College of Nursing and Health Professions News

The Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions hit $2.91 million in research funding this past fiscal year, which ended June 30. In just two years, the college has almost doubled its research funding.

The College of Education & Human Development’s health literacy certificate program gives students a more comprehensive understanding of health literacy and how it can be incorporated into their work.

Two Georgia State University students have created a culturally inclusive food-access map for all six campuses.

Blake McGee, PhD, associate professor of nursing in the Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, was awarded a Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. McGee is one of 16 nursing leaders from across the United States awarded the competitive fellowship.

More than 40 posters were entered for judging in the 9th annual Lewis College Research Day, showcasing the best research conducted by health professions students.

U.S. News & World Report rankings for graduate programs were released this week, and the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions saw a significant jump in two of its programs.

Georgia State’s 40 Under 40 program annually celebrates the most influential and accomplished Georgia State graduates who embody the values of the university.

The new center, on the first floor of the Urban Life building, features 48 hospital beds and seating for 80 students in four clinical skills laboratories, in addition to six interprofessional education simulation suites.

The Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program received a seven-year accreditation, the maximum term allowed for a new program. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, or ACOTE, lauded the GSU program for its faculty, program director, and financial and organizational resources, all of which contribute to students who are professionally ready for clinical engagement. ACOTE cited no deficiencies in the program.

Rafaela Feresin, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition, was awarded a grant to study the effects of wild blueberry consumption in Black and white adults with high blood pressure.

Dr. Doug Gardenhire, chair of respiratory therapy, has been given the additional title and responsibilities of assistant dean for international initiatives in the Lewis College. This position is new as the college expands its efforts in international study, research collaborations and graduate student recruitment.

Dr. Nancy Kropf has been named the inaugural Kenneth D. Lewis Distinguished Chair in Interdisciplinary Health Studies, effective immediately.

The grant from Kaiser Permanente will fund Georgia State University recruitment and retention activities aimed at increasing enrollment in the School of Nursing, as well as the expansion of opportunity for School of Public Health students practicing narrative exposure therapy.

To better understand health disparities that disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minorities, a team of Georgia State University researchers has been working to identify specific health concerns affecting underserved Atlanta communities.

The Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions recently added three new members to its Board of Advisors.

Dawn Aycock, Ph.D., was named recently professor in the School of Nursing, the first African American faculty in the school’s history to reach this rank. She begins her 18th year as a faculty member at Georgia State University with the 2023 fall semester.

Kyungeh An, Ph.D, RN, FAAN, FAHA, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing, has formally accepted the position of associate dean of the Lewis College School of Nursing and is expected to assume her position Oct. 1.

During the 2023 grant cycle, the Women’s Philanthropy Network is providing more than $300,000 in funding support to nine college- and unit-level initiatives.

Jessica P. Danh received the three-year predoctoral fellowship for her research training and dissertation work that will examine the therapeutic effects of berries.

A child of migrant farm workers, Mayra Ramirez Rubio, choose to pursue a degree in physical therapy after learning how PT can benefits workers with physical jobs.

Madeline Jeffocoat is one of more than 50 Perimeter nursing graduates. She is excited about her future. "The healthcare industry is constantly moving forward, and because of this, nurses can learn new skills and expand their area of expertise. I want to have a career with that kind of possibility."

Sisters and triple Panthers Sonya Shinhoster and Katina Edwards are achieving their mother’s dream of higher education this spring as they graduate with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Each say they couldn’t have done it without the other.

Wellstar Health System and Georgia State University’s Department of Respiratory Therapy in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions announce a $320,000 grant to expand the pipeline of respiratory therapy professionals.

The Department of Respiratory Therapy has received the 2023-2024 American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Apex Recognition Award, given to the program for the third consecutive time.

Started in 2018, Georgia State’s 40 Under 40 program annually celebrates the most influential and accomplished Georgia State graduates who embody the values of the university.

Two former LPNs are Georgia State’s first LPN to B.S.N. graduates and are another example of the university’s part in addressing the nursing shortage in Georgia.

Georgia State University launched a new 12-month pediatric residency program in December, providing physical therapists with advanced pediatric training. The residency is open to any licensed physical therapist in Georgia and new physical therapy graduates.

