Faculy of Health Sciences

picsture of Michelle mottola and the healthy eating and exercise kit

Michelle Mottola (right) and Stephanie-May Ruchat (post-doctoral fellow) show off a new kit being distributed to families at the French-language preschool La Rimambelle. This innovative kit promotes healthy eating and exercise. Read more about this exciting program.

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2008 News Archive

The Faculty of Health Sciences Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Faculty, staff, students and alumni recently gathered together to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the The Faculty of Heatlh Sciences. The Celebration featured an historical slide show, speeches from members who helped form the faculty, and of course, a healthy dose of mingling.

Check out photos from the Faculty of Health Sciences 10th Anniversary Celebration.

Arthur Labatt family gift honored with naming of nursing school

Labatt Announcement Dr. Davenport and Dean Jim Weese welcome Sonia and Arthur Labatt and their daughter, Jacquie.

The University of Western Ontario is renaming its School of Nursing to honour a generous gift from Arthur Labatt and his family. The school will now be the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing.

The $10 million gift from Labatt comes as the respected Canadian business leader is preparing to lead his final convocation ceremonies as Chancellor of Western during the week of June 9.

Read the Western News story here.

Read Arthur Labatt's remarks.

Rec centre gets name, revised opening

The $35-million recreation centre under construction across from Huron Flats will open in January as the Western Student Recreation Centre. The name was not finalized until recently. [ read more ]

Dean's Honours List

The Faculty of Health Sciences is pleased to announce the 2006-07 Dean's Honours List. Congratulations to all.

Click here to see the list of BHSc honourees

Click here to see the list of Kinesiology honourees

Click here to see the list of Nursing honourees

Western welcomes delegation from Beijing Sports University

Beijing visit

Darwin Semotiuk (Kinesiology), Dean Jim Weese and Earl Noble (Kinesiology) welcome Mr. Yang Hua, President of Beijing Sports University, to Western for the signing of a memorandum of understanding with The University of Western Ontario. Congratulations to all involved.

Developing Occupational Therapy in Eastern Europe

Bulgaria

Dr. Anne Kinsella (OT) recently participated as a visiting scholar at an international educational initiative for occupational therapy students in Eastern Europe entitled A European perspective on social inclusion of persons with disabilities: Inclusive employment. This two week institute sponsored by the European Network for Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE), was partially funded to by ERASMUS and Socrates (two European international development programs), and was held at the Angel Kanchev University of Rousse in Bulgaria.

Participants included twenty-five students, and nine professors from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, and Holland as well Australian visiting scholar Gail Whiteford, presented on the Conceptual origins of occupational deprivation. In addition, a symposium was held with community organizations, policy makers, and groups that work with persons with disabilities in Bulgaria. Meetings with the vice-rector of academic affairs, Borislav Angelov, the deputy rector of education and research, Angel Smrikarov, and the vice-rector in European integration and international co-operation were held to discuss the development of the occupational therapy program at the University of Rousse.

The director of ENOTHE, Hanneke van Bruggen, has been instrumental in developing occupational therapy in Eastern Europe. The European approach fosters a community- based vision that focuses on the social determinants of health, and social participation of persons with disabilities. This vision encompasses: community participation, social inclusion of persons with disabilities, inclusive employment, population based interventions, and the cultivation of partnerships between local agencies, organizations and policy makers. Dr. Kinsella was inspired by her time in Bulgaria, and suggests that Canadian occupational therapists and organizations concerned with health and social care can learn from the vision of social inclusion of persons with disabilities being adopted in Eastern Europe.

Congratulations to our FHS award winners

Distinguished University Professor Award
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Richard Seewald (Communication Sciences and Disorders) is one of four members from Western honoured with a 2008 Distinguished University Professor Award. The Distinguished University Professor Award is Western's highest recognition for a faculty member. This award is presented in honour of sustained excellence in teaching, research and service during an outstanding scholarly career at The University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Heather Laschinger (Nursing) was presented with this honour in 2006

Faculty Scholar Award

Congratulations also go out to Dr. Harry Prapavessis (Kinesiology). Dr. Prapavessis has been awarded a 2008 Faculty Scholar Award by the University of Western Ontario. This award honours and celebrates outstanding scholarly achievements at Western.

