach to self-care is the key to living your best life. Self-care comes in many forms, and we specialize in mental health therapy, therapeutic yoga, healing touch massage and holistic healthcare services. Heart 2 Heart was cultivated to exude a warm energy that is inviting and refined. Our wellness center has a comfortable, spa-like atmosphere rather than a sterile office setting that is uplifting for working professionals and community members alike.

Because I’m an active practicing clinician, I directly infuse the trends of practice into my course. For example, telehealth very quickly became the infrastructure of mental health, and that was quickly incorporated into my courses ranging from ethics of telehealth to best practices to engage with clients virtually.

FACULTY FOCUS FRIDAY ARCHIVE | Read all our previous professor Q&As

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. In recognition of March as National Athletic Training Month, this week’s featured faculty member is Daniel “Danny” Cobble, Assistant Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator in Spalding’s Master of Science in Athletic Training program. Professor Cobble, who joined the Spalding faculty in August 2020, is a Louisville native who has been a certified athletic trainer (ATC) since 2003 and who has broad clinical experience at the highest levels of athletics, including serving as the head athletic trainer for the Western Kentucky University football team and an assistant athletic trainer for the University of South Carolina football team. He also interned for the Philadelphia Eagles. He most recently served as an athletic trainer at Providence High School in Indiana. Professor Cobble holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s from South Carolina, and he is currently pursuing a doctorate in Health Professions Education from Bellarmine University. Professor Cobble can be contacted at [email protected]

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

Being that I have been an athletic trainer for 20-plus years, I’ve always had students or interns who I’ve worked with in some fashion to help develop. When (MSAT Program Director Dr. John Nyland) called me about the position, I thought this would be a great opportunity to get some practical teaching experience while I completed my PhD. Then you look at the program, it was the first entry-level athletic training program in the state. The program and the students are already established, and people in the community know about Spalding, so I felt it would be a good opportunity to help mold and build the next generation of athletic trainers who are going to be coming up.

I liked the fact that it’s small class sizes, and it’s in downtown Louisville, and the program and university already has connections with a lot of high schools in the city that I was familiar with. That appealed to me. I felt the staff were quality people and thought it would be a good fit.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ATHLETIC TRAINING
Overview | Learn about Spalding’s master’s program
Entry points | Info on how to begin work in the program as an undergrad
Faculty | Bios of our MSAT faculty

What is your academic specialty or areas of expertise or research?

My responsibility here at Spalding is teaching the foundational classes – the intro to athletic training classes – and I also teach emergency care and management. Being that I was a clinician for 25 years, emergency care and management is something that we reviewed and practiced yearly, so I guess I have a special qualification for that. I am teach the clinical education courses. After the student completes their first, the clinical education courses are designed to teach the book knowledge they’ve learned and transfer it into clinical practice. Again, being that I was a clinician for so long, I think that qualifies me to help make (students) make transition. … I help the students find clinical rotations around the city or around the country. I also advise the students on scholarships.

As far as my academic research area, my doctoral dissertation is centered around low minority representation in athletic training. Only about 5 percent of certified athletic trainers in the country are minorities, so that is a big disproportion in the profession, like a lot of health professions.

Do you think that for students to see you as an African-American athletic trainer and professor could have an impact on helping people gain interest in the profession?

I think it does. I don’t know that I saw my first Black athletic trainer until I was almost 30 years old. With anything representation is important because it allows you to aspire to something. Kind of like, “If he did it, I can do it.” Also, it just gives someone somebody you can relate to. … So I think it’s very important especially for, say, Black males to see that there is a Black male professor in their profession.

Why is athletic training a good option for students to consider as a graduate program and as a career?

There are a lot of kids who play sports and are athletes all their lives until they get to a point where when high school sports ends, they’re not sure what they want to do. For those who still want to stay around sports and have interest in some type of medical field, I think athletic training is a great career option. I was a high school athlete, but I was 5-10 and too short to play college basketball. So I discovered athletic training, and it was a way to keep me close to the sport. Some people choose to go the physical therapy route, and that is fine, but PT and occupational therapy tend to work with the general population. I knew that I wanted to stay with sports and with athletes and with people who competed on a high level. For those people, I think athletic training for those students is a good profession to consider. With it, you get the opportunity to branch out with your experiences. I’ve got several classmates who are working in the NFL. A couple of my former students are working in Major League Baseball. I have a friend who works with the US Tennis Association, and she gets contracted to travel to Wimbledon and the US Open and work on rehab with the athletes. She’s worked with Serena Williams and some big stars. I know people who have been athletic trainers who have gone on later to work in hospital settings or as ER assistants. Some work in industrial settings like Ford or Toyota. It’s an opportunity that allows you to be as creative as you want as far as the field and the specialty that you want to pursue.

