Lewis School of Health Sciences Newsletter: November 2023
Message From the Founding Dean
Welcome to the November edition of our Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences Newsletter. The first hint of cold weather has arrived at our downtown Potsdam campus, but students in all of our programs are busy warming up to their studies and sharing their knowledge in our community. In this newsletter, you'll find out how occupational therapy students are helping local seniors to be better drivers, how we're teaching high schoolers and their teachers about neuroscience and how Caribbean grad students are learning about climate change and health. I hope you enjoy reading about our students and faculty as we advance careers in health science through innovation and research.
— Lennart Johns, Founding Dean of Health Sciences
NIH BRAIN-STEM
The Lewis School of Health Sciences and the Institute for STEM Education were awarded a $1.25 million NIH grant to increase rural students' interest in pursuing a healthcare career. Building Rural Aspirations In Neuroscience with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – or BRAIN-STEM – will offer high school students and teachers five-day summer camps and an afterschool program to explore neuroscience.
Climate Bioethics
A new climate bioethics program will recruit Caribbean Research Ethics Education Initiative program graduate students to spend a year learning about climate change and health and exploring ethics questions often overlooked in research, policy and practice. The program aims to enhance health equity in the Caribbean, a region uniquely vulnerable to climate change due to its geography and socioeconomics.
CarFit for Seniors (Video)
The Occupational Therapy Department recently offered senior drivers an opportunity to check how their cars “fit” them. OT students became certified CarFit technicians while recommending minor adjustments that help make cars “fit” better for comfort and safety. An occupational therapist provided information on how to maintain and strengthen driving health.
Best Value
The 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges has ranked Clarkson in the top 50 Best Value Schools in the nation. U.S. News also continues to rank Clarkson in tier one, the top tier of national universities. Strong performances in teaching, research and scholarship led to Clarkson again being ranked highly.