Their podium presentation, titled “Havana to Home: A Reflection on Global Learning and Cultural Immersion,” highlighted their transformative experience leading 24 nursing students to Cuba during the January Term of 2025 (J-Term). The presentation explored how immersion in Cuba’s healthcare system expanded students’ understanding of community health, cultural competence and global nursing practice.

Professors Koonts and Kussman shared insights into how transcultural experiences deepen empathy, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication, key components of providing holistic, patient-centered care.

Transcultural nursing is a field of study and practice focused on providing culturally competent, congruent, and sensitive healthcare to diverse populations. It involves understanding and respecting patients’ cultural differences, beliefs, and values to create care plans that are meaningful and beneficial to them. Key goals include improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities by ensuring care is tailored to individual cultural contexts, such as incorporating traditional healing practices or dietary needs.

The and the conference were inspired by the pioneering work of Madeleine Leininger, the founder of transcultural nursing. Among the most memorable moments was meeting nurse colleagues from across the country and the world, including Larry Purnell. Purnell, a renowned transcultural theorist, is known for developing the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence. Purnell’s model visually represents the complexity of cultural understanding through twelve interconnected domains surrounding a central core. At the heart of the model lies a “black hole,” a powerful symbol representing the unknown aspects of culture that healthcare providers must continuously seek to understand with humility and curiosity.

“A lot of the surgeons in the operating room said that patients with tattoos have more post-operation complications, call more for pain meds or need more anesthesia than patients that don’t,” said Walker, who will graduate from Elon’s Physician Assistant Studies Program on Dec. 13. “I kind of saw it on my rotation but thought ‘Is this real?’”

Walker sought to answer that question through her research, presented at the annual �þ��� (SHS) Global Engagement and Research Forum on Dec. 9 in Alumni Gym. It was one of nearly 70 presentations from the departments of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies, Physical Therapy (PT) Education (PT) and Nursing. The forum started in 2019 and continues to be an opportunity to showcase collaborations across Elon’s campus and highlight opportunities for global learning.

The research question, according to Walker, didn’t have a solid answer – finding that there is some sensitivity depending on tattoo placement but no consensus on how tattoos impact pain and post-op complications. She found that there were no serious complications reported after an epidural puncture through a tattoo, and there is some concern among providers when it came to intubating patients with facial piercings.

“Overall, there’s more research that needs to be done, especially if tattoos are going to keep getting popular,” said Walker.

Critical, clinical topics

SHS Dean Maha Lund welcomed attendees to the forum, thanking faculty for helping guide the students through their projects.

“I greatly enjoyed seeing the extraordinary student work of our ABSN, PT and PA students at the Global Engagement and Research Forum,” said Lund. “Our students showcased an array of posters, highlighting clinical topics and health care challenges. The passion the students displayed in their presentations demonstrates their commitment to their chosen profession and will benefit their future patients.”

Nolan Barnes G’26, Austin Reames G’26, Ethan Rafal ’23 G’26 and Sadie Thompson G’26, first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students, looked at whether thigh girth and specific areas of the thigh can be used to determine if athletes are ready to return to sport following an ACL injury. The students measured from the top of the kneecap in various lengths to see if it was predictive of isokinetic and isometric knee strength – the standard for return to sport protocols for ACL injuries – finding that there are some abilities to predict strength 10 cm. above the kneecap.

“The Biodex is the primary instrument we use to look at isokinetic and isometric force. It’s also very expensive; it’s a very large piece of equipment and a lot of standard clinics don’t have access to the space for that kind of equipment, but everyone can buy a tape measure,” said Reames. “We were trying to see if that was a good way to bypass the need for a Biodex.”

The nurses’ perspective

Accelerated bachelor of science in nursing students Sarah Altmann ’24, Catherine Cambon ’24 and Walker Gagnon ’24 looked at the nurses’ perspective when performing end-of-life duties, including sedation and euthanasia. Their research found that nurses sometimes face ethical dilemmas when asked to administer this care and there was limited research on interventions that could help in these situations. Altmann, Cambon and Gagnon recommended more psychological and debriefing opportunities, along with clearer guidelines between providers and nurses in the level of patient needs and the care required.