Physical therapy researcher, Dr. Yu-ping Chen, hopes to make home therapy fun for children with cerebral palsy using small robots. Her latest research combines robotics and virtual reality into an affordable means to increase home exercise compliance.

What drives 10 first-year nursing students to pursue a career in nursing at Grady Hospital? The first class of Grady Scholars, who received scholarships as part of a new partnership, share their inspirations and motivations.

What have healthcare professionals learned from the COVID pandemic to apply to future disease outbreaks? Dr. Syra Madad, a public health leader and epidemiologist, shared her knowledge of the lessons learned at the 2022 J. Rhodes Haverty Lecture.

Georgia State’s 2022 Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) graduates earned a rare 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE), repeating the Class of 2020's pass rate success. How did they do it?

The Georgia State University Alumni Association has named three new members to its Board of Directors and 18 new members to the Young Alumni Council board.

The new university initiative establishes interdisciplinary research hubs to address some of society’s most pressing issues, including pandemic preparedness, climate solutions, crime victim protection, equity and access, and public health.

The pandemic has produced a mental health crisis with effects that may reverberate for years — even decades — to come. At Georgia State, researchers are working to gain insights into the emotional toll and identify how people are finding hope even as the threats persist.

Grady Health System and Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions announced today a formal partnership that will expand the nursing education pipeline and strengthen nursing recruitment at Grady.

Far from the typical classroom experience, a number of Georgia State’s undergraduate and graduate courses offer students unexpected lessons — sometimes in unexpected places.

Bachelor of science in respiratory therapy student Crystal Dorvil graduates from Georgia State knowing her early future. Days after graduation, she begins a high-paying new job at Wellstar Cobb Hospital.

DeVaughn Davis plans to work with human patients before making the transition to four-legged ones.

Dr. Liang-Ching Tsai, associate professor of physical therapy at Georgia State, has received a $2.02 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of knee rehabilitation following injury to preserve long-term knee cartilage health.

Nearly 70 Lewis College students presented 35 research posters in person at the seventh annual Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions Research Conference. The 2022 conference also featured a keynote speaker for the first time, Dr. Karen Minyard, director of the Georgia Health Policy Center in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

Georgia State has once again been named a top employer of veterans. The award cites the university's support of veteran job candidate recruiting and hiring, and veteran employee development and retention.

Georgia State’s School of Nursing joined a collaborative academic agreement with other University System of Georgia (USG) nursing schools to provide common RN to BS program courses centrally.

Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions alumni Tamara Melton and Fortune Onwuzuruike have been named to the Georgia State University Alumni Association 2022 class of 40 Under 40.

The 40 Under 40 program honors, recognizes and celebrates the most influential and impactful Georgia State graduates under the age of 40 who embody the values of the university.

The new degree program, the first of its kind in the state of Georgia, will educate future health researchers and educators. The new doctoral students are critical to reducing the shortage of health care professionals

Childhood experiences led Georgia State University health informatics master’s degree candidate Schuylar Holmes to a future in healthcare. She visited her chronically-ill grandmother in the hospital as a child, but her own experiences as a pediatric cancer patient solidified her interest.

Through community health course clinical experiences, Georgia State nursing students provide health services to some of Atlanta’s most vulnerable citizens. The homeless men and women of SafeHouse Outreach are one such group.

Grace Bendinger (B.S.N. ’11, M.I.S. ’21) was looking for a way to improve patient care on a broader scale. With the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Biomedical Enterprise she’ll receive this fall from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State, she’ll be doing just that.

New research led by associate professor Lucy Popova examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected tobacco use in America.

What does a Georgia State University online graduate nursing student look like? He might look like Semere Araya, the son of immigrants from Eritrea, who juggles a demanding job, family responsibilities and the dream of influencing future nursing students.

New Georgia State University nursing graduate Kanika Coburn had reasons to be anxious about finishing her nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, thanks to the private 4 South Scholarship, money for school wasn’t a concern. The scholarship, established by an anonymous Georgia State alumna, led Coburn to her dream job as a nurse in the high-risk perinatal unit of Northside Hospital-Atlanta.