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

The class that I think is one of the most engaging for students is when we do emergency care and we start doing the spine-boarding process or the assessment of a spine-injured athlete. When I get into the details of everything we have to consider from c-spine and mobilization, to checking nerves and pulse and breath rates, to cutting off football helmet facemasks and shoulder pads and showing how to do it and where to cut, and how to log-roll and how to life and strap them to the spineboard, the students find that really engaging. It’s a high-stress situation that they know they could encounter one day in practice, so while we’re teaching and practicing it, we make it kind of high-stress. We often sit when we finish and debrief, and I make sure to take that time to make sure (the students’) nerves are back down, heart rates back down.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

I started Aug. 15, and the first day of class was Aug. 20, so I really had to hit the ground running. I haven’t put stuff up in my office yet. I have box in the trunk of my car with trinkets from the Eagles and South Carolina and Western Kentucky, and I just haven’t put it up yet. But the the most interesting thing that I have that I want to put in my office is when I was at the Eagles, (Pro Football Hall of Fame player) Brian Dawkins signed a jersey for me, and I have that in a frame. That will go up at some point.

The diversity within our program is big, and that is apparent in the racial diversity of the students in our cohorts.

Also, as I am doing my clinical assignments, I make sure our students get a rotation at the area high schools that are underserved and that have different resources and budgets than more affluent schools.

Obviously, we also encourage our students to provide help to those who need help, those who are less fortunate, and we make sure we give them rotations working with non-athletic populations as well so that they can see this is how your skills can help anyone in the community who needs help. As health professionals, we’re really big on helping those who need help.

FACULTY FOCUS ARCHIVE | Read all our professor Q&As

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. In honor of Black History Month in February, this week’s Q&A features a Black faculty leader – Dr. Teah Moore, Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, which launched its first cohort in Fall 2020.

Tell us more about yourself and your educational and professional background.

I am a former Midwesterner from Illinois. I hold three degrees – each from a different state that starts with “I” – a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Criminal Justice from Anderson University in Indiana; a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois; and a PhD in Counselor Education and Counseling from Idaho State University in Pocatello.

Previously, I owned a private counseling practice in Georgia as well. I saw patients of different ages, genders and mental health issues. I also provided supervision to postgraduates and field experiences opportunities for students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs. I also taught at a historically black university, Fort Valley State University, for about 11 years in school counseling and mental health counseling programs.

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I have always loved teaching and meeting new students. One of the highlights of my being at Spalding has been meeting new people. I feel supported and among people who are interested in my success here at Spalding. I have met some really great people. I have thoroughly enjoyed staff and faculty. I am looking forward to the new normal and really building relationships here at Spalding.

MASTER OF ARTS IN CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Program Overview | Dr. Moore’s bio | Program of Study

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

My passion at this time is working with women. I have been on a journey that included discovery more about me as a woman. I love spaces that allow for me to explore safety in terms of psychological, spiritual, emotional and intellectual. I think women really need to experience safety. We have been taught to stuff our emotions and various aspects of ourselves. I have begun moving in that direction in terms of research. Additionally, I enjoy work related to accreditation and evaluation.

Why is Clinical Mental Health Counseling a good option for students to consider as a graduate program?

I think students will love the fact that they can build a business and become their own employer. This degree is designed to lead to becoming a licensed professional counselor in Kentucky. This is a practitioner’s degree. In addition, our graduates can elect to pursue terminal degrees in the field because of the alignment with accreditation standards. With a terminal degree, a person has the ability to teach and/or practice.

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

Of course, teaching students how to counsel. This course provides them with the clinical skills they will use regardless of the client. Students are enjoying conducting counseling sessions with their peers. It’s self-discovery for them. I enjoy watching them take risks and seeing their expressions when it pays off.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

Ha! I just moved here, so there is nothing in my office right now except furniture. I’ve always kept play therapy toys, such as doll house sand trays, and what we call miniatures. I love using books, music and movies. So, you will likely find these in my office when I get settled.

