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• June 06: Detroit Mercy’s new STAR Center will create healthcare stars

  Tuesday June 06, 2023
  

  

  

  Tucked away in University of Detroit Mercy’s College of Health Professions on the McNichols Campus is a facility that looks like a working hospital.  

  Wide hallways and doors accommodate the movement of beds from room to room. Large windows showcase machines that beep vital signs. Patients are treated for trauma while others give birth. And all of it is done under the watchful eyes of simulation and clinical faculty in a nearby control room. 

  This is the College of Health Profession’s (CHP) new Simulation, Technology and Research (STAR) Center, and it is the future of healthcare education. 

  “We have done simulation for years, but this is simulation through a different lens,” said Nina Favor, assistant dean Prelicensure Clinical Partnerships. “This center broadens it and uses the discipline according to the International nursing Association for Clinical and Simulation Learning standards.” 

  The Center is designed to promote student-faculty collaboration in one space, enhance flexibility of the curriculum and the scenarios help students understand the benefits of different ways of treating patients.  

  More than three years in the making, the STAR Center will redefine the CHP’s interprofessional environment. Every program that falls under the CHP, from Physician Assistant to bachelor of Nursing will benefit, Favor said. The Center will be able to connect with Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, where Detroit Mercy runs the Nursing program and the new Novi Campus, where the Master’s Entry Advanced Generalist Nursing (MEAGN) program is offered. 

  “I’m really excited about this,” Favor said. “We could have one patient and be teaching students on three campuses.” 

  That is beneficial to students on the three campuses who need training on serving rural, hearing impaired, aging, youth and other populations that have unique needs.  

  It can also be used to expand some of the dual enrollment programs the CHP currently does with middle and high school students. It will also be an asset for recruitment and retention of CHP students. 

  “And it serves our mission too, because it can be used to improve and increase our healthcare outreach to the community,” said Interim Dean Janet Baiardi. 

  It will also be vital in creating a better prepared workforce, which is badly needed.  

  According to a new University of Michigan study, 39 percent of Michigan nurses said they plan on leaving their job in the next year. Among nurses younger than 25, 59 percent said they expect to leave the profession. While there are many reasons for this exodus, the fact remains that there are far fewer nurses working and in the pipeline.  

  “Nursing as a profession is an aging profession,” Baiardi said. Research shows huge percentages of the current workforce is looking to leave the profession. A big reason for that is burnout.  

  “Simulation training will better prepare students for the jobs that are out there,” she added. “By being better prepared, they will know how to handle situations in the workforce before they have to confront them in real time. That can help prevent burnout.” 

  Erika Moreno ’23 earned her bachelor of science degree in Nursing just as the STAR Center was being brought online, but she sees the potential of it. 

  “I think it’s a good opportunity for UDM students to explore the real world without fear of doing anything wrong and harming the patient,” Moreno said. 

  A non-traditional student, Moreno left a previous career in human resources for her Nursing degree and is now working in the cardiovascular operating room at University of Michigan Hospital.  

  She said simulation work begins with a case study where students are given details about the mannequin patients.  

  “That starts our critical thinking and we work in teams, and I remember to ask the patient one thing and my team member remembers to ask something else, so we’re tag-teaming and learning from each other and the situation,” Moreno said. “Healthcare is new to me, so the simulation experience is helpful. It gave me that nursing experience before I had to do it in real life.” 

  The former simulation center was too cramped and outdated and didn’t allow for easy simulcasting to other campuses. This new center will use artificial intelligence tools to increase the learning experience. Virtual-reality mannequins will have artificial intelligence and be able to answer questions from students. They will have vital signs and one will be able to simulate having a baby.  

  Cameras and one-way mirrors will allow instructors to watch as students learn everything from bedside manner to labor and delivery. Collaborative spaces for active learning are also included in the renovations that created the Center. 

  Much of the $4-million cost of the Center has been paid for by donors, but opportunities still remain to fund parts of it. 

  “This is the future of healthcare education,” Favor said. “It’s great for Detroit Mercy, our students and the community.” 