Six Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions doctor of physical therapy students, motivated to increase the diversity of PT professionals, are encouraging and mentoring the next generation of physical therapists even before finishing their degrees.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of respiratory therapists treating patients with severe lung issues, but there is a shortage of these healthcare professionals. Georgia State University and Wellstar Health System have teamed up to help close this gap with a new workforce development agreement.

Associate professor of physical therapy Yuping Chen is using virtual reality to improve the lives of kids with cerebral palsy.

A new study conducted by Georgia State University researchers examining the risks of adolescent suicide by guns found that the teens did not display typical suicidal behaviors. These findings increase the need for strong gun safety measures in homes where teenagers live.

The Georgia State University Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions undergraduate program has been ranked the top public program in Georgia and one of the top 100 nationally in the first U.S. News & World Report rankings of undergraduate nursing degree programs.

Through the multi-university Farm Worker Family Health Program, Georgia State physical therapy students care for farmworkers and their families in South Georgia. It's often the only healthcare the workers will get all year.

Make plans to attend the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions' 2021 J. Rhodes Haverty Lecture, featuring Dr. David Satcher on Tuesday, October 5 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Speaker's Auditorium on the Georgia State campus. Dr. Satcher is the founding director and senior advisor for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, and is a physician-scientist and public health administrator with an extensive track record of leadership, research and community engagement.

Nursing professor emerita Alice Demi is making a $1 million gift to the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions to build Georgia State University’s first interdisciplinary health simulation center. The center will be used to teach students in multiple Lewis College majors, including nursing, health informatics, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy and respiratory therapy.

A pilot study using a smartphone application proves to be an effective tool to measure community integration of military veterans with mild traumatic brain injury, according to Georgia State researcher and assistant professor of occupational therapy, Dr. Pey-Shan Wen.

Georgia State nutrition PhD candidates Maureen Meister and Rami Najjar received a prestigious predoctoral fellowship from the USDA-NIFA for their research training and dissertation work examining the therapeutic effects of berries.

Newly elected as diversity, equity and inclusion director of the American Physical Therapy Association Georgia, Dr. Carla Huggins has a mission to help Black students prepare for a physical therapy career and all PT students navigate complex racial issues.

Consistent messages about the safety and need for COVID-19 vaccines are key to overcoming young people’s reluctance to get inoculated, researchers at Georgia State and New York universities say.

Nutrition students Rami S. Najjar and Alivia M. Setka have been named finalists for the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Abstract Recognition Award Program. This American Society for Nutrition (ASN) program recognizes the highest quality research presented by students and young investigators.

Graduating master’s in respiratory therapy students Olyvia Branch and Juliana Cartwright began their Georgia State experience as exercise science majors. But when one previous RT student visited their senior class, both women changed their career tracks to respiratory therapy.

The 15th annual Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference highlighted 150 student research and creative projects in 35 academic disciplines.

Amid soaring gun sales and the pandemic, researchers at Georgia State are uncovering new solutions to protect young people from accidental shootings and suicides.

Nutrition and physical therapy graduate students took the top placement in the sixth annual Lewis College Graduate Research Conference. More than 58 students submitted individual and group research projects and gave presentations via a virtual platform.

The graduate nursing programs in Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Profession have risen in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 rankings, breaking the top 100.

The Department of Occupational Therapy O.T./M. alumni earned 100% pass rate on the 2020-2021 National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination.

“The program maintained its 100% pass rate, which is remarkable as clinical placements and graduation were delayed by the pandemic,” said Dr. Kinsuk Maitra, department chair.

The Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions is taking applications for the new online associate degree (A.S.) to bachelor of science (B.S.) degree completion program for registered dental hygienists. The inaugural class begins in Fall 2021.

Mass vaccination efforts against COVID-19 allow Georgia State nursing students to be part of health care history and get much-needed vaccines into the arms of the most vulnerable members of society.

Could an apple a day really keep the doctor away? What about raspberries or kale? Inside Prof. Rafaela Feresin’s nutrition science lab at Georgia State University, Honors College seniors Alivia Setka and Emily Carmichael are looking for answers.