Previous FHS recipients include: Carol McWilliam (Nursing), Jayne Garlard (Physical Therapy), Ruth Martin (Communication Sciences and Disorders), Doreen Bartlett (Physical Therapy), Cheryl Forchuck (Nursing) and Kevin Shoemaker (Kinesiology).

Rural school says thanks to Mustangs

Courtesy of Western Media Relations

Students, teachers and parents at East Williams Memorial Public School, north of Ailsa Craig, will be hosting a special afternoon, including a potluck lunch, this Thursday March 27, as a way of saying thanks to members of the Western Mustangs football team.

The Mustang players have been visiting the school in recent months, working with students on reading skills, and coaching students on teamwork, respect, cooperation and social skills.

“I can’t tell you how our community has embraced this,” said East Williams Principal Vivian Bell-McKaig. “Sometimes, student in rural schools don’t have the same opportunities as those in cities. We are tremendously grateful for the commitment these young men have made to being a part of the lives of our students. They have had a real impact.”

“The Western players have even been writing back and forth with our students to help them improve writing skills," said Bell-McKaig. "Literacy goals in the students have increased five levels since this program began.”

On Thursday, the Mustangs will be working with students on reading and writing skills from noon until 1 p.m., the potluck lunch goes from 1 p.m. until 1:45 and then until 3 p.m. the players will be teaching football skills to intermediate students in gym classes.

The school is hopeful that the relationship with the players will continue in the coming months even though the term at Western is ending soon. Bell-McKaig said discussions are underway that may see the creation a football camp for intermediate students at East Williams, a school with 280 students. The team has said they will be returning next fall for sure. Some Western Mustang players have also committed to return for a spring fling dunk tank in June.

FHS Teaching Award

Presented by the Dean for the first time in 2002, the Faculty of Health Sciences Teaching Award celebrates excellence in academic endeavours with particular emphasis on exceptional performance in teaching.

Nominations are now being accepted for this special honour. The deadline for nominations is 4:00 p.m. Friday March 7, 2008 - dossiers and applications due: Friday April 11, 2008.

For further information on this prestigious award click here.

Dean Jim Weese and Carroll Iwasiw from the School of Nursing welcome Rwandan guests Paul Munyiginya and Alex Tumusiime to Western.

FHS Grad Student Research Suite Opened

research suite

Dean Jim Weese and the Faculty of Health Sciences are pleased to announce the opening of the FHS Graduate Student Research Suite. In a brief ceremony yesterday, the area located in Alumni Hall 11 was officially opened and will help accommodate the exciting growth and expansion of Health Sciences Graduate Studies programs.

Historic Student Donation to help build and operate new Western Sport and Recreation Centre

exterior

Students at the University of Western Ontario have made the largest student contribution to a Canadian university. The monies will be gifted over a 30-year period. Nearly $30-million will be committed toward Western’s upcoming fundraising campaign.

Watch the video here

interior

Dean Weese co-chairs Western’s United Way Campaign to record donation

United Way

Students, faculty, staff and retirees at The University of Western Ontario eclipsed their goal of half a million dollars and presented a record-breaking gift of $516,819 to United Way of London & Middlesex.
Read the Western News story here

Pictured: Western President Paul Davenport and United Way of London and Misslesex CEO Bob Adams.

Nursing...A Light to the Future
Inaugural Ceremony

The Western-Fanshawe Collaborative Nursing Program held the inaugural Pinning Ceremony January 14 to recognize the students who will soon begin formal practice with patients. Lighting a candle as part of the Nightingale Declaration were, from left, Fanshawe professor Lorena Harvey (Faculty, W-F BScN Program, Fanshawe College), Judy McKale-Waring, (Year 1 Co-ordinator, W-F BScN Program, Fanshawe College), Leanne McAuley, 2007 Gold Medal recipient (Western-Fanshawe Collaborative BScN program), Mary Anne Krahn, Acting Co-ordinator (W-F BScN Program, Year 2, Fanshawe College), Nancy Platt, Year 1 Coordinator, School of Nursing (Western), and Karen Ferguson, Undergraduate Programs Chair, School of Nursing (Western).

The Faculty of Health Sciences Exceeds United Way Goal!

The Faculty of Health Sciences is pleased to announce that we have exceeded our United Way goal. Currently, the Faculty has raised over $32,000 and is at 108% of its goal.