This week, the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah welcomed a virtual site visit from the Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council (AGEC), marking a major milestone in its application for initial program accreditation. The program is known for its interdisciplinary approach and is open to students from all academic backgrounds. A formal report on accreditation status will be delivered in April.
Accreditation Visit
The Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council (AGEC) is an independent 501c3 with the expressed mission of accrediting gerontology programs in higher education. The Master of Science Gerontology program prepares professionals to understand the aging process, and issues related to an aging society. Students learn from experts who value an interdisciplinary approach, and graduate equipped to be a leader in the field of aging. Importantly, the program is open to all academic disciplines. Students are not required to have a nursing or medical background. Given that the Gerontology program applied for initial AGEC accreditation, a 3-member AGEC Review Team completed a 2-day virtual accreditation site visit of the Gerontology Program. In April, AGEC will send a formal report to the College regarding its accreditation status. Those who contributed included the following:
Chief University of Utah Academic Officers:
· Dr. Michael Good
· Dr. Mitzi Montoya
Program Director and Faculty, Practicum Coordinator, and Faculty Advisors:
· Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Co-Lead for the Visit
· Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Co-Lead for the Visit
· Dr. Cynthia Beynon
· Dr. Alycia Bristol
· Dr. Kara Dassel
· Dr. Linda Edelman
· Dr. Valerie Flattes
· Dr. Julie Gee
· Dr. Schola Matovu
· Dr. Cathy Maxwell
· Dr. Rebekah Perkins
· Dr. Lynn Reinke
· Dr. Caroline Stephens
· Dr. Gail Towsley
· Dr. Katherine Supiano
CON Faculty and Staff Support:
· Rebwar Baesmat
· Sarah Brown
· Heather Clarkson
· Denise Crismon
· Lynn Dixon
· Hollie Fuhrmann
· Dr. Sara Hart
· Dr. Linda Hofmann
· Sonja Jensen
· Kristen Mahoney
· Summer Martin
· Minhvan Thach
· Dr. Andrea Wallace
· Dr. Rebecca Wilson
· College of Nursing Excellence in Education
· Dean Marla De Jong
Gerontology MS Students:
· Tessa Buck
· Chris Gravett
· Julie Kemeny
· Kristine Lee
· Jami McDonald
· Kaitlyn Rager
· Suzette Shepherd
University of Utah Support:
· Annie Friedman
· James Harris
· Dr. Alayne Markland
· Dr. Matt Mooney
· Catherine Soehner
· Rob Ence
· Joel Macey
· Dr. Michael Caserta
· Jaime Cross
· Alianne Sipes
· Lauren Chamberlain
Community Engagement
Dr. Valerie Flattes, Aarohi Drabu, and MS student Alyssa Pham organized the third annual College of Nursing Saturday Academy outreach event, welcoming 105 students from elementary, middle, and high schools in and around Salt Lake City, and inspiring students to pursue a career in nursing. Saturday Academy fosters an inclusive campus environment and helps build a strong, diverse applicant pool for health science fields. Students in grades 4-12 participated in hands-on activities in the CON Simulation Center, where they had the opportunity to interact with nurses, faculty, and nursing students. They also learned about the nursing student experience, including the college preparation process, admissions, and more. The event would not have been possible without the incredible support of the following individuals and teams:
Simulation Center Team:
· Yvonne Bass
· Debbie Boulter
· Dr. Ann Butt
· Bobby Cody
· Kristy Gauthier
· Lori Hanson
· Anne Harris
· Sherri Kerney
· Mandy Thomson
Staff Support:
· Ryan Copeland
· Erica Fearnley
· Adryenne Huo
· Shelli King
· Gabriel Mayberry
· Kristan Tunks
Student Support:
· Zamzam Ahmed
· Piper Chnoweth
· Jasmine De La Cruz
· Arie Fichialos
· Sofia Flowers
· Lucas Gwynn
· Gabriella Hernandez
· Yi-Hsuan Huang
· Kate Miller
· Bailee Minhondo
· Jon Todd Mosier
· Elena Nelson
· Abby Neukamm
· Anida Pathammavong
· Thu Pham
· Charity Ralphs
· Anagha Rao
· Kaitie Rogers
· Jacy Thomas
· Kelly Tran
· Nhu Trinh
· Renee Villafana
· Allison Wannenmacher
· Jennie Wilson
Faculty Support:
· Dr. Lisa Barry
· Leslie Crandall
· Dr. Erica Nelson
· Jesika Chavez-England
· Danielle Puri
· Dr. Katie Ward
Special gratitude to the members of College Student Council who volunteered to help with Saturday Academy, and to Alyssa Pham. Alyssa has been organizing Saturday Academy for the past three years, and her hard work and commitment have made the event a continued success.
Participants provided the following feedback (unedited):
· “Getting to learn about the different aspects of nursing and what sorts of things nurses do”; “I loved learning about how to care for babies”
· “I enjoyed the things I learned and how there is a place for everyone. There’s also a good chance you can get into nursing so that’s good.”
· “I think my most favorite part was hearing the manikins’ heartbeat and the noises they make.”
· “The experience to be learning with health professionals was great”
· “being able to talk to people in the field and ask questions was the best part”
· “All of the people who helped us out were really nice as well.”
· “College of Nursing gave us an experience”
· “The energy and attitude all the people had was so good to see.”
Presentations
Sherri Kerney organized and Simulation Center actors Liz Whittaker and Stacey Jenson presented two plays for a Caring Connection workshop titled Best Practices in Supporting Patients & Families as They Prepare for End of Life and Grief. The plays, created for the Hospice Foundation of America and that Dr. Sara Bybee arranged for Caring Connections to use, were exceptionally polished and compelling for an audience of hospice professionals.
Dr. Shawna Sisler and Dr. Richard MacIntyre will present an American Association of Colleges of Nursing webinar titled Disaster Ready: Preparing Nurses for Crisis Response on February 11. They will explore the critical role of nurses in disaster management, the importance of comprehensive disaster nursing education, and the current state of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in nursing, focusing on education needs, workforce readiness, and community resiliency.
Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson, Claudia Charles, Dr. Sara Simonsen, Sharon Austin, Dr. Jessica Ellis, Dr. Jacqueline Kent-Marvick, Lorna Oforiwah Khemchand, Sarai Negrete Macias, Camille Moreno, Dr. Megan Maughan, Leslie Crandall, and Ryan Ward delivered an oral presentation titled Creating Waning Moon with Two-Eyed Seeing: A Menopausal Transition Health Promotion Intervention with Indigenous, Integrative, and Biomedical Education Developed with Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Women at the Coyote Institute’s Fourth Annual Two-Eyed Seeing Conference, which was held at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and virtually. The Two-Eyed Seeing Conference was established to honor Albert D. Marshall, a M’iqmak tribal elder, who coined the term “two-eyed seeing” – the equal validity of indigenous and scientific ways of knowing.
University Service
The Academic Senate approved the Center for Interprofessional Simulation-based Experiential Learning (CISBEL), co-directed by Dr. Ann Butt and Dr. Ken Johnson. CISBEL's mission focuses on healthcare excellence and equity through simulation, experiential learning, and collaboration. As a resource for University of Utah Health colleges and schools, CISBEL will enhance existing simulation-based learning activities; expand research opportunities for faculty, staff, and students; serve as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration; increase professional development opportunities; and boost community engagement through events and demonstrations. Dr. Butt is recognized for expertise in simulation-based experiential learning and was instrumental in establishing the Center.
Professional Service
Dr. Julie Valentine was appointed to serve as a member of the National Academies' Committee on Sexual Assault at Sea. Under Congressional mandate, a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a consensus study that will review and assess existing evidence on challenges and prospective solutions associated with sexual assault at sea aboard Coast Guard vessels, to include the provision of survivor care, forensic examination of the victim, and evidence collection. The study will review best practices of conducting sexual assault forensic examinations and evaluate the operational capabilities of the Coast Guard in providing alleged victims of sexual assault immediate access to care onboard a vessel. As appropriate, the committee will make evidence-driven policy and research recommendations to key military stakeholders and provide any appropriate recommendation for changes to existing laws, regulations, or employer policies. Dr. Valentine’s service extends through September 2026.
Professional Development
Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson was selected for the Spring 2025 Faculty Upskilling in AI (UAI) program. The UAI program is designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to design and execute AI-driver research projects, write competitive research proposals leveraging AI, and critically evaluate AI methods for responsible and effective use in their work. Dr. Taylor-Swanson will learn about the design of chatbot-delivered menopause health education. Dr. Vivek Srikumar and Dr. Sneha Kumar Kasera from the College of Engineering coordinate the UAI program.
Publications
Armstrong C, Friberg-Felsted K, Macali J, Clifton J, Simonsen S. “More attentive to my wellness”: Reported experiences of academic nurse faculty and staff in the early months of the pandemic. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2025;10(1):008. doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2501008
Bradbury L, Supiano K, Andersen T, Ponce Gonzalez K, and Bott A. Conducting grief support groups in prison: A pragmatic feasibility and impact study. J Gerontol Soc Work. Accepted.
Murphy AE, Arewasikporn A, Taylor-Swanson L, Williams DA, and Harris RE. Pressure pain threshold and perceived impact of pain differentially predict short-term and long-term pain reduction following acupuncture in fibromyalgia. J Integr Med. Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joim.2025.01.005
Supiano K, Evans M, Fetzer A, Bradbury L, Ponce Gonzalez K, Bott A. Conducting grief support groups in prison: A pragmatic feasibility and impact study. J Correct Health Care. Accepted.