Georgia State’s respiratory therapy program earned the 2021-22 American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Apex Recognition Award, given to departments that demonstrate high-quality care. This is the second time the department has received this award.

Georgia State University has received University System of Georgia Board of Regents approval to offer a Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree (O.T.D.), which replaces the occupational therapy master's degree, beginning with a new class of students accepted in May 2021.

Beginning January 2021, Georgia State will offer a new streamlined L.P.N. to B.S. degree program, leveraging the nursing programs in Perimeter College and the Atlanta Campus. This new program is a unique solution to the nursing shortage for one Atlanta area healthcare organization.

The Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions has received University System of Georgia Board of Regents approval to offer an online associate degree (A.S.) to bachelor of science (B.S.) degree completion program for registered dental hygienists. The first class will enroll in fall 2021.

Clinical rotations are limited for graduating nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one group of students practices screening skills on classmates and saves faculty valuable class time keeping all safe.

Moderately increasing prescription drug prices did not affect the hospitalization risk of Medicare recipients with heart failure also enrolled in Medicare Part D pharmacy plans, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

Dr. Anne Lorio, physical therapy and Dr. Traci Sims, nursing, were named champions by the Georgia State University Provost Office for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Lorio and Dr. Sims were among the 37 Georgia State faculty and staff named to the Hall of Fame for performing beyond the call of duty.

As Black communities are being devastated by COVID-19, Georgia State researchers are working to illuminate the ways systemic racism drives health disparities, harming and even killing African Americans.

October 25 – 31 is Respiratory Care Week 2020, and the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions Department of Respiratory Therapy celebrates this week by recognizing Meet some of Georgia State’s alumni RTs who have made a difference in the field during 2020 Respiratory Care Week, including Brian Kirkland, RRT, who has taken his career in a non-clinical direction as an account manager for Philips with a hospital respiratory care portfolio in western North Carolina.

The Lewis College RT department celebrates Respiratory Care Week 2020 recognition of several RTs who have made a difference in the field including Stephanie Johnson, director of respiratory care services at WellStar Cobb Hospital, Lauranne Scates, director of respiratory therapy, neurophysiology & sleep services at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Kristen Weaver, respiratory care manager at Northside Hospital Cherokee.

Emma Davis, DPT graduate is the second student in the Class of 2020 to earn the top license exam score. In recognition of October as Physical Therapy Month, the Lewis College highlights this new PT alumna and her journey into the profession.

Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions has named two new members to its advisory board. Beth Cayce is an alumna and CEO of CaraVita HomeCare and Jacqueline Herd is the chief nursing officer of Atlanta’s largest hospital and Georgia State University neighbor.

New doctor of physical therapy graduate, Class of 2020, Luke Tidwell, did the unthinkable when he took his physical therapy boards to get his PT license. Tidwell topped off his seven years at Georgia State, a proud “double Panther” who earned the highest score possible on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE).

Mary Alice Cain (M.S. '18) created healthy recipes using ingredients found at Dollar General for her nutrition master’s degree final project. Two years later, she helped develop Dollar General’s “Better For You” recipes.

Andrea Morgan, an experienced trainer and Georgia State University student, helps hospitals and healthcare providers all over the country maximize their use of electronic medical records (EMR) systems. Now, Morgan is pursuing a master’s in health informatics degree. How does her work and the COVID-19 pandemic impact her goals and education?

Dr. Douglas S. Gardenhire, chair and clinical professor of respiratory therapy, received the Georgia State University 2020 Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service & Outreach. The award is one of seven International Education Awards, recognizing outstanding faculty, staff, and students for their international education commitment.

For more than 25 years, Georgia State University’s Project Healthy Grandparents has assisted grandparents who are raising grandchildren in parent-absent homes through home visitation services. But since the COVID-19 virus outbreak began, the PHG nurses and social workers found inventive new ways to support the families in a virtual environment.

Georgia State University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy 41-person Class of 2020 has earned a rare 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE), an unusual feat for a class this size, particularly during a pandemic.

Can in-home piano therapy help homebound stroke survivors achieve better motor skills outcomes? Georgia State University researchers, Yi-An Chen of occupational therapy in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions and Martin Norgaard of the School of Music, found in preliminary results that piano therapy was enjoyable and effective.