Who is a Black leader who has inspired you, and for what reason?

Shirley Chisholm is someone I have admired and respected. She became the first American of African descent to be elected to the United Sates Congress. She became the first American of African descent to run for presidency from a major political party and the first woman to run for the Democratic party nomination. She has not always been given the acknowledgement that she is due. When Barack Obama won the election as president, she was left out of the discussion as someone who opened the door for that reality. Similar to Obama’s run, many did not support her run. They tried to deter and discourage her from running. Unfortunately, she did not live to see Obama take the oath of high office. I believe she is proud knowing she contributed to the dream. Shirley was a woman who lived up to her motto, unbought and unbossed.

How would you describe the importance of racial diversity in your field – clinical mental health counseling?

The need to address the stigma about counseling among people of color and persons from lower social economic means is very important. Mental health is sometimes observed as a “rich white female” disorder. However, there are staggering statistics that suggest the severe need of mental health services among diverse persons. It is alarming. Having more racially diverse persons in the field of clinical mental health counseling will certainly serve to educate people about mental health. The racial disparities in mental health can be better addressed from the inside through advocacy and the provision of services by people who look like the racial population they serve. There is a better understanding when you are from a group that has experienced a lack of services or supportive measures in clinical mental health.

Advancing the whole notion of what is compassion. Compassion is more than a word or feeling. We emphasize the importance of empathy in the program. Compassion is empathy in action. Infused in every class is the issue of diversity, cultural awareness and fair practice. Students must meet professional counseling dispositions that are aligned with the promotion of social justice and awareness of beliefs, values, etc.

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Angela Cecil, OTR/L, Associate Professor in the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy (ASOT). Professor Cecil has been on the Spalding ASOT faculty since 2010. Her clinical background is in acute care, inpatient/outpatient rehab, skilled nursing and home health, and her research focus is on health policy, advocacy and interprofessional collaboration. Professor Cecil holds a bachelor’s degree in OT from Eastern Kentucky University and an MBA from the University of Louisville, and she is on track to earn a PhD in health sciences from Nova Southeastern University this spring.

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I love to see students learn. Every time I am asked to teach a class or serve as a guest speaker, I love to see them learning and experiencing the light-bulb moments. I also see students progressing through the curriculum. That all gives me energy. Another thing, I love that Spalding has a heart and soul for doing the right thing. This is an imperfect world and imperfect institution, but at the end of the day, they really do try to do the right thing for students and the community. It’s a progressive-thinking university and not everyone agrees all the time, but everyone wants to do the right thing for the most people. This is especially true right now. I love the mission and how it has supported me and allows me to participate in the fullest personally and professionally.

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

I started as a fieldwork director, and I did that for seven years. I am currently co-teaching a movement and occupations course, and I help teach out several master’s courses. My professional interest is in interprofessional education and collaboration. I hope to do more interprofessionally at Spalding over the years. From a research perspective, I would like to develop my action research skills. My current dissertation is a mixed-methods study, and this will allow us to progress societal challenges. I don’t have a specific research topic, but I have a strategy to address societal issues through research. I hope to do some international work through helping teach internationally, or taking students to different places in the world to do experiential-based learning. I want to have an impact in the world through a national and international level, and we will see where that takes me.

Why is occupational therapy a good option for students to consider?

In occupational therapy, as long as you align with the philosophy of OT, you can do anything. It is an incredibly flexible occupation where you want to help people and you believe in the power of doing (occupation). There is no limit to the setting you work in. Sometimes the settings that you are able to work in are dictated by the environment. For instance, this region is very medically model based, so OTs are seen in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. However, if you went to the northwestern part of the United States they do a lot more community-based and mental health work as OTs. The environment certainly dictates what the OT can do, but with the right resources and support, students can participate in exploration of OT. This could pique the interest of students who have an entrepreneurial nature in them to start their own business or community agency.

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

When I was in charge of the fieldwork-matching process I loved matching students and being able to coach them through the process of fieldwork. Especially when students have a few hiccups then come out at the end with success it’s beyond enjoyable. It’s a privilege to see how they develop. The other example is when I am helping with the movement class and students are able to do the activity analysis project because that to me is taking the skills of understanding how movement happens and applying it to doing. That is one of the cornerstones of occupational therapy.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

When I first started at Spalding and I had my own office I went to Bed Bath and Beyond, and I bought these two paintings and people always ask me if I painted them myself. They have been with me ever since the first few months I started at Spalding, and I still love them. I will probably always keep them.

