Faculty and Staff News
Current Student News
Optometry
General News
To kick off the new year, Salus University faculty and staff participated in a University Development Day (“UD” Day) on January 5, 2024.
The festivities began on Thursday evening, January 4, with a faculty and staff social in the Hafter Student Community Center on the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus. The social brought the community together for food and drink to celebrate newly hired, promoted, or tenured faculty members, before the development sessions the following day. The following faculty members were recognized:
New Faculty
The following day, University faculty and staff convened for hybrid presentations. The morning of the presentations began with Michael Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, president, who provided updates on the forthcoming merger with Drexel University, a partnership that holds immense potential for both institutions. The merger, pending approval from all accrediting bodies, will create new opportunities for collaboration, research, and academic advancement.
Following Dr. Mittelman, Juliana Mosley-Williams, PhD, CDP, special assistant to the president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Gregory Benjamin, PhD, MPH, director of Institutional Research and Assessment, presented student findings from the Campus Climate survey conducted by the University last year. Salus University is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all community members feel a sense of belonging. The survey provided valuable insights into the current campus climate, allowing the University to identify areas of success, improvement, and potential changes going forward.
“UD Day is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring together our faculty and staff to continue learning and growing as a collective,” said Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams. “The commitment to a climate survey is intense, from planning to execution to analysis of the data. It is equally important to understand our students’ needs and perspectives, as a guide for improving our community in ways that reinforce our culture of inclusion and belonging.”
UD Day concluded with a presentation by Shannon Scandozza, discussing the benefits of standardized patient (SP) care, and the potential uses of the SP lab on the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus going forward. The use of standardized patients has proven to be an effective method for training future healthcare professionals. Scandozza’s presentation highlighted the benefits of SP education, and explored innovative ways to enhance the learning experience for students through the SP lab. The presentation aimed to identify innovative methods for Salus to continue equipping its graduates with the practical skills and experience needed to excel in their professional careers.