Under normal circumstances, Georgia State nursing students go to a hospital or other medical facility for practical experience, called clinical. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students instead sign on to clinical experience via video conferencing.

Four Georgia State undergraduate health informatics students haven’t had their summer internships derailed by COVID-19. Evva Health put them to work remotely, collaborating with health IT industry experts to enhance the user experience on Evva Health’s dementia caregiving platform.

Congratulations to Dr. Dawn Aycock, one of 11 nurse scientists accepted to the first class of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowships for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. The fellowship recognizes nursing scholars/innovators with high potential to accelerate leadership in nursing research, practice, education and more.

Two Georgia State health informatics students have been named winners of the 2020 GA HIMSS David Cowan Scholarship. Maher Ahmed, undergraduate and Joyanna Carlisle, graduate student, are two of eight students statewide to receive the local chapter of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

A nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital, Lauren Skinner is also pitching in to help keep her co-workers safe in the time of coronavirus. She's taken to designing and sewing N95 mask covers and leading a Facebook group to show others how to do it, too.

The interim chair of the Department of Nutrition, Anita Nucci, associate professor, has been appointed chair by Dr. Huanbiao Mo, dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions. She replaces Mo, who was recently named dean of the college. Nucci served as interim chair for the past 16 months and previously served as department chair from 2011 to 2013.

The School of Nursing posted a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) among first-time test takers in Spring 2020. These results, well above the national average, were earned by the Fall 2019 bachelor’s degree graduates.

Huanbiao Mo, professor and interim dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, has been appointed dean of the college, effective July.

The Class of 2020 just completed one of the most challenging semesters in their college life, and now its time to celebrate. Meet five unique Lewis College graduates and take a glimpse into their journey to graduation.

How does the Panther’s Pantry meet the needs of more than 845 food-insecure Georgia State students during the COVID-19 pandemic campus closure? By compiling contact information on clients and sharing information on available area food banks.

Ebonee Gresham juggles two jobs – incident commander for COVID-19 testing and Health Department clinical nurse coordinator – while raising a family of 10 children and pursuing an intense doctorate degree.

The Georgia State Alumni Association’s annual GSU Cares Day may have been canceled, but it didn’t stop these occupational therapy students from stepping up to serve their communities.

Georgia State University talked to experts on its campuses for firsthand knowledge of what ventilators do and how respiratory therapists use them to care for patients.

The Lewis College hosted its fifth annual graduate research conference online via a detailed website with links to all research posters and abstracts, a secure electronic scoring platform for judges and an open voting mechanism for the People’s Choice award. Students presented their research live on Webex.

Georgia State’s respiratory therapists (RTs) combat COVID-19 at its worst. Part of a healthcare specialty which focuses solely on the lungs and heart, RTs provide bedside treatment for patients using a mechanical ventilator.

Graduate programs in the Lewis College reported an increase in the recently released U.S. News & World Report 2021 rankings. One degree program moved up 65 and a new program made its debut at number 108.

Congratulations to Department of Nutrition alumna Ashley Matthews for being named to the Georgia State Alumni Association's 40 Under 40 Class of 2020.

The first class graduates of the master’s of occupational therapy (O.T./M.) program in the Lewis College has earned a 100 percent pass rate on the 2019 National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination.

Dr. Dawn Aycock, associate professor of nursing, delivered the Georgia State University Fall 2019 Ph.D. hooding ceremony keynote address.

11Alive television station featured the Georgia State University Panther’s Pantry in a segment during the annual 11Alive and Salvation Army canned food drive.

Winner of the 2019 Sun Belt Cross-Country Championship, runner Lotte Meyberg (B.S. ’21) shines on and off the trail.

Alumna Tamara Melton hopes to bring the percentage of minorities in the nutrition field in sync with the U.S. population.

Associate professor Regena Spratling is helping parents care for children with extraordinary medical needs.

The Georgia State University Department of Respiratory Therapy (RT) will celebrate 50 years of educating respiratory therapists during National Respiratory Care Week, Oct. 20-26.

Georgia State University will become the first public university to offer a Master of Science in Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Informatics degree, beginning in spring 2020.