The other interesting thing in my office is a gift from a former student who gave me a cookbook that is about cooking with ramen noodles. It was because he went to a homeless shelter that had a program for individuals to reintegrate into society. I guess him and I had a conversation about different things he could do while he was there and he used this ramen noodle cookbook. Then he gave me that cookbook after his experience there. It reminds me that students appreciate the guidance that we give them.

When all of the social unrest started last year we made an effort as faculty to allow opportunities to talk about it with our classes. The students that I had at the time made time to talk about the current events, so that was a way that we infused our mission for that situation. But what I enjoy doing is extending invitations to students to participate in the community. So when we had the peaceful protest at Spalding this summer, I went and I made sure I told my students so if they wanted to go, but didn’t want to go alone, they could find someone to stand with. I enjoy bringing students along whether it is at a peaceful protest or an experience where they might find something beneficial.

I am volunteering on a project called the Synergy Project, which is sponsored by the Louisville Metro Police Department with a goal of improving police and community relations. Spalding Executive Director of Peace and Spiritual Renewal Chandra Irvin is a leader in the project, which is being rebooted now and aimed at facilitating conversation between the LMPD and different communities. It is trying to begin to make change happen, and that aligns with who I am.

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Dr. Nicky Wright, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. Dr. Wright, who earned a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Chamberlain College of Nursing, a master’s (MSN) and bachelor’s (BSN) in nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University, and an associate’s from Galen College, teaches nursing courses at Spalding and serves as the School of Nursing’s Academic Success Coordinator.

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I just love the learning. The students want to be nurses, and they want to learn and I get to help them critically think. I love seeing them light up at that moment when it clicks and they truly get a new concept.

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

Aside from being a nurse I specialize in orthopedics, medical surgery, and education and leadership.

Why is nursing a good option for students to consider for their major?

Nursing is a good option because nurses can help people and they have great flexibility with their career. That flexibility and range of opportunities may include traveling and seeing the world, teaching, serving in leadership, working in clinics, working from home, and working with insurance. The list is endless.

Research is also a great option, especially during COVID-19 times, as the world tries to find treatments and cures. It really is a top-notch option.

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

If we are working on case studies, I like to have students find resources in their community. This may look like having students look at their zip codes and see what resources are there. Then I like students to compare different parts of Louisville and how the resources vary from zip code to zip code. This gives them an idea of what resources are available to our patients and within our community.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

Probably a bucket of licorice. I buy candy that I don’t like and give it to my students so that I don’t eat it.

I am very vocal, and I am very passionate. So I tell people all the time that you can’t look on the outside. My younger brother was murdered around the corner from Spalding. So when I took the job down there I wondered how difficult it was going to be for me to work there every day. When he was murdered, I was getting my associate’s degree, and I had to attend clinicals the next day or else I would fail out and have to start the program over. So I put my big-girl panties on, and I went to my clinical and I went to class. I share this with my students all the time. If I can get up the day after my brother passed away, then you can do the same thing. I am so passionate about my students being successful.

FACULTY FOCUS FRIDAY ARCHIVE | Read all our professor Q&A’s

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Dr. Josh Skuller, Associate Professor in the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy (ASOT). Dr. Skuller, who teaches in Spalding’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, earned his bachelor’s in occupational therapy from Spalding in 2001 and also holds a master’s in education and a PhD in curriculum technology from the University of Louisville. He is board-certified in pediatrics through the American Occupational Therapy Association and is also certified as an assistive technology professional (ATP) through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA).

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I love the students at Spalding. They all have such an energizing spirit about them. I have taught adjunct at another university, and I feel that we really get to know the students at Spalding and want to see their success.

What is your academic specialty or areas of expertise or research?

My specialty areas are pediatrics and mental health. I really enjoy looking through the trauma lens and thinking about how we can help our clients to overcome their background and successfully participate in their occupations. I have also developed an expertise in Ayres Sensory Integration through participation in the certification program. It truly has helped me to reevaluate my practice as a pediatric OT.

Why is the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy a good option for students to consider?

ASOT rocks! I love ASOT so much that I was more than happy to make the transition from clinician to faculty in order to be at my alma mater. OT is such a dynamic field, and we truly help people get back to their participation in life activities. Where else, can you work on money management, play participation, grocery shopping, and other important life skills and get paid for it?!

