Faculty Fellows 2009-10
Abdelfattah Nour, Professor of Basic Medical Sciences
Dr. Nour's students will spend two weeks in Morocco working with a not-for profit hospital in Fez that treats 50 to 100 donkeys, mules, horses, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and avian species every day. Morocco's draft and pack horses, mules, and donkeys are working animals in need of expert veterinary care and improved husbandry and nutrition practices. Working with the hospital and community, students will learn medical veterinary skills, apply knowledge gained in courses to real world situations, develop an understanding of broader veterinary medical issues and ownersĄŻ attitudes in the context of different cultures, and learn to communicate with owners and educate them about responsible pet/companion animal ownership practices. Students will be assessed through a pre-/post-survey, a diary of reflections, and a PowerPoint presentation on the learning experiences of the trip. Students will also give a group presentation to Grand Rounds which are attended by students and faculty in the Veterinary School to share experiences and develop interest in Service-Learning opportunities.
Ellen Schellhase, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Dr. Schellhase coordinates Service-Learning projects within the Purdue Kenya Program. This is an elective global clerkship experience in the professional program within the School of Pharmacy. Students participate in an 8-week experiential learning clerkship in Eldoret, Kenya. The mission of the program is to address the healthcare system barriers which prevent the dissemination of high quality care in the resource-constrained setting. Pharmacy students are vital to initiating and expanding care. Students provide community service in a variety of settings. They participate in daily ward rounds at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). As a result of their exemplary service, MTRH has seen an increase in the number and role of clinical pharmacists. Students complete patient care projects in AMPATH and MTRH clinics. Examples include training rural clinic pharmacy staff in computer use and the development of standardized patient education materials. Students also assist with diabetes and anticoagulation disease state management. Finally, students have implemented and sustained a sewing initiative at the Sally Test Pediatric Center. Students provide medical education to families whose children are hospitalized while providing sewing instruction. In addition, they entertain children, care for abandoned infants, and coordinate activities at the center.
Patti Darbishire, Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Dr. Darbishire's Professional Service Experience is a one credit-hour, first year pharmacy course that integrates Purdue pharmacy students into the local community. Students explore physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. Students begin the course by meeting a variety of community service mentors and reading about respective patient populations. They select a healthcare organization and complete a minimum of 30 hours of service with the organization's clients, journal their experiences, design a service project, apply for a project grant, complete a personal client interview and medication history, compose a professional recommendation letter to the client's healthcare provider, complete a formal reflection, present service experiences and project to peers, and participate in peer evaluation. The goals of the Professional Service Experience are to: 1) increase student awareness of community healthcare services and promote multidisciplinary collaboration; 2) develop students' understanding of holistic patient needs and barriers to the provision of optimal care; 3) teach students to professionally communicate verbally and in writing; 4) promote active engagement and citizenship through identification and impact on a specific community need; 5) introduce the concept of "change agent" and begin development of professional leadership skills; and 6) provide an opportunity for grant writing.
Susan Curtis, Professor of History and American Studies
In "Houses, History, and American Culture," students explored the social and cultural underpinnings of shifts in domestic and public architecture in the United States from the early 1900s to the 1950s. Students conducted research on buildings in the Lafayette-West Lafayette area with the assistance of the Wabash Valley Trust for Historic Preservation and collaborated with one another to produce a calendar featuring significant examples of architecture from the local community. On the reverse side of each calendar page, students included essays about each structure. In addition to the calendar, students made public presentations to the Trust and public meetings hosted by the organization on their research. Copies of the calendar were presented to the Trust to support its mission to provide awareness of and to advocate for the social, cultural, and environmental benefits of preserving the built environment.
Volker Thomas, Professor of Child Development and Family Studies
Dr. Thomas has integrated Service-Learning projects into two junior and senior level courses in Child Development and Family Studies as well as Study Abroad summer courses to India and Mexico. In CDFS 431 Skills for Helping Professionals students learn how to facilitate a group following 5 steps: 1) learn about concepts and research of individual and group helping skills in class; 2) identify population for a group activity; 3) contact agency that serves population and receive permission to conduct activity in agency; 4) gain instructor and agency approval for researched activity and deliver activity in agency; and 5) reflect on activity, write group and individual summary reflections and present in class. In CDFS 443 Assessment and Intervention for Family Specialists students use a similar format; they study and research an evidence based intervention for at-risk families with elementary students; upon approval they partake in the intervention in a Lafayette Elementary School, then reflect on the intervention and present group and individual reflections in class. The Service-Learning aspects of the Study Abroad programs include theoretical preparation, pairing with local students to deliver an intervention, and reflection of the activity with local students, and in class back home.