“Hospice and palliative care is seen in every aspect of nursing,” said Cambon. “So, for anyone, it’s important to see different studies on the morals of it and how we can improve our care and communication to the providers.”

Offering humanity

The forum is also an opportunity for SHS students to showcase their global learning opportunities including programs in Italy, Australia, United Kingdom and Belize. Physician Assistant Studies students Tyler Arena G’24, Haley Harris G’24, Sam Kattiria G’24 and Maya LeeMaster G’24 went to Eldigeville, Belize to work in a medical clinic.

“We realized the importance of intercultural competence in our roles as future PA-Cs. We learned how to connect to patients across differences in language,” wrote Arena, Harris, Kattiria and LeeMaster in the presentation report. “We adapted to a different environment and culture, prioritizing the needs of our patients and establishing trust. This rotation helped shape our professional identities, reinforcing the need for empathy, adaptability, and lifelong learning.”

Julia Coenen G’24 and Amy Smelko G’24, Doctor of Physical Therapy students, were placed at a hospital in Umbertide, Italy, where they were able to observe cultural differences and commonalities in the health care system.

“With the emphasis on community, connection and culture within and outside the facility, we were granted an opportunity to discover that, at the end of the day, humanity is the best thing we have at our disposal to offer patients – whether across the ocean or right down the street,” wrote Coenen and Smelko in their presentation report.

�þ��� across SHS departments raved about the programs and the attention they receive from faculty. Rafal noted he chose to get both his �þ��� and graduate degrees from Elon for this reason.

“The faculty care so much about their students, which makes it so easy to learn and grow as much as you can as a student and I really wanted to continue that in my graduate learning,” said Rafal. “I want to help people. We’ve all been there, know what it’s like to be injured, to be at a low point, and I just really want to help people grow and become who they want to be again.”

“I’m so proud of our students,” said Maha Lund, dean of �þ���’s School of Health Sciences. “Their research topics and the depth of the work are impressive. What it shows me is that they have learned how to go to the original research and the resources that will help them take care of their patients.”

Sarah Haley G’23 graduated on Friday, Dec. 8 from the Physician Assistant Studies program and during the poster session, she presented her research on non-weight versus weight-based approaches to improving cardiovascular health in adults.

The idea for her project began after a lecture on weight bias from Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Antoinette Polito. In the lecture, Haley focused on the point that was made about how little data there is about weight bias.

For most of her life, Haley had thought, like most people, that if someone has obesity that means they are unhealthy. Polito’s lecture was the first time she heard the idea that there may not be a clear correlation between obesity and health.

So with Polito as her mentor, Haley sought out to critically examine the efficacy of weight-neutral approaches in improving cardiovascular health compared to traditional weight-based interventions. After nearly a year of honing in on that specific question and conducting a comprehensive review of existing literature, Haley found that there was “absolutely zero correlation” between BMI and metabolic health.

After graduation, Haley will be studying for her board exams to become a certified physician assistant and will soon co-author a paper with Polito on the topic. While she is excited for the future ahead, it was a rewarding experience to display all the work that when into the project during the research forum.

“Getting to share this with everyone,” Haley said. “This has been the best part.”

First-year students in Elon’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program Jazmyne Davis, Andrew Miller, Milani Saldon and Kasey Sutryk presented their research “Changes in Self-Reported Injuries, Biomechanics, Strength and Range of Motion in Pregnant and Postpartum Runners.”

To investigate the prevalence of self-reported injuries, pelvic health and musculoskeletal and biomechanical changes, the DPT students surveyed 12 participants weekly with questions from the Overuse Injury Questionnaire, PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Form and Fatigue Scale and Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory.

The students began their research in March and concluded that the research should focus specifically on the prevention of pelvic health impairments and pelvic health rehabilitation. Perhaps more importantly, however, the group found that there is no significant change in running biomechanics, strength or range of motion from the second trimester and into the first few months of the postpartum stage.

“Society tells us that pregnant women are fragile and they shouldn’t be doing much activity,” Saldon said. “They’re not as fragile as you may think, they can keep doing whatever they want.”