AUERBACH SCHOOL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
** OTD OVERVIEW | ENTRY-LEVEL OTD | POST-PROFESSIONAL OTD (ONLINE)
** FACULTY BIOS | Learn about all of our ASOT professors

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

Wow, I think there are a lot of interesting topics, but I would have to say that doing yoga with the students as a part of complementary/alternative medicine is a very fun activity that helps everyone to feel the connection of mind/body which many of our clients find helpful as they recover. Also, I enjoy talking about school mental health in our trauma elective as a part of the OT 800 course, which is also introduced in the trauma lecture in OT 760.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

One of my favorite things I have in my office is a cohort picture of Blue 20, which was given to me when they (with the help from ASOT faculty Drs. Sara Story and Laura Stimler) threw a surprise party for me on my 40th birthday. On the picture, they wrote, “Thanks for helping us on our journey.” It’s a reminder of why I teach.

I think the field of OT definitely aligns with Spalding’s mission. OT is such a compassionate field, and we are truly helping our students to become dynamic practitioners who are able to help their clients get back to participating in life, no matter what challenges they have experienced.

FACULTY FOCUS ARCHIVE | Read all our professor Q&As

Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Taryn Ray, who is in her first year as Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing after previously serving on the adjunct faculty. Professor Ray teaches in Spalding’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, serving as course instructor for Introduction to Nursing and Maternity Nursing. She is a registered nurse (RN) who earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) from the University of Louisville and a master’s in nursing (MSN) from Ball State University. She also holds the credential of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I love the intimacy that Spalding has to offer. When I reflect on my own college experiences, there were not opportunities where I felt comfortable speaking with my professors or really interacting with classmates beyond my study partners. The larger environment did not foster a sense of connectedness, but I love that with Spalding, there are more opportunities to truly make an impact in more intimate ways.

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

My academic specialty/area of expertise is with Maternal and Newborn Care. I have been a Labor and Delivery RN for the past 6.5 years and currently teach the Maternity course in the School of Nursing. My passions and research align with Women’s Health with an emphasis on perinatal care.

Why is nursing a good option for students to consider for their major?

The Nursing Program is a great option for students to consider because the program strives to set the foundation for exactly what the nursing profession entails. Nursing is genuinely a service of care and compassion and from the professors, to the small cohorts of students and curriculum base, the foundation is set to foster the next generation of knowledgeable and compassionate caregivers.

SPALDING SCHOOL OF NURSING

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS | BSN | Accelerated BSN-Second Degree | RN to BSN (Online) | MSN | DNP (Online)
NURSING FACULTY | Bios of all our professors | More on Chair Brother Ignatius Perkins, PhD | Dr. Erica Lemberger Faculty Focus Q&A | Brother Perkins: ‘Wounded Healers With Hope’ essay

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the students in the simulation lab, where high-fidelity mannequins simulate real patients. We have a mannequin named SimMom that is capable of demonstrating the labor process, birth of an infant and complications that women can experience during labor. Being able to stage scenarios and assist students as they critically think through care they should provide is what it’s all about. Helping them make those connections between what they see, what it means and how they should intervene is what will project them in the long run.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

With being fairly new and having limited time on campus this year, I am still trying to get my office space established. However, I was sure to hang some inspirational pictures and make sure that I have Ivy present. Along with being significant to my sorority, Ivy just serves as a reminder of perseverance and fidelity to why I am teaching. I am committed to make an impact in the world around me and one way that I am choosing to do that is by being committed to my students and their journeys.

My teaching style supports Spalding’s missions by truly meeting students where they are. Of course there is curriculum that I want them to understand while they are with me, but ultimately, I want them to understand that they have someone who’s truly in their corner and rooting for their success, both inside and outside of the classroom. I hope that my service to them reflects the type of service they will exude to others, especially as they develop into future nurses.

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Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Dr. David Morgan, Professor in the School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Morgan, who earned his PhD in experimental psychology from Auburn University in 1988, teaches primarily in Spalding’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program, including courses in Social Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis, Environmental Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, and Experimental Procedures. He also teaches Cognitive/Affective Bases of Behavior in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program.

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I’ve spent 30 years at Spalding and have never felt a desire to seek another academic home. Spalding has always been a very collegial place, with a respected and long history of professional training. I’m especially proud to be a member of the School of Professional Psychology, which has been training clinical psychologists for more than 35 years, and remains fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. That is a pretty remarkable achievement.