  For more about the STAR Center, please visit https://healthprofessions.udmercy.edu/about/star-center.php.  

• June 05: Leadership minor is a major attraction

  Monday June 05, 2023
  

  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s largest minor is leading the way.

  For more than a decade, the Leadership minor has been an important part of the college education for hundreds of University of Detroit Mercy graduates.

  Currently, more than 500 students are enrolled in the minor each semester, from every background, discipline and college. It has become part of the fabric of the University, helping send future leaders in different majors and career tracks into the world.

  “Our hope was to find a way to partner with every major in a way that really augments their learning,” said Don DiPaolo, director of the Leadership minor since its inception in late 2011. “Can leadership be paired with every major at the University and every career in the real world? That’s exactly what we did.”

  DiPaolo, who earned a doctorate in Leadership and Education Studies from the University of Michigan, has worked with student leadership nationally and internationally and saw a need for leadership training, specifically in the Midwest and Michigan. He received help from the provost, administration, deans, faculty and others at UDM to start the program from the ground up.

  “Every other weekend I was in another place in the country helping students develop leadership skills,” he said. “Why not at my own University? It was clear that the need was there. The business world and research were making it clear that it was needed and wanted.”

  It’s also a perfect fit at a place like UDM, where “to lead and serve” is front and center in the vision statement of the University.

  “We’ve tried to make the courses very student-centered and engaging,” DiPaolo said. “You can’t believe the feedback we get from people hiring our students in organizations or admitting them for postgraduate work.

  “These students in the program help lead the campus and are on their way to leading our country — and doing so with integrity and purpose.”

  The minor is 18 credits and all undergraduate students are eligible to add it to their major. It consists of four content areas: Individual Leadership Skills, Group Skills, Organizational Management and Human Relations Skills and Community Engagement Skills. The minor opens with an introductory course and concludes with a capstone course that provides opportunities for students to teach leadership skills in the community, such as in local schools.

  Each student also compiles an electronic leadership portfolio featuring the work they’ve done to earn the minor.

  “Leadership minor students often successfully present these at internship, post-graduate and job interviews — setting them apart from their peers,” said DiPaolo.

  The success stories from the minor are endless.

  As an undergraduate student at UDM, Suzie Dahma ’20 kept hearing rave reviews about the Leadership minor. Her interest, however, extended beyond the program.

  “I was interested in learning about myself and how to better my relationships with others personally and professionally,” Dahma said. “Students spoke highly about how well Dr. Don taught the class and the amount of helpful information they learned.”

  One of Dahma’s favorite aspects of DiPaolo’s classes were discussing different scenarios. She said it allowed students to understand other’s points of view. Now a travel nurse, Dahma uses these skills daily.

  “This class taught students, including myself, that taking the time to hear other’s reasonings may change the way you handle or react to something,” she said.

  “In the nursing field, we deal with many individuals — patients, visitors, co-workers. I’ve encountered many difficult conversations and personalities in my career. Taking Leadership has better equipped me to deal with those conversations and people.”

  Delaney Alward ’22 stumbled upon the minor almost by accident, taking a class out of curiosity. She is grateful she did. Alward eventually became a teaching assistant for the Introduction to Leadership classes and saw the positive transformation of students.

  “My favorite aspect of the program was the genuine, personal growth that students go through in their time in the minor,” Alward said. “I learned the most about myself, those around me and what I wanted to do career-wise because of this minor.

  “It was so rewarding to watch students progress over the semester — interacting with other students, participating in class discussions, laughing, crying and actually being authentic in the classroom.

  “The leadership minor creates an environment that is centered on student well-being and growth, which facilitates room for students to learn, change and excel over the course of their undergraduate experience at Detroit Mercy.”

  Current student Kirsten Richey is one of those who excelled in the program.

  Richey wasn’t necessarily looking forward to taking DiPaolo’s Introduction to Leadership class when she enrolled two years into her UDM career. But those sentiments quickly subsided when she immersed herself into it.