Students in the new Global Health Study Abroad in London, the Lewis College’s third study abroad program, experienced diverse world culture while examining the early days of modern medicine and nursing.

Thanks to a new student exchange agreement with Manipal University and Taipei Medical University, the RT program brings students from India and Taiwan, respectively, to pursue an integrated master’s degree in respiratory therapy. These students earn a dual degree with their home college and Georgia State.

Georgia State students and graduates provide crucial health care to migrant farmers and their families in South Georgia through the Farm Worker Family Health Program.

Two Class of 2019 Doctor of Physical Therapy graduates, Jared Davis and Joe Hoyt, attained the unique goal of making the highest possible score on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE), correctly answering 800 out of 800 questions.

Nurse practitioner students in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions have exceeded the average national pass rate on recent Advanced Practice Nursing national certification examinations.

Better community education and communication are critical for increasing levels of blood donation among minorities, according to a study by researchers at Georgia State University and Georgia Southern University.

Traveling to a new country for study abroad gave eight respiratory therapy students the chance to impact the lives of strangers in a rural Caribbean village. But they had no idea how much the experience would affect them.

Georgia State neuroscientist and physical therapist Andrew Butler discusses how he is mobilizing the healing power of brain plasticity.

Georgia State master’s nutrition coordinated program students teach pre-schoolers at Little Ones Learning Center that healthy food and good nutrition can be fun.

Two nursing alumni represent the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions in the Georgia State University Alumni 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. Ashley Blackmon and Dustin Hillis, nominees to the second annual 40 Under 40 class, share a background in critical care nursing and civic advocacy.

Dr. Rafaela G. Feresin, assistant professor of nutrition at Georgia State University, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine how berries improve cardiovascular function and gut health.

Georgia State University is part of a national group of leading innovative institutions that has received a $2.4 million grant from the Strada Education Network to redesign the college-to-career pathway.

Dr. Kellie Mayfield, assistant professor of nutrition, is using a Lewis College internal research grant to study nutritional issues of custodial African-American grandmothers and their families living in metro Atlanta.

The Department of Respiratory Therapy at Georgia State University received the 2019-2020 American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Apex Recognition Award. Only three universities nationwide received the award which recognizes excellence in respiratory care and preparing future practitioners.

Dr. Huanbiao Mo has been named interim dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions; effective February 1, 2019.

A new semester brings fresh opportunities to achieve academic success. Georgia State is excited to welcome back all of our new and returning students for the spring 2019 semester.

Stephan Davis, clinical assistant professor of nursing, plays holiday music on his saxophone for visitors to Atlanta’s Grady Hospital during December. An accomplished performer and composer, Davis enjoys delighting young and old alike with musical healing his performances sponsored by The Serenbe Institute for Art, Culture and the Environment.

For more than three years, Panther’s Pantry has provided food to eligible, currently enrolled Georgia State students who experience food insecurity. Students may pick up fresh, nutritious food once a week.

How does a college which focuses on producing top-notch health care professionals keep its research portfolio growing? One way is through internal initiation grants to help faculty fund pilot studies that will lead to future externally funded research.

Ready for adventure after her two children left for college, Anita Rich became a volunteer with the Children’s Heart Project. The medical mission appealed to the 37-year nursing veteran and cardiac specialist and soon Rich, as a nurse transporter, accompanied children who needed life-saving heart repair surgery...

An interdisciplinary team in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions and the College of Education & Human Development received a Lewis College grant to develop and implement the health literacy communication program “Teach-Back” for nursing students to practice in clinical simulation. Health literacy, which impacts America’s well-being, means that patients can understand, interpret and adequately use healthcare information they receive from various healthcare professionals means that patients can understand, interpret and appropriately use healthcare information they receive from multiple healthcare professionals.

The Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions received full five-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) for the Master of Occupational Therapy (O.T./M.) degree. Due to achieving accredited status, graduates of the program, starting with the first graduating class in December, are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist.

Georgia State University is ranked the second most innovative university in the nation and second in the country for its commitment to undergraduate teaching in the 2019 Best Colleges edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine.