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

My graduate training was in Experimental Psychology, more specifically, the experimental analysis of behavior, a laboratory-based science devoted to understanding basic learning principles. As a result, my major expertise is in learning in both humans and other animals, and in the application of basic learning principles to behavior, known generally as applied behavior analysis.

Why is the program in which you teach (BA in Psychology) a good option for students to consider for their major?

Psychology has always been a very popular major, not only because of the inherent interest that most students have in the subject matter, but because the discipline is an extremely useful background for a wide variety of vocations and professions. An undergraduate degree in psychology is excellent preparation for graduate work in psychology, social work, mental health and counseling, applied behavior analysis, and for job opportunities in human resources, personnel, case management, and other client-focused work. In addition, the psychology curriculum is a great adjunct to disciplines like business, communication, education, environmental science, and a host of others.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

OVERVIEW | Information on the BA in Psychology and PsyD programs
FACULTY BIOS | Learn about all our professors
SOPP FACULTY HONORS | 40 Under 40, SU Outstanding Faculty Award, Professor Emeritus designation

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

In both my Psychology of Learning and Applied Behavior Analysis classes, I have students read about and watch videos on clicker training. Clicker training was developed by Karen Pryor, author of the best-selling book Don’t Shoot the Dog, and it is an especially powerful method of teaching complex behavior repertoires. As a result, it has been adopted worldwide by both professional and amateur animal trainers. Clicker training utilizes the basic principles of behavior developed in the operant laboratory more than 75 years ago (e.g., reinforcement, stimulus control, etc.) to bring about behavior change across a growing spectrum of applications: basic obedience training in pets, scent training in both dogs and rats (drugs, explosives and even diseases like TB), service and assistive animals, and many others. The clicker training community has grown immensely in recent years, and you can find great examples of their work on Youtube.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

I have a painting done by one of the resident gorillas at the Louisville Zoo. I believe it was done by Kindi as an infant.

It’s always been my opinion that one of the most important ways to promote peace and justice is to highlight those things that are universal to humans as a biological species, rather than paying so much attention to irrelevant and often transitory group differences. These universals can be seen throughout a psychology curriculum, and they are especially evident in two courses I teach – Evolutionary Psychology and the Psychology of Learning. Evolution tends to conserve features that prove adaptive, and that is true both of anatomical and physiological structures and behavior. The capacity to learn, for example, is distributed everywhere in nature, not just among humans, and that’s because it is an extremely powerful means of adapting individual behavior to changing environmental conditions. This universal characteristic of behavior emerged hundreds of millions of years ago, and is seen in every animal ever studied by science. It is this capacity that makes it possible to change virtually any behavior, either at the individual level (as in education, coaching, therapy, etc.) or at the collective level (e.g., cultural practices). Peace and justice are dimensions of human behavior, and they are both understandable and readily modifiable because they reflect learning processes.

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Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Dr. V. Nikki Jones, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work. A new member of the Spalding faculty this academic year, Dr. Jones will teach in all of Spalding’s degree programs – the Bachelor of Science of Social Work, the Master of Social Work and the Doctor of Social Work. Dr. Jones holds a DSW from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, master’s degrees from the University Louisville (MS in Social Work with a specialization in couple and family therapy) and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (Public Administration), and a bachelor’s degree from UT-Chattanooga (political science major).

What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?

I like that Spalding University includes an inclusive community of people who value compassion and justice. For example, I wanted to work at Spalding because of the emphasis on restorative justice and the Collective Care Center. This work perfectly parallels my own interests.

However, my colleagues and our students in the School of Social Work (SoSW) are what I like most about working and teaching at Spalding. I like that I am a part of a team seriously committed to actualizing while simultaneously challenging our profession’s code of ethics. I enjoy and appreciate the vision and identity, as well as the culture of collaboration, within the SoSW. I recently taught my first cohort of SoSW students this past August/September. Their eagerness and passion was very refreshing.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

OVERVIEW | Information about bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs
FACULTY FOCUS | Q&A with Social Work Chair Dr. Shannon Cambron
FACULTY BIOS | Information on all School of Social Work professors
RECENT NEWS | $1.28M federal grant to go toward MSW student scholarships

What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?