  “(DiPaolo) made the class so enjoyable and fun and he opened so many windows and different perspectives,” said Richey, who is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. “It’s helped me meet so many different types of people and I’m participating so much more in on-campus activities. It’s really made me enjoy my experience so much more.

  “I came in here with kind of lower confidence and I didn’t see myself as a leader at all. But after this class and now that I’m in the Leadership capstone class, as well, I’ve just learned so much about myself and I feel way more confident in my abilities and myself to lead others.”

  Not only has the program showcased student personal and professional growth, but it has helped to link classmates and create community at Detroit Mercy.

  “It was a great way to connect with myself and meet many other students from different majors and grade levels,” said Matt Turner ’20, ’21, who earned two degrees from the University, in addition to his Leadership minor. “Our campus is small, so it helped drive the ‘family’ aspect as well as enhance my leadership capabilities.”

  “Because leadership is such a relationship-based practice, the in-class environment is so collaborative and supportive and it’s a great way to foster learning and greater understanding and honestly, it’s just a lot of fun,” added Cole Luken ’23, a recent Political Science graduate who is preparing for law school.

  “You build better connections with your classmates than you do in any other class.”

  The Leadership minor draws students from all colleges on the McNichols Campus, with the College of Engineering & Science leading the way with 210 total students enrolled in the minor during the winter 2023 semester.

  “One of my favorite things about the minor is that it gives student leaders the chance to cross pollinate,” said DiPaolo. “They are all in the same class with kids from different majors who may have very different views of their own life trajectory.

  “It makes people feel much more connected to the University, much more loyal to this place because they belong to each other, and they have a purpose.”

  Turner, who works on an HR team for a global manufacturing company and also coaches high school lacrosse in Detroit, knows just how major of an impact the Leadership minor had on his Detroit Mercy education.

  “It is applied every single day,” he said. “You leave the program with an enlightened ability to understand your own thoughts and actions. The truth is that leaders are out there every day, whether it’s helping someone cross the street or leading an entire organization.” 

  Alward, who earned a Psychology degree from UDM and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, may have been unaware of what the Leadership minor had to offer when she enrolled, but knows that it’s anything but minor.

  “In everything from job interviews, working and interacting with peers, co-workers and faculty, to my interpersonal relationships with family and friends — the benefits of obtaining a Leadership minor at Detroit Mercy permeate to all areas of my life,” she said.

  “It was the best choice I have ever made in terms of my academic and professional career.”

  — By Adam Bouton. Follow Detroit Mercy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Have a story idea? Let us know by submitting your idea.

• June 05: Celebrate Pride Month with the University

  Monday June 05, 2023
  

  

  Detroit Mercy is inclusive and welcoming to all people because we are Catholic, Jesuit and Mercy, and our desire to meet people where they are flows from our Catholic tradition of recognizing and honoring the inherent human dignity of all people.

  This June, UDM is pleased to join the global community in celebrating PRIDE Month.

  While some of our campuses may be lightly populated during the summer months, there are various events taking place throughout the city and metropolitan area to celebrate Pride Month. To further support your exploration and understanding, we have curated a comprehensive library guide with valuable resources via the following link: Library Guide

  Here’s a look at some out Pride Month events in Metro Detroit during June:

  • Saturday, June 3 — Ferndale Pride
  • Saturday and Sunday, June 10-11 — Motor City Pride
  • Saturday, June 17 — Grosse Pointe Pride

• June 05: Photos: Detroit Mercy visits India during immersion experience

  Monday June 05, 2023
  

  

  Seven students and four professors had the trip of a lifetime during an unforgettable immersion experience to India from May 16-26.

  The journey took the group to incredible places like the Jaipur, Agra, the Taj Mahal, the National Gandhi Museum and Memorial and Mother Teresa Anbu Illiam. The group learned, explored and soaked in the wonders of India.

  The trip was led by Associate Professor of History Diane Robinson-Dunn, with assistance from Director of Language and Cultural Training Lara Wasner.

  

  

  

• June 05: Summer II classes start June 26

  Monday June 05, 2023
  

  There is still time to register for 2023 Summer II classes!

