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Best of 2024: The Year's Top Stories

30 December 2024

Salus University started 2024 fully immersed in phase one of the impending merger with Drexel University and ended the year fully prepared to enter phase two by the end of 2025. Throughout the year, the University’s students, faculty, alumni and staff attained numerous goals and experienced many accomplishments.

Here’s a month-to-month look at the most interesting stories of 2024:

January

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Several of Salus University’s academic programs secured top spots in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 Best Jobs and Top Healthcare Jobs rankings. Physician Assistants came in at No. 2 among top healthcare jobs and No. 5 among top jobs; Speech-Language Pathologists were No. 3 and No. 10; Orthotist and Prosthetists secured the No. 16 spot; Occupational Therapists, No. 4 and No. 19; Optometrists were No. 20 and No. 76; and Audiologists were No. 76. Read more here.
Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, director of the Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) program, was named to the Fulbright Specialist Roster for a tenure of three years. Read more here.
Jennifer Bergstrom, EdD, CCC-SLP, assistant professor in the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program, started the new year strong, as she began her term as the vice president (VP) of finance for the United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) on January 1. Read more here.

February

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Aaron Roman, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA, an assistant professor in the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA), was named an Early-Career Audiologist Award winner by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). Read more here.
It started off with a toque and ended up with Akirta Sran, OD ‘20, and Brendan Connors, OD ‘20, getting married backwards and without a ring. And along the way, four attempted marriage proposals got delayed on account of rain, just to add another level of uniqueness to a love story that started at Salus University. Read more about the couple’s love story here.

March

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The University’s Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) program was granted initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), effective March 15, 2024. The initial accreditation is only awarded to those programs that have successfully demonstrated compliance with rigorous standards, ensuring the best possible educational experience for students. Read more here.

April

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Jo Surpin, MA, along with Derrick Artis, OD ‘89, MBA and Keith Ignotz, MBA, retired from the Salus Board of Trustees, effective in January 2024. Surpin, who served as chair for 14 years, assumed the role of an emeritus trustee. Story here.
Salus University’s current Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) was originally established with a mission to elevate global standards in audiology, a commitment it has steadfastly upheld, solidifying its position as one of the nation's premier audiology programs. Although the name has changed since its inception, that’s exactly what it has done since launching the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree in 2000 making it one of the leading audiology programs in the country. Read more about the program’s history as we celebrate 25 years here.
This year’s PA Olympics took on a little more significance for students in the University's Physician Assistant Studies (PA) program because it honored former faculty member, Adam Moore, MHS, PA-C, ATC. Moore was an assistant professor for the Salus PA program from 2016 to 2022 and also at Thomas Jefferson University until his passing in September 2023. During his time at Salus, Moore had served as a faculty advisor for the PA Olympics. Read more here.

May

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Signing days are a staple of athletic commitments at institutions across the country, but three Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) alumni wanted to extend signing days from beyond athletics, into a celebration to encourage academic excellence. Darryl Glover OD ‘11, co-founder, Essence Johnson OD ‘10, chief visionary officer and Jacobi Cleaver OD ‘11, chief program officer of the Black Eyecare Perspective (BEP) began a signing day for the organization’s Pre-Optometry Club members who have gained acceptance into a school or college of optometry, as well as recognize any student who will be entering optometry school the following academic year. Read more about this program here.
During his career, Salus University president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, has said he has been lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the giants in aerospace medicine and Navy optometry. And, now it’s time to add his name to that list of giants. Dr. Mittelman was in Chicago as the inaugural recipient of the Rear Admiral (RADM) Michael H. Mittelman Award for Excellence in Navy Aerospace Optometry at this year’s Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) conference Navy luncheon. Read more here.

June

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Five Presidential Medal of Honor winners and the annual Alumni of the Year award winners were honored at the Alumni Association’s Annual Recognition Reception at Pinecrest Country Club in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Read more about the awardees accomplishments here.
Over the past 14 years, Giri Sundar, MPhil, PhD, CCC-A, FAAA, developed the Osborne College of Audiology’s Distance Education programs into one of the most highly regarded programs in the world before calling it a career and retiring on June 30, 2024. Learn more about Dr. Sundar’s legacy here.
Michael Speirs, associate professor, was named the Onofrey G. Rybachok Educator of the Year at the eighth annual Salus Awards Gala. The SAG Awards recognize outstanding educators, faculty, staff, administration and students in the Salus community. Read the full piece here.
Gregory Benjamin, PhD, MPH, director of Institutional Research and Assessment, and Juliana Mosley-Williams, PhD, special assistant to the president for DEI, formally presented the student findings from the Campus Climate Survey to Salus University faculty and staff. Read more here.

July

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The ribbon was cut on the brand-new Mobile Unit for Healthcare Resources (MUHR) outside The Eye Institute (TEI). Just as the “Big Red Bus” did before it, this mobile unit will continue to serve underserved communities in the Greater Philadelphia area. Read more here.
Students and alumni participated in a daylong community outreach event at the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity on the grounds of Deliverance Evangelistic Church, 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia. The event was hosted by the National Optometric Association (NOA), which was in town for its national convention July 11-14, sponsored in conjunction with VSP Vision, a vision care health insurance company. PCO/Salus at Drexel was the host institution for a slew of events. During the convention, PCO/Salus at Drexel and the NOA honored Robert E. Horne, Doctor of Humane Letter (Hon), who was dean of Student Affairs at PCO. Read more here.

