SHRS Blog

Assistant Professor Nancy Gauvin is the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ new associate dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement. Gauvin is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and tenure-stream faculty in the school’s Department of Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) who has experience leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout her clinical and academic career.

Exciting things have happened to me professionally since joining Pitt’s online Doctor of Clinical Science (CScD) in Occupational Therapy program in fall 2021. In early March, I returned home to Georgia after presenting a scoping review at the Western Regional Occupational Therapy Spring Symposium (WROTSS) in Las Vegas. I first learned about scoping reviews during the CScD Evidence Analysis and Synthesis course last summer. ...

When the University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Hybrid students gather in-person for the immersion experiences, they aren’t coming together to just check off boxes from the program’s curriculum and move themselves one step closer to graduation. As they start to arrive and see each other in the hallway, it’s all high-pitched whoops, backslaps and running hugs as they celebrate reuniting with members of their DPT Hybrid family who have become an integral part of their learning community. ...

Jennifer S. White, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy (OT), is one of five Health Sciences faculty who recently completed the inaugural Social Justice Faculty Fellowship program developed by the Office of Health Sciences Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The fellowship pairs one faculty member from each of the Pitt Health Sciences schools with a community organization for a 10-month project to address inequities relative to the health and well-being of the community-at-large.

The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) mourns the loss of Department of Physical Therapy Professor Emeritus George Carvell who passed away at the age of 77 on Sunday, March 5. Carvell had recently retired after 47 years of teaching neuroscience in SHRS’ Physical Therapy (PT) and undergraduate Rehabilitation Science programs.

Karlyn Rupert is a physician assistant who’s been practicing for 11 years and currently works in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department at the Department of Veteran Affairs in Pittsburgh. She completed her PA training at Chatham University and graduated in 2012. She has worked in oncology, in both bone marrow transplant and outpatient breast medical oncology. Here’s how the University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Physician Assistant Studies (DPAS) program is helping her make a difference.

During one of the information sessions for the Master of Rehabilitation Technology (MRT) program, the MRT faculty and SHRS enrollment team introduced prospective students to recent MRT graduates to discuss the program’s curriculum, online learning and quality of education. We agree with our graduates that these are the top reasons why MRT at Pitt could be for you and the way to launch your next bold move into the world of rehabilitation technology! ...

Many practicing PAs who are thinking of applying to our Doctor of PA Studies (DPAS) Program ask about the internship courses in the curriculum. They wonder about the requirements, their options for completing it, and if they can fit this into their already busy work and home lives. At first glance, it probably seems a bit strange that a licensed, practicing clinician would be asked to do an internship. When you consider the purpose and outcome of the internship as part of the DPAS curriculum, you realize the immense value it provides to the DPAS candidate and those they serve in their place of practice. 

Pitt offers over 100 undergraduate majors—as a new college student this can be equally exciting and overwhelming. If you’re struggling to choose, you will find that Communication Science checks off a lot of boxes on the proverbial list. Communication is a fundamental skill in all aspects of life and gaining a foundational understanding of the science behind it is beneficial in all environments.

Nearly forty years ago, the University of Pittsburgh began a world class Sports Medicine program for students interested in sports injury prevention and research. Since then, it has never stopped evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of athletes, military personnel and everyday people or setting the standards for sports medicine research.

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) faculty continue to shine with awards that reflect their transformative contributions to the health care community. The American Academy of Audiology is honoring Catherine Palmer, professor and interim chair in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders (CSD), professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, and director of Audiology at UPMC with the Honors of the Academy award.

Nutrition and dietetics play a major role in the treatment and recovery of cancer patients. In her role as clinical dietitian lead at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute, Rachel Harken (BS ’95, MS ’99) works as part of the Oncology Navigation team. She builds relationships with patients and utilizes different nutrition therapies to help alleviate some of the nutrition-related side effects that often accompany chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.