  Classes for the second semester of summer begin on Monday, June 26. The semester concludes on Aug. 10 ahead of the fall semester at the University.

  Check out the schedule of classes with more than 50 course selections that have open seats.

  Office of the Registrar.

• June 02: Love of video games, writing puts student on unique career path

  Friday June 02, 2023
  

  

  Video games are more than a hobby for Hisham Almadani, they have been an important part of life.

  Almadani, a student at University of Detroit Mercy, grew up playing a wide variety of video games and hopes to make a career writing about esports.

  “Video games have been an integral part of my life ever since I was a little boy,” said Almadani, whose favorite games include Minecraft and Counter-Strike. “I think my earliest memories of video games were just me going to local gaming cafes. I was just playing for hours and it was super fun.”

  Writing also appealed to Almadani since he was young. But during COVID, he decided to combine his passions for writing and esports. He started writing about gaming and esports on the website Medium and now writes for Esports Insider, a news website, and Team Liquid, a professional esports organization.

  With Team Liquid, Almadani gets to experience different writing styles outside of standard journalism, including brand copy.

  “I find myself learning a lot there and growing as a writer,” he said.

  Almadani also experiences writing and video games at UDM. He’s involved with the Varsity News and the University’s Esports Club, as well as the Muslim Student Association.

  Attending UDM was an easy decision for Almadani, who was familiar with the University before becoming a student. Both of his older brothers studied Biology at UDM and have helped him with the transition from high school to college.

  “I had already visited and I liked the campus,” he said. “I had met a couple of my older brother’s professors, so I was just kind of most comfortable choosing Detroit Mercy.”

  Almadani, who just finished his freshman year at UDM, isn’t sure where his future will take him. But he’s excited about the opportunities that await him, both on campus with the Varsity News and Esports Club, and in esports journalism.

  “Having those tools and just things available for me that a university like Detroit Mercy can offer, it’s amazing and very helpful to a resume or just for learning in general,” he said.

• June 02: Participants wanted for eye movement study in May, June

  Friday June 02, 2023
  

  Students, earn compensation or extra credit in May and June through an eye movement study. Research participants are needed for the study, which lasts just a half-hour. Compensation for the study is $10.

  The study is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout May and June.

  To be eligible for the study, you must be 18-years old or older, have normal or corrected-to normal visual acuity (you must wear your glasses or contact lenses), and have no history of flicker-induced epilepsy. A mask must also be worn in the lab.

  During the study, participants will repeatedly search for a target randomly embedded in a display. Eye movements will be monitored. There is no risk to participants’ health.

  Those in participating Psychology courses may also earn extra credit towards their class. The study will take place in room 204 (Vision Research Lab) of Reno Hall, which is located on the McNichols Campus of Detroit Mercy.

  For further questions on the study or to make an appointment, please contact Professor of Psychology Harold Greene by email at greenehh@udmercy.edu.

• May 30: Summer reading recommendations from the English Department

  Tuesday May 30, 2023
  

  

  Each year, the Detroit Mercy English Department offers a selection of summer reading recommendations from faculty and students. Check out this year’s recommendations on their blog, Between the Pages.

  We hope you find time to curl up, stretch out and read a stack of good books this summer.

  Leave your own recommendations in the comments!

  2023 Summer Reading Recommendations.

  

• May 30: Full coverage: 2023 Commencement Ceremonies

  Tuesday May 30, 2023
  

  

  Congratulations, Class of 2023!

  Photos from 2023 Commencement ceremonies are rolling in. Visit the link below for photos from the various ceremonies:

  Full gallery of photos.

  

  Video replays of the 2023 ceremonies are also available on YouTube.

  More than 1,000 University of Detroit Mercy graduates participated in the four ceremonies on May 12-13 at Calihan Hall on the McNichols Campus.

  More on 2023 Commencement.

• May 24: Student Spotlight: SACD’s Asia Williams

  Wednesday May 24, 2023
  

  A video feature of School of Architecture & Community Development graduate Asia Williams, who is a proud Downtown Boxing Gym graduate and is continuing her education at Detroit Mercy for a master’s degree: