“Under Dr. Talley’s direction, the Physical Therapy program has made significant strides to address expectations of a clinical-training program in a Carnegie Research University,” said Howard J. Normile, associate dean for the health sciences. “Dr. Talley must be commended for her extraordinary service to the program, to the college, to the university, to the profession and to the community.”

A member of the physical therapy faculty for more than 30 years, Talley continues her association with the program as an assistant professor pursuing her research, teaching and service goals.  In addition, she serves as president of the Michigan Physical Therapy Association and an appointed member of the State of Michigan Health Professional Recovery. Talley also is a doctoral candidate in Education Evaluation and Research in the Wayne State University (WSU) College of Education.

Dunleavy has been a member of the Physical Therapy faculty since 1995, initially on a split appointment with the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, and in 2005 as a full-time clinical faculty member. An American Physical Therapy Association Board Certified Specialist, she was promoted to associate professor (clinical) in 2012. Her area of expertise is in orthopedic physical therapy.  Dunleavy also is involved in Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), a network of health care professionals, organizations, corporations and donors united in a common commitment to improving global health through education.

 “As confirmed in the 2009 Accreditation Report, the Physical Therapy program has excellent faculty, providing an exceptional education environment for its students who are highly value by employers and the physical therapy community,” said Normile. “We are fortunate that Dr. Talley is not leaving the program, but is returning to the faculty ranks.”

Talley stated that she is extremely proud of the many accomplishments made by the faculty and students in the program under her tenure.  During her 10 years as director, the program transitioned from awarding a master of physical therapy to a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree.  A transitional DPT program was instituted and became the first on-line professional degree program at Wayne State. There was significant growth in the number of faculty and a doubling of student enrollment in Physical Therapy. Talley oversaw the hiring of the first full-time Director of Clinical Education in 2008 and the program now has its first Director of Research. Under her tenure, the program experienced its first promotion of a clinical faculty member from assistant to associate professor. In addition, a student-run pro bono Physical Therapy Clinic has joined the Diabetes Educational Wellness (DEW) multidisciplinary clinic in the S.A.Y. Detroit Clinic, Highland Park. Both clinics provide physical therapy services to the uninsured and underinsured community.

Dunleavy has provided leadership in the area of educational development of physical therapists in developing countries and contributed to projects to assist physical therapy educators and clinicians in Vietnam, Cambodia, Suriname, and South Africa. She was appointed to the Global Task-force for the American Physical Therapy Association and has developed courses preparing clinicians and academicians to provide educational interventions in developing countries for multiple medical disciplines including physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons and dermatologists. Dunleavy serves on the board of a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting with development of medical professionals in global settings - Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO). She is part of the Technical Advisory Group for a United States Agency for International Development grant recently awarded to HVO to assist with the advancement of Rwandan Rehabilitation Services. 

“There is no doubt that Dr. Dunleavy’s PhD in Instructional Technology in Human Performance Technology, her clinical and research experience, and her position in the international physical therapy community will provide a platform for her to contribute significantly to the Physical Therapy program's future development and growth,” said Normile.

Release Date:  May 7, 2013

Media Contact: Kathleen J. Karas
Phone: (313) 577-2312
Email: kkaras@wayne.edu
 

“Our Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty members have made a powerful statement with their generous support,” said Lloyd Young, dean of the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “Achieving 100 percent participation is a demonstration of their commitment to their students. Their generosity will forever impact the doctor of pharmacy program.”

The idea for the scholarship took shape last fall. Randy Commissaris, associate professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, is chair of the college’s scholarship committee and familiar with the endowed scholarships in the college. “We had received word of a few new scholarships including the Board of Visitors Annual Scholarship, and the Hanley and Young Hee Abramson Scholarship and the Melvin Dunker Scholarship created by Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty member Hanley Abramson and his wife,” said Commissaris. But there was one particular announcement that struck a chord, a recent graduate, Shadi Saad, had established an annual scholarship in honor of  Linda Jaber, PharmD. “It made me think, if a young graduate can honor a faculty member, why don’t we as a faculty consider creating a scholarship to support our students?” In talking with several colleagues, it became clear to him that there would be support for a Faculty of Pharmacy Endowed Scholarship.

