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MOVING FORWARDAHS YEAR IN REVIEW 2014 1 SCIENCES OF APPLIED HEALTH COLLEGE 1 We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,therefore, is not an act but habit. – Aristotle A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN As I reviewed this issue of Moving Forward, I was struck by several themes that seem to tie many of the stories together. The first is how life sometimes presents opportunities that, with effort and diligence, lead us along paths we hadn’t imagined taking. Dr. Karen Iler Kirk, the head of our Department of Speech and Hearing Science and the fourth Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in the College of Applied Health Sciences, began her professional career as a school speech-language pathologist. A fateful decision to join a research institute and a lot of hard work led her on a path to becoming one of the pioneering scholars in pediatric cochlear implantation. Dr. John Greenleaf, our 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, left Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, fully intending to pursue a career as a physical fitness educator. His decision to pursue an opportunity that presented itself and his dedicated effort led him to a career as a pioneering research scientist with NASA. Dr. Brad Hedrick couldn’t have known when he came to the College of Applied Health Sciences as a graduate student that it would lead to a longtime association with our Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, as a graduate assistant, coach, and eventually its director. Thirty-seven years later, we celebrated his many achievements upon his retirement. Another theme that ties these stories together is how curiosity and the desire for answers can lead to outstanding discoveries. Throughout the various units of the College, our scholars are making important contributions to the advancement of knowledge and the development of techniques, products, and services that improve health and well-being. Examples include increasing our understanding of how stem cells work, how physical activity affects our brains, how disability impacts nutrition, and so much more. An overarching theme of all of the stories you will read in this issue is service. Everyone in the college is involved in serving others through the scholarship we do, the volunteer and internship experiences of our students, and the outreach efforts of our faculty and staff. An example of this service commitment is the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education. Opening for the Fall 2015 semester, the center will serve as a national resource that will provide support services for veterans of recent conflicts who have sustained the most grievous injuries. We are proud to be a part of preparing these most-deserving veterans for their next rewarding career as they pursue any of the University of Illinois’ world-class degree programs. With this effort we have come full circle to where our Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services began in 1948, when Illinois opened the only higher education support service for WWII veterans with disabilities in the nation. We have had a sustained record of leadership in disability ever since. I hope you will enjoy reading the magazine and that you will stop by and say hello whenever you are on campus. Sincerely, Tanya Gallagher Dean, College of Applied Health Sciences 3 THE CHEZ FAMILY FOUNDATION CENTER FOR WOUNDED VETERANS IN HIGHER EDUCATION REMARKABLE PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THE CHEZ FAMILY FOUNDATION CENTER FOR WOUNDED VETERANS IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN MAY 2015 WITH AN ANTICIPATED OPENING FOR THE FALL SEMESTER. Q: WHY ARE WE HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT VETERANS IN HIGHER EDUCATION RIGHT NOW? WHAT ARE THE SPECIAL CHALLENGES THAT STUDENT VETERANS FACE WHEN PURSUING A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION? “This facility and its programs and KK: With the draw down of our service members from the conflicts overseas, more and services will be so important to many more veterans are interested in beginning the next phase in their professional lives. They are interested in taking what they’ve learned in their military training and trans- who bravely served our country,” AHS lating that to their next career. Post-secondary education is their primary conduit for Dean Tanya Gallagher said. “I’ve assisting with that next step. asked Kyle Kostelecky (KK), the di- When separating from the military, veterans encounter many transitions in their lives; returning to their communities, families, and readjusting to a way of life they left rector of the center, and student vet- behind. Once on campus, veterans approach their education in unique ways. As non- eran Eric Swenson (ES) to respond to traditional learners, many return to school after an extended break and feel under- prepared as students or they attend class while having to balance work and family some of the most often asked ques- commitments. Fitting-in and feeling as part