When civil unrest in Nicaragua interrupted a fourth planned Doctor of Physical Therapy study abroad trip, students and faculty traveled to the north coast of the Dominican Republic (D.R.) instead. Comunidad Connect, an in-country partner from Nicaragua, made the last-minute switch possible. Settled in the new country, PT students absorbed the unique tropical setting, working with patients and staff in a rural nursing home.

A Georgia State University nurse researcher receives a $423,314, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH, NINR) grant to develop Web-based intervention for the caregivers of medically fragile children who are dependent on medical technology.

Can nutrition students make an impact on young children’s eating habits later in life? Coordinated Program graduate student Diana Myers tries to teach children at a Forest Park preschool about where healthy foods originate.

An amino acid transporter named xCT may affect the growth and progression of non-small cell lung cancer, a discovery that may predict the five-year survival rate of patients suffering from this cancer, now at 16 percent, researchers at Georgia State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have concluded.

The Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions welcomes Sujay Galen, PT, Ph.D., FHEA as the new academic chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. Galen joins the faculty as an associate professor from Wayne State University where he served as the interim program director of physical therapy.

Seven years in the military honed nursing student Precious McGowan’s discipline, aiding the veteran in earning first a B.S. in biochemistry in 2016 and now a B.S. in nursing.

Beginning Fall 2018, Georgia State University undergraduate students have a new health major to select – a bachelor’s of interdisciplinary studies in health sciences. The degree will have three focus tracks, preparing students for a range of future health careers.

Hanan Waite (B.S. '08), an inaugural member of the Alumni Association’s“40 under 40” class, leads Earth’s Angels, a nonprofit organization aimed at reducing infant and mother deaths.

Dr. Christine Rosenbloom, nutrition professor emerita at Georgia State University, provides commonsense guidelines and tips for optimal health as we age in her new book “Food & Fitness After 50: Eat Well, Move Well, Be Well.”

How can less than two dozen Doctor of Physical Therapy (PT) students and faculty from Atlanta impact a Central American […]

Physical Therapy students received their white coats at the annual White Coat Ceremony, marking the transition to professional status.

ATLANTA–The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University has been renamed the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, effective Aug. 1.

ATLANTA–Nancy Kropf, dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions and professor of social work, has published guidelines for health care and social service workers to help their aging clientele in her book, “Evidence-based Treatment with Older Adults.”

Join us for the J. Rhodes Haverty Lecture featuring Dr. Thomas LaVeist Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D. is chairman of the Department […]

Georgia State University and the School of Nursing pursue new avenues for increasing the pool of bachelor’s prepared nurses in […]

Fortune Onwuzuruike received the 2017 Nell Hamilton Trotter Student Leadership Award at the Georgia State University spring undergraduate commencement ceremony […]

The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions held the second annual Graduate Research Conference on April 10, […]

Dr. Pey-Shen Wen and a group of four researchers, primarily at Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospitals around the country, are seeking […]

A person’s sex and running ability play a role in the decline of their performance in marathons as they get […]

The Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia selected the Department of Physical Therapy for the 2017 […]

The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions welcomes the first class of master of occupational therapy (O.T./M.) […]

Brad Farrell, PhD., assistant professor of physical therapy, researches ways to improve the function of hand prostheses. His work is […]

Congratulations to the members of the all undergraduate BIS team who took first place in the 2016 Health IT Slam […]

First class starts in Spring 2017! The OT program currently has Candidacy Status. For more information visit the OT website. […]

The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, which pioneered interprofessional education (IPE) locally in 2012, now sees […]

Athlete, leader, caregiver, researcher, and healer, these are just some of the titles that the Class of 2016 claims. Overall, […]

Fortune Onwuzuruike, a rising senior in health informatics, was elected president of the Georgia State Student Government Association by a […]

Students in the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions are positively impacting communities near and far. Georgia […]

The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions held its first Graduate Research Conference April 11. More than […]

Yu-Ping Chen, associate professor of physical therapy and Gerald Zavorsky, associate professor of respiratory therapy, have each received a pilot […]

The Lewis School co-sponsored, in conjunction with the College of Arts & Sciences, a successful BrainModes 2015 course and workshop […]