Touro Links Division of Graduate Studies • Spring 2012
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TOURO LINKS DIVISION OF GRADUATE STUDIES • SPRING 2012 FEATURING PROJECT ASPIRE’S OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN THE HARLEM COMMUNITY story on page 8 Division of Graduate Studies VP Dr. Anthony Polemeni Appointed to Advisory Council of Education Update ivision of Graduate Studies Vice former assistant professor of special education President Dr. Anthony J. Polemeni at CUNY. “Touro College is an important has been appointed to the presti- education voice not only in New York City Dgious advisory council of Education but indeed in the nation. The other advisory Update, an award-winning New York City council members include education leaders, newspaper and website focused on education. deans and college presidents from the New Dr. Polemeni joins a 19-member advisory York City area. Dean Polemeni brings his council whose members include Michael Mul- wisdom and years of experience to this out- grew, president of the United Federation of standing group of educators and leaders.” Teachers; Dr. Cecilia McCarton, professor and Dr. Rosen said that as an advisory council founder of the McCarton Center for Develop- member, Dr. Polemeni would “express his mental Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College opinions and voice in terms of the direction of Medicine; Dr. Christine Cea, member of the the newspaper takes in writing about educa- New York State Board of Regents; Ernest tion in the tri-state area. We always look for Logan, president of the Council of School Su- and need the opinion of other voices to Anthony J. Polemeni, Ph.D. pervisors and Administrators; Dr. Mary M. present a balanced view on education.” Brabeck, dean of the NYU Steinhardt School of Dr. Polemeni said he is very excited Culture, Education and Human Development; to serve on Education Update’s advisory Dr. Jerrold Ross, dean of the School of Edu- council with so many esteemed colleagues cation at St. John’s University; Dr. David Steiner, from other colleges and universities and dean of the School of Education at Hunter leaders in the field of academia in the New College, and Adam Sugerman, co-publisher of York area. “I look forward to bringing Touro Education Update and Palmiche Press. College’s perspective to Education Update Education Update advisory council members and its future coverage of important and Dr. Charlotte Frank, senior vice president at timely educational issues.” McGraw-Hill Education, and Sheila Evans- Among the awards and honors received Tranumn, chair of the Board of Trustees at by Education Update or Dr. Rosen are the Casey Family Programs and former associate Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s Best New commissioner for the New York State Education Business of the Year Award in 1997; Columbia Department, were the keynote speakers at University’s Excellence in Education Journal- the commencement ceremonies for Touro ism Award in 2000; the Millennium Mental College’s Division of Graduate Studies in 2011 Health Media Award from Silver Hill Hospital and 2009, respectively. in 2000; the Excellence in Public Service Award “Education Update is honored to welcome from the 100 Year Association of New York in Dr. Anthony Polemeni to its advisory council,” 2002, and the Harlem Dream Award from the said Founder and Publisher Pola Rosen, a Harlem Children Society in 2008. C 2 TOURO LINKS | Spring 2012 touro.edu TOURO COLLEGE CONTENTS Chancellor Rabbi Doniel Lander COMMUNITY OUTREACH President and Chief Executive Officer Scrubs Club Dr. Alan Kadish Students Get Chairman of the Board Heart Lesson Dr. Mark Hasten from Vice President Dr. Kadish Division of Graduate Studies Dr. Anthony J. Polemeni Founder School of Social Dr. Bernard Lander Work Hosts Community Day ז״ל(of Blessed Memory) Conference TOURO LINKS COVER STORY on Bullying Project Aspire Healthstart! Senior Vice President Expands at Medication for College Affairs P.S. 197 with Safety Program Rabbi Moshe D. Krupka Scrubs Club Launched at Director of Publications Touro Division of Graduate Studies Dr. Nicholas A. Aiello 8 13 29 40 Editor-In-Chief Gail Schiller RESEARCH Production Manager Esther Greenfield 2 Social Work Professor Pursues AIDS Research in South Africa Contributing Writers 6 Equity Assistance Center Wins Second Grant Gail Schiller 7 MS in Mathematics Chair Awarded Weizmann Fellowship Barbara Franklin Design 22 Jewish Studies Professor Awarded Three Fellowships Earth Enterprise 38 MSW Student Presents at International Trauma Conference Photography Dr. Nicholas A. Aiello DGS NEWS Dmitriy Kalinin Mailing Address 15 IHRH Hosts High-Profile Conference Touro Links Magazine 25 At-Risk HS Students Offered DMX Internships Touro College Division of Graduate Studies 43 Conference Held on Teaching Opportunities 43 W. 23rd Street 44 First Forum Held on Emerging Technologies New York, NY 10010 45 PT Continuing Education Program Offered Tel. 212-242-4668 ext. 6053 212-463-0400 ext. 5786 PROFILES Email: gail.schiller@touro.edu 35 Project Aspire’s Timothy Bellavia Teaches Tolerance in Sierra Leone nicholas.aiello@touro.edu 32 Emmy Award Winner Ian James Creates Healthstart! DVD ©2012 Touro College Division of Graduate Studies 46 Touro and Project Aspire Alumnus Shila Jones is Aspiring Filmmaker Touro College is an equal opportunity institution. touro.edu Spring 2012 | TOURO LINKS 1 Research | Dr. Jennifer Zelnick Professor and Chair of Graduate School of Social Work Policy Sequence Pursues AIDS-Related Research in South Africa r. Jennifer Zelnick, most vulnerable in our who joined the midst.” Graduate School of Last June, at the 5th DSocial Work as an South African AIDS associate professor and Conference in Dur- chair of the school’s social ban, under the aus- work policy sequence last pices of Touro, Dr. July, has done research in Zelnick collaborated South Africa for over a on a poster presenta- decade on the rampant tion entitled, “Health spread of HIV/AIDS and Care Workers’ Per- drug-resistant TB among spectives on N95 health care workers. Mask Usage in the She is continuing to pur- Context of XDR-TB,” sue that research here at which presented qual- Touro, with the college pro- itative data on why viding a grant to fund her South African health next research trip to South care workers often fail Africa this summer. to use respirator “I’m really excited to have masks that can pro- joined Touro College,” Dr. tect them from expo- Zelnick said. “I think it’s sure to drug-resistant a great place to pursue TB. these interests because of The HIV epidemic the excellent and growing in South Africa has Graduate School of Social Dr. Jennifer Zelnick teaching Graduate School of SocialWork class sparked a severe TB Work and the college’s outbreak because in- many health science-related programs. said. “One of the things that MSW grad- dividuals with compromised immune My work is interdisciplinary. It involves uates from Touro can get involved with is systems are more susceptible to health and social issues and the overlap becoming policy leaders or advocates. contracting TB. According to the poster between them…One of the things I’m re- They can even work on legislative initia- presentation, co-authored by Dr. ally happy about is that Touro has agreed tives for politicians.” Zelnick, health care workers are five to six to support my work in South Africa.” Dean Steven Huberman, Ph.D., de- times more likely to contract multi- and Dr. Zelnick, who will also continue to scribed Dr. Zelnick as the “right academic extensively drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB pursue research at Touro on the dangers to lead this effort" due to her vast expe- and XDR-TB) than the general population facing clinical social workers in the United rience in community organization and because of occupational exposure. States, was hired by the Graduate School policy analysis. “The Touro Graduate “In general, the policy that protects of Social Work to strengthen and lead School of Social Work is committed to nurses from XDR-TB is that they are given the part of the MSW program that deals helping those most at risk in New York these N95 masks,” Dr. Zelnick said. with public policy and advocacy. “It’s the City—the homeless, victims of abuse and “What we found from talking to nurses is part of social work where students come bullying, and returning veterans with they didn’t necessarily have the informa- to understand the policies in many social combat injuries. Our social work policy tion about why they needed to wear the areas that affect the clients they serve sequence will lobby government and the masks, how to wear the masks, or how and the role that social workers can play private sector. We will train our students much the masks would protect them. The in helping to craft or develop policy,” she to be passionate advocates for those nurses were not playing an active role in 2 TOURO LINKS | Spring 2012 touro.edu Dr. Jennifer Zelnick | Research safeguarding their own health. We found that in some Hea lth Care Worker's cases there were Perspectives on N95 poor infection con- trol programs in Mask Usage hospitals and in in the Context of XDR-TB Andrew Gibbs12 , Dr Jenn Zelnick , Marian Loveday 3 , Dr Max O'Donnell 4 , Dr Nesri Padayatchi5,6 MRC some cases nurses 1 Health Economics and HIV and AIDS Research Division (HEARD), University of KwaZulu-Natal 2 Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, New York 3Medical Research Council, South Africa 4Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York were not trained 5 CAPRISA, University of KwaZulu-Natal 6Department of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal properly. There was an overall feeling of Issue Methods disempowerment In South Africa Health Care Workers (HCWs) are 5-6 times more likely to We undertook 12 focus group contract multi and extensively drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB and XDR-TB) than discussions in hospitals in and the nurses did- 1 the general population, because of occupational exposure.