of a community is also important as many veterans mention a loss of camaraderie when leaving the service. For those who were tions about the center.” injured or wounded, there is the added challenge of having to learn to manage their disability. All of these factors impact how they adjust to a campus environment and subsequently require a high level of individualized support. “I knew finding success as a university student after years away from the classroom would be challenging, but I wasn’t prepared for the additional Tanya Gallagher obstacles of accessing my disability and GI Bill benefits, relocating my Dean, College of family, and integrating into campus life. Veterans like me will find the Applied Health Sciences help they need to succeed in the dedicated staff of the Chez Family Foun- dation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education.” -Eric Swenson 4 ABOUT KYLE KOSTELECKY ABOUT ERIC SWENSON Dr. Kyle Kostelecky has joined the College of Applied Health Sciences A native of Princeton, IL, Eric Swenson reported to Ft. Leonard Wood, as the inaugural director for the Chez Family Foundation Center for MO, as an enlisted soldier shortly after graduating from Princeton Wounded Veterans in Higher Education. He has worked to improve the High School in 2005. After nine weeks of basic training, Eric reported lives of families for nearly 35 years. His efforts have focused on mili- to Ft. Huachuca, AZ, where he trained and received certification as an tary families, intergenerational relationships, life span development, Army Intelligence Analyst. long-term marital relationships, and adolescent development. In October 2006, Eric deployed with his unit to Ramadi, Iraq, as an Dr. Kostelecky was the first national project leader for the Department intelligence analyst specializing in identifying emerging trends in en- of Defense and Department of Agriculture Extension’s Military Fami- emy behavior and communicating these to the battlefield. Following lies Learning Network. He has also held faculty positions at Iowa State deployment, Eric returned with his unit to Colorado where he took University, where he was responsible for intergenerational program- over as the Intelligence Staff Section Leader. He was honorably dis- ming and education; the University of Wyoming, where he led the pro- charged from the Army in 2009. fessional child development program; the University of Northern Iowa, where he developed and directed the undergraduate gerontol- In 2013, Eric began a master’s program at the University of Illinois in ogy major; and the University of Arizona South Sierra Vista, where he Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. During this time, he coordinated the family studies program. contributed as a research assistant to 17 ecological studies and served as a student advisor in the formative stages of the Chez Family Foun- A Certified Family Life Educator with the National Council on Family dation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education. Eric is ex- Relations, Dr. Kostelecky served on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier as a pected to graduate in May 2015. member of the Chaplain Corps. He later provided medical support for a U.S. Army tank battalion as a Medical Service Corps Officer. Q: EXPLAIN WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO TRANSITION FROM THE Q: WHAT MISCONCEPTIONS DO PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT MILITARY TO THE U OF I AS A VETERAN WITH A DISABILITY. STUDENT VETERANS? ES: Transitioning from the military to college is hard for most vet- ES: There is an assumption that most veterans have been trauma- erans. I didn’t take any college preparatory classes in high school tized and have problems readjusting to civilian life. Although this is and had not been in a classroom since graduating. I started college true of some veterans, most have endured hardship, persevered, after a six-year break. There was a great deal of material I simply and come out the other end as stronger individuals. As such, veter- didn’t remember, and I also had to re-learn how to be a student and ans don’t want pity or handouts; they want people to invest in them how to study. and to expand on their strengths. Another challenge that many veterans encounter is finding a place Q: I DON’T HAVE A DISABILITY, BUT I’M A VETERAN WHO WOULD within the student community. When I first started college, I was LIKE TO ATTEND THE U OF I. WILL THE CENTER SUPPORT ME? chronologically older than most students by a few years, but I also had a wealth of life experience that made me feel much older. I was KK: Although our primary focus is on student veterans with ser- married, I had a new baby at home, I had a mortgage to pay, and I vice-related disabilities, we see the Center as a place where all stu- was accustomed to working in an adult environment with men and dent veterans can spend time, learn from one another, and support women who had proved their maturity and toughness on battle- each other as they navigate their college careers.

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