My main research interests are health and culturally aware practices. I have published articles on social determinants of sleep disparity among non-majority groups, historical trauma and reparations for African American descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, and various issues impacting the LGBTQ community.

• I currently have two works in progress on a study that measured the relationship between sleep and discrimination among college students.

• I have two articles in review on reparations and one article in progress. One of the manuscripts explores using the restorative justice framework to evaluate the feasibility of reparations claims for African American descendants of U.S. chattel slavery. Restorative justice is a collectivist process to address and reconcile community or political wrongdoings. The second manuscript promotes social work advocacy for H.R. 40, which is a bill to establish the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans to examine remedies for slavery and discrimination. Social workers can play a pivotal role in advancing reparations as a social justice issue and a policy priority. Along with two colleagues, I am wrapping up a manuscript on a study conducted this past year that was designed to examine social workers’ attitudes toward reparations for African American descendants of chattel slavery. As a profession, social work is dedicated to empowerment of marginalized communities and upholds a mandate to advocate for social justice. As such, it is imperative to know how professional social workers perceive reparations.

• I have published a couple of articles on issues impacting the LGBT community. For example, I have examined whether age, net worth, education and employment offer protective buffers from psychosocial stress among African American gay women. I have evaluated the utility of existing scales to measure multiple minority stress, which involves the interconnectedness of gendered racism, microaggressions and LGBT minority stress, among African American gay women. Along with colleagues, I recently published an article that provides child welfare practitioners a framework to assist in the service of LGBT foster youth and considers implications for rural placements.

• My current and future research continues to center on decolonizing social work education and challenging anti-Blackness.

Why is the program you teach in a good option for students to consider?

The School of Social Work is a great option for students to consider because our mission is to inspire and prepare social work practitioners to meet the needs of the times by promoting peace and justice, ethical practice, and service to the most vulnerable members of society.

We believe education is a transformative and communal process. Thus, we challenge the traditional banking model of education where students are passive recipients of knowledge and instead embrace our students as adult learners with life experiences that enrich the learning milieu. We are invested in student-centered learning, as well as challenging systemic issues that include – but are not limited to – anti-Black racism, heterosexism and ableism, etc. So, our social work program is a great option for those students who desire an academic space that recognizes intersecting systems of oppression and that social reform is not enough to create a more perfect union. As our chair, Dr. Cambron, often says, “We are here to dismantle systems.”

What is an example of a discussion topic, lecture, assignment, project, etc. in your class that you enjoy presenting or working with students on and that they have found engaging?

I enjoy working with students on role-play assignments. As an active learning tool, role play permits increased meta-cognition, self-reflection, and empathetic understanding. I have found that once learners move past their initial nervousness, they really enjoy showcasing their skills through role play and receiving constructive feedback. I enjoy the process of role play: assigning a topic, observing learners creatively to demonstrate their skills, observing learners’ self-appraisals of their skills and hearing peer evaluations.

What is an interesting thing you have in your office?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I actually have not ever entered my office at Spalding. Still, the most interesting thing I would ever have in my office is a book, LOL.

As an educator, I support Spalding’s mission because I value a collaborative community where students are co-creators in the learning process. I strive for an academic environment where students make connections across experiences, perspectives and disciplines. Further, a classroom environment infused with cultural awareness and social justice are two additional aspects of my teaching and learning. I explain to students that cultural awareness is not merely connecting with others based on similarities, but the ability to engage, value and connect around differences. I want my students to recognize that difference adds dimension (breadth and depth) to relationships. Also, social justice is a core value of the social work profession. Thus, I emphasize that micro, mezzo and macro practice are inherently intertwined. It is important that students recognize the unitary nature of social work in order to simultaneously address micro and macro issues. In short, social workers have a professional responsibility to consider social, economic and environmental forces that influence individuals, communities, organizations and groups. My primary teaching goal is to advance an active and inclusive educational experience that facilitates engagement in the learning process. Therefore, my teaching approach encourages students to assume ownership of their education, broaden their knowledge base to increase awareness and understanding, and develop self-awareness and reflection skills. I frequently combine brief lectures with interactive/active teaching strategies (e.g., brainstorming, think-pair-share, role plays, and problem-solving case discussions) and incorporate audio/video media to facilitate student engagement, analysis, and skill practice. I strive for a classroom environment where differences of opinion are not only freely exchanged but also supported by evidence and guided by social work ethics.

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