CWU Health Sciences to showcase student achievement, opportunities

The Central Washington University Department of Health Sciences will host its annual showcase, “Pathways to the Future: Innovations in Health Science,” on Friday, April 19, and members of the campus community are invited to attend.

The showcase will be held in the Health Sciences building from 2-5:15 p.m., and will feature oral and poster-based presentations of research, as well as a panel on pathways to careers in the health science field.

At 2 p.m. in Health Sciences 102, department chair Dr. Tishra Beeson will deliver opening remarks, which will be followed by a poster session in the Heath Sciences atrium. The posters on display will cover a broad variety of student research projects, including the impact of the pandemic on tobacco consumption, iron deficiency and anemia in women, podcasts and social media as educational tools, the effectiveness of using Body Mass Index (BMI) as a prognostic factor in individuals with plantar fasciopathy, and more.

Following the poster session, a variety of oral presentations from faculty and special guests will take place in rooms 101 and 103 from 3-4 p.m. Presentations will cover subjects including dietetics, the effects of the pandemic on maternal depression plus autonomic function in young adults, and the physical impact of trail running on female runners.

From 4 to 4:45, a panel of alumni and special guests will discuss their career paths as part of “Health Sciences Pathways: From Research to Job Market” in room 102. The panelists include Ellensburg High School Athletic Trainer Zane Davis, Washington State Department of Health professional Lisa Hannah, CWU Department of Sport and Movement Studies Coordinator David McDowell, and Kittitas Valley Healthcare Physical Therapist Nicholas D. Gray. The conversation will be moderated by CWU Senior Lecturer of Health Sciences Ken Kladnick.

The event will conclude with an awards ceremony honoring three retiring Health Sciences faculty members, held from 4:45-5:15 p.m. Drs. Ethan Bergman, David Gee, and Vincent Nethery have all had a tremendous impact on Health Sciences faculty, staff, and students, and their achievements will stand as monuments to their dedication to the field for a long time to come.

Friday’s event will conclude with an FAQ session about the upcoming SOURCE conference with Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research Dr. Hideki Takei.