Speights Quoted in The Daily Beast

Jun 15, 2020

As COVID-19 spreads through Arkansas, local public health officials, including Shane Speights, D.O., dean at NYITCOM-Arkansas, cite challenges in predicting whether individual Arkansans will heed public health warnings.

In a recent article, The Daily Beast quotes Speights, who also serves as the medical director for the City of Jonesboro. Speights shares that his county has only seen one death and most people do not personally know anyone who has gotten sick. This lack of individual familiarity may be affecting the willingness to comply with social distancing and other restrictions. “I don’t think it's blatant non-compliance,” says Speights. “I think people want to do what’s best for their families. But, imagine hitting your thumb with a hammer and not feeling the pain until four weeks later.”

 

Musho in Newsday: Workplace Restrooms in COVID-19 World

May 29, 2020

In Newsday, Suzanne Musho, AIA, NCARB, vice president and chief architect, shares expertise in both a video and news story about how workplace restrooms may need to be reconfigured due to the COVID-19 crisis. According to the article, Musho notes that the layouts of bathrooms may need to change much as they did to accommodate wheelchairs after passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

 

Education Outlets Feature e-Learning Microcredential Program for K-12 Teachers

May 26, 2020

As seen in University Business and District Administration, New York Tech will offer online courses to allow K-12 educators to master the technical and instructive challenges of e-learning. Both courses required for a microcredential, Virtual Learning and Virtual Learning Applications, will be offered this summer and can be completed before the new school year begins. As noted in both articles, the first course explores web-based technologies for instructional delivery of K-12 online course content, and the second provides experience in developing lesson plans and delivering virtual learning instructional units for diverse groups of students.

“In light of the COVID pandemic, we shifted the program to provide teachers with deeper knowledge and understanding of online and blended environments necessary to adapt their existing courses and curricula,” says Robert Feirsen, Ed.D., assistant professor and chair of New York Tech’s Education Department.

 

Newsday Explores Career Options for New Grads During Pandemic

May 25, 2020

In light of the COVID-19 crisis, a Newsday article explores the job market that new college graduates are entering as employers rethink staffing and internships, and included comments from a member of New York Tech’s Class of 2020.

Nicholas Huber noted that end-of-semester disruptions resulted in missing out on professional development opportunities. A graphic design major, Huber would have presented his portfolio at an event in Manhattan, which was held online instead.

“That portfolio means everything,” he said. “To not be able to showcase it to the extent that we are supposed to, I think had a big impact.”

 

Raven in Le Monde: Designing Cities in the Face of COVID-19

May 20, 2020

In the French newspaper Le Monde, Graduate Urban Design Program director Jeffrey Raven, MST. (CANTAB.), B. Arch., provides insights on how climate-resilient urban design can play a significant role in deterring major health challenges.

In his article, “Cities must take inspiration from urban climatology to respond to the health crisis” (see English translation), Raven refutes the oversimplified notion that blames urban density for the spread of COVID-19 in cities as a “convenient cover for those who have had an insufficient response to climate, public health, and emergency preparedness.”

 

Toma Op-Ed Highlights Using Computer Simulations to Raise Pediatric Brain Injury Awareness

May 16, 2020

In an International Business Times op-ed about using computer simulations to help prevent head trauma in young children, Milan Toma, Ph.D., assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, highlights conclusions from a study he co-authored and urges that they be used to better educate new parents and inform manufacturers as they design products like car seats and safety helmets.

It's difficult to diagnose abusive head trauma, or AHT, and there's no ethical way to observe or replicate such injuries in a scientific setting. But there is a way to study the problem -- using computer models to simulate the biomechanics of AHT and look at how the cerebrospinal fluid cushions the brain when a child is shaken repeatedly.

“It's time to minimize this trauma -- or eliminate it -- by using these findings to better educate new parents and design safer baby products,” Toma says. 

 

Career Services Offers insight on Serving Students Virtually: University Business

May 15, 2020

With campuses closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, career services teams have gotten creative about delivering programs virtually, including understanding the need to get student input, according to an article in University Business.

The article highlights 14 ways that campus career offices are serving students in this unprecedented time, including input from Laurie Hollister, director of Career Services at New York Tech.

With a dual campus model, New York Tech was no stranger to Zoom technology and virtual events for students, Hollister notes. “So pivoting to virtual appointments and workshops, already in use, was simple. After spring break, a student needs survey through the Handshake platform confirmed that students were most concerned about job prospects, summer internships, how to connect with recruiters and graduation.” 

 

Pediatrician Comments on Weighted Blankets in Today.com Interview

May 12, 2020

Pediatrician Christine Hartford, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine at NYITCOM-Arkansas, was quoted by Today.com regarding the safety of weighted blanket for babies and children. Stating that studies regarding the safety and efficacy of weighted blankets in children are limited, Hartford advises parents to refrain from allowing babies to sleep with the blankets.

“At this point in time, I do not recommend the use of weighted blankets in infants at any time,” says Hartford. “I think there is the potential for danger just as there is with any blanket, pillow or use of soft bedding in an infant.”

 

Berman Publishes COVID-19 Vaccine Op-Ed in Jonesboro Sun

May 06, 2020

Commentary by Jonathan Berman, Ph.D., assistant professor of basic sciences at NYITCOM-Arkansas, appeared in the Jonesboro Sun (subscription required). Berman discusses the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, which the CDC estimates will not be available for 12-18 months. Currently, hundreds of trials are ongoing for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, but Berman advises that Americans must continue to be patient.

“We’ve already experienced the risks of rushing treatments in this pandemic, as studies have found that hydroxychloroquine, which was initially touted by some as a treatment for COVID-19, seems to have no benefit and increases the risk of death. We must be cautious that when a vaccine does become available, it’s been proven to be both safe and effective,” says Berman.

 

Jarkon Breaks Mental Health Stigmas on Recovery Radio Podcast

May 05, 2020

In recognition of National Mental Health Awareness Month, Liat Jarkon, D.O., director for the Center for Behavioral Health, was interviewed by Recovery Radio, the official podcast for Landmark Recovery Centers. The interview positions Jarkon as a strong advocate for expanding access to mental health treatment, centering on the importance of adequate treatment options and the disparity between insurance coverage for mental and physical healthcare.