August

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Incoming students enrolled in the Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), which provides underrepresented students of color within the Doctor of Optometry (OD) program a chance to get a head start into the academic year and a chance to adjust to the pace and rigor of graduate school before the fall semester. The program’s goal is to improve matriculation, attrition, and graduation rates of underrepresented applicants of color while fostering a safety net of support and mentorship. Read more here.
Eight students from Chung Shan Medical University (CSMU) in Taiwan participated in a month-long clinical training program for Doctor of Audiology (AUD) and Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students at the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. The program was administered by Salus at Drexel University’s Division of Global, Interprofessional and Specialized Programming (GISP) department with the academic elements delivered by the Osborne College of Audiology and SLP. Read more here.
After 42 years, Marcy Graboyes retired from the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center, housed at The Eye Institute (TEI), which is the clinical facility of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO). Several aspects of her career kept Graboyes in one place. Among them was social work and always being tremendously valued as part of the interdisciplinary team; the role it played was also well-utilized by team members. And, that the team was given the freedom to pursue other ideas. Read more here.
Two Salus/Drexel students in the Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) program traveled to Ecuador over the summer with the Range of Motion group. While there, the students helped make 21 lower limb prostheses for people who otherwise don’t have access to that type of care. Story here.
A groundbreaking research article from two faculty members was accepted for publication in the high-impact journal Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. Robert Andersson, MSc ‘10, PhD ‘18, FAAO, with Carlo Pelino, OD ‘94, FAAO, wrote about their findings from the world’s largest population-based study on long-term care patients, quantifying the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and undiagnosed diabetes based on clinical ocular findings. Read more here.

September

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The people that make the decisions — namely the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) — came in and “kicked the tires” on the SLP program at Salus University and discovered the entire educational vehicle is in excellent shape. And, that means that upon independent evaluation, the program provides a quality education to its students, thereby receiving reaccreditation for a seven-year period. Read more here.
A Salus/Drexel contingent that included nine OT students, one SLP student and two faculty members, traveled to Belize as part of a group offering speech-language pathology (SLP) and occupational therapy (OT) services for underserved communities in that country. The trip was coordinated by Therapy Abroad, which provides hands-on experience for undergraduate students, post-bacc and graduate students and professionals who are ready to step out of the classroom and gain real world experience in their specific areas of study. The OT students on the trip took part in evaluations, treatments, and assisted in maximizing independence with activities of daily living and overall safety for both children and adults. Story here.
Shilpi Banerjee, PhD, assumed the role of director of Distance Education for the Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). She replaced Giri Sundar, PhD, CCC-A, FAAA, who retired Jun 30, 2024, after 14 years in the position. Read more about Dr. Banerjee here.

October

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Jeffrey L. Weaver, OD ‘85, MBA, MS, FAAO, FACHE, was appointed interim dean of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), effective October 1, 2024. Dr. Weaver is board-certified as an optometrist, healthcare executive and association executive, has authored dozens of academic and clinical articles, led numerous presentations, and holds memberships in multiple professional organizations. Read his full bio here.
Salus University received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The annual award recognizes U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. More info here.
The fall commencement was memorable for several reasons, but it will go down as historic in the sense that it’s the final fall ceremony where the diplomas will carry the name “Salus University.” Next year’s fall graduates will receive Drexel University diplomas, marking a new chapter in the two institutions' shared journey of merging, pending approval by the United States Department of Education, specialized accreditors, and additional third parties. Read more here.

November

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A mission trip to Zacapa, Guatemala, sponsored by the humanitarian organization, Hearts in Motion, included 12 Physician Assistant (PA) Studies students and two faculty members from Salus/Drexel, Cara Orr, PA-C, and Jeanne-Marie Pucillo, DHSc, MSPAS, PA-C. The group saw 600 patients and provided multivitamins alone to an additional 88 individuals, making the total impact 688 people. Read more here.
The Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) recognized
Brianna Brim, PhD ‘22, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM, CLIPP, with the Dr. Stephen L. Heater Outstanding Achievement Award, given to the member for longstanding, significant contributions to the profession in the areas of clinical practice, research, education, administration, communication, and services to POTA. Read more about Dr. Brim’s accomplishments here.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, based in New York, has been providing specialized training with guide dogs to students in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) for several years. Students practiced crossing the street blindfolded, initially being guided by the dogs’ trainers to simulate the experience before working directly with the dogs. Learn more here.
Jonette B. Owen, AuD ‘03, MHA, FNAP, CH-A, had inadvertently overlooked a congratulatory email from the Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology (PAA), so it came as a complete surprise when she learned she had been named the Academy’s 2024 recipient of the George S. Osborne Award at its annual conference. Read more about Dr. Owen’s accomplishments here.

December

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Asef Chowdhury ‘26OD was on a Zoom call when he found out he was named the 2024 Joseph C. Toland Memorial Scholarship winner for the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO). He was so excited that he pumped his fist so hard and almost fell out of his bed. Read the full story here.
As president of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus at Drexel University chapter of the Student Optometric Service to Humanity (SOSH), Nicole Trifilio ‘26OD, alongside vice president Mariam Majid ‘26OD, found the group’s recent service trip to Jamaica particularly meaningful. As it turned out, the trip to Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica, from Oct. 7 through Oct. 11, 2024, became one of the most memorable and transformative experiences Trifilio has had, so far, during her time at PCO. Read about their experiences here.

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