NSUCO - The Visionary Spring 2012

THE V ISIONARY • S PRING 2012 — 28 young fish hide from predators and attract thou- sands of tourists annually. Florida accounts for 84 percent of all the coral reefs in the United States. iPads Offer Hope A little iPad can go a long way. At NSU, the tiny flat-screen touchpad is being used by researchers in the Occupational Therapy De- partment of NSU’s College of Health Care Sci- ences to treat disabled patients that suffer from spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. The Occupational Therapy Department used a $13,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to purchase 20 iPads to treat patients. The foundation, founded by Superman actor Christopher Reeve before his passing, is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding in- novative research and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, in formation, and advocacy. NSU occupational therapy researchers believe that Apple’s iPad, with its lightweight portability char- acteristics, as well as its touchscreen, can help patients have greater access to the Internet, appli- cations, social media outlets, music, games, GPS, and other functions. The iPad allows users to con- sume various types of media, web content, pho- tos, and movies without having to be plugged in. Through the use of fingers, the device’s screen op- erates as a touchpad, where the user can simply control the interface by tapping on icons. So far, eight iPads have been distributed to pa- tients with spinal cord injuries, as well as those suf- fering from traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, and amputations. Another 12 iPads will be given to similarly disabled individuals in Broward County. One NSU College Morphs into Two NSU created two new colleges in January—the College of Nursing and the College of Health Care Sciences, which were formally a component of the now-defunct College of Allied Health and Nursing. The College of Health Care Sciences will continue to serve 2,500 students at NSU’s main campus and its Student Educational Centers (SECs) lo- cated in Miami, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. It will also continue to provide degree programs in occupational therapy, anesthesiologist assistant, vascular sonography, audiology, physician assistant, health science, physical therapy, health sciences, and cardiovas- cular sonography. The College of Nursing will continue to serve 1,200 students at NSU’s main campus in Davie and its SECs in Miami, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, and Or- lando while offering programs that not only assist non-nurses to achieve licensure, but also provide additional options for all levels of degree programs for current nurses to enhance their educational sta- tus. The nursing program also offers its students three high-tech simulation labs in Davie, Miami, and Fort Myers that provide interactive educational experiences using patient simulators. NSU Oceanographic Center student Pete Grosso places staghorn coral on reef. In February, a formal event was coordinated to celebrate the launch of the two new colleges. Attendees (from left) included: NSU President George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D.; Marcella M. Rutherford, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S.N., interim dean of the College of Nurs- ing; Richard E. Davis, Ed.D., PA-C, dean of the College of Health Care Sciences; Frank De Piano, Ph.D., NSU provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; and Fred Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D., Health Professions Division chancellor.