After consulting with Dean Young and Associate Dean Richard Slaughter, Commissaris asked for faculty volunteers to serve on a steering committee. In December and January, Steering Committee members personally contacted their faculty colleagues. Faculty made gifts to the scholarship via payroll deduction, cash contributions and through multi-year pledges.

“The faculty response has been wonderful,” said Commissaris. “I expected support from our faculty because we are committed to our students. Nonetheless, I was amazed by how positively this was received by the faculty. Within the first couple weeks of the campaign, over 95 percent of the faculty members had verbally committed to the idea. Mind you, these are 48 faculty colleagues, all smart, independent thinkers. Typically, if you ask their opinion about a subject, you can expect 48 different answers. But in this case, the answer was always the same: YES! I could not be more pleased with the outcome of this initiative.”

The scholarship committee members have seen an increase in available scholarships over the past several years. However, they still are unable to provide scholarship support to some very deserving students. By supporting more students through the Faculty of Pharmacy Endowed Scholarship, the committee hopes to encourage new alumni to contribute, thereby multiplying the efforts of the faculty to support pharmacy students.

“Teaching and training pharmacy students is a combined effort of faculty in Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and there is a highly collegial relationship among the faculty within the two departments,” said Commissaris. “It is a testament to this strong connection that both came together to support this important effort.”

April 5, 2013

“The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is grateful to the Arab American Pharmacists Association for its generosity,” said Dean Lloyd Young. “Research fellowships are critical to preparing the next generation of practitioners, academic leaders and researchers, and this particular fellowship will enable us to learn more about the health needs in our community and to support those needs through training for advanced pharmacy practice.”

The WSU-AAPA fellowship is a two-year program that will begin with an assessment of the demographic, behavioral and health-related characteristics of Arab Americans in southeast Michigan, which has the highest concentration of Arab Americans outside of the Middle East. Under the direction of Jaber, the fellow will determine how community pharmacies can help meet the health needs of Arab Americans and provide assistance in the development of pharmacy-based patient care practices.

“The WSU-AAPA fellowship is an excellent example of how we can interact with the uniqueness of our community, the particular talents of our faculty, and the innovative thinking and commitment of our practitioner partners,” said Brian Crabtree, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Linda Jaber, with her background and skills, to lead the fellowship.”

Jaber has decades of research experience, teaching excellence and clinical practice skills, as well as an in-depth cultural understanding of the Arab-American community. Through her research, Jaber provided the first representative, population-based, cross-sectional estimates of diabetes incidence among the Arab-American population, drawing national attention to health disparities affecting Arab Americans.

“With Dr. Jaber’s expertise, Wayne State University and its College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences have an important role to play in assessing and serving the health needs of the Arab-American community,” said Alex Obeid, chair of the Arab American Pharmacists Association Board of Directors. “It is our pleasure to support the fellowship and contribute to this important mission.”

Founded in 1996 the Arab American Pharmacists Association represents 225 registered pharmacists, 50 pharmacy students and 115 independently owned pharmacies primarily located in southeast Michigan. Its mission is to advance and support Arab-American pharmacists in serving society as the profession responsible for managing the appropriate use of medications and providing services to enhance optimal patient care and public health. The association is the leading voice of Arab pharmacists through advocacy, education and information dissemination.

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society by preparing highly skilled health care practitioners and conducting groundbreaking research to improve models of practice and methods of treatment in pharmacy and the health sciences. The college’s pharmacy program is nationally recognized, with a graduation rate above 98 percent, and 98 percent of graduates pass the North American Pharmacy Licensure Exam the first time.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students.

April 3, 2013