Ann Heil G’23 had a unique experience for her capstone research as she spent eight weeks in Brussels, Belgium, doing a clinical rotation. Through the School of Health Sciences Global Learning Opportunities program, the 2023 Elon DPT candidate worked in an acute care hospital setting at the UZ Brussels hospital which values equitable access and promotes return to function as independently as possible.

A native of Boise, Idaho, Heil was exposed to a diverse population with more than 2 million residents in Brussels as well as a diversity of disciplines as she assisted the pediatric, cardiology, neurology and orthopedics teams during her time there.

In those eight weeks, Heil said she was able to grow as a clinician and as a person. Connecting with others from different backgrounds showed her that

“The biggest thing I took away was to keep an open mind with different cultures, values, religious views,” she said. “Nothing is right or wrong, it’s just different. You have to do the best you can to incorporate people’s values and views into your treatment and make it salient.”

Being able to explain complex concepts in simple terms is a skill all health care professionals need, and presenting research is required in the curriculum for all of Elon’s health sciences students.

Having participated in the research forum, Dean Lund hopes the students will use the experience as a stepping stone toward their future careers.

“I hope that they feel the pride in their work that and feel they are developing a professional identity that they’re so much closer to being clinicians who are out there taking care of patients,” Lund said.

The goggles displayed a virtual obstacle projected on the actual environment. The team’s research challenged people to clear a virtual obstacle that stood about 15 inches tall, the average distance of stepping onto a bus. The results gathered from research participants offered the team insight into what clearing strategies the elderly use and how to use mixed reality in low-stakes physical therapy.

“With VR and mixed reality, we are trying to integrate that into physical therapy as a way to have someone improve their gait training, and then go into the physical reality because it’s less of a risk,” Wilson said.

Theirs was one of many innovative projects focused on improving the world on display Tuesday during the fourth annual Global Engagement and Research Forum hosted by the �þ��� School of Health Sciences. Dozens of future physician assistants, physical therapists and nurses presented their research on a variety of topics.

The forum was an opportunity to showcase the results of collaborations across Elon’s campus, as well as the engaging experiences students have learned from while studying abroad.

Johanna Dauray G’22 will receive her master of science in physician assistant studies on Friday, Dec. 9 at the School of Health Sciences Commencement. Before seeking her PA degree at Elon, Dauray spent a year working at a maximum security prison in Rhode Island where she learned about the state’s medication program for addiction treatment. During her work at the prison, she realized Rhode Island is the only state that gives inmates with opioid use disorder three FDA-approved treatment options — methadone, Suboxone and depot naltrexone. Rhode Island inmates are also provided access to psychiatrists and Narcotics Anonymous.

Thanks in part to this treatment, the state of Rhode Island saw a as well as a decrease in re-incarceration. Dauray presented the case for why this treatment should be implemented nationwide to help ensure rehabilitation for those who need it.

“There isn’t any evidence against it,” she said. “This treatment gives people hope. I’m very passionate about them getting this medication because not everyone in prison is bad, a lot are there for drug-related crimes … and this is a nice bridge to help them get to the life that they deserve.”

Niamh Sutherburg’s research focused on whether community-based doula organizations could play a major role in mitigating pregnancy and birth disparities for Black women in the U.S. by improving prenatal care.

Sutherburg, a member of the Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2022, found that women have more trust and feel more respected by their OBGYN and the birthing process as a whole when accompanied by a doula. Sutherburg entered Elon’s PA program with a heightened interest in women’s health and during her clinical rotations, noticed a significant lack of diversity.

“I recognize my pitfalls as a white woman going into this field. So for my patients to have these services offered and for them to feel more respected is a win-win for everyone,” Sutherburg said. “The push with this research is trying to get Medicare to start covering the services a little more and hopefully, it can promote more equity and decrease some of the health disparities.”

School of Health Sciences faculty Associate Professors of Physical Therapy Education Paula DiBiasio and Srikant Vallabhajosula, Chair of the Department of Nursing Tiffany Morris, Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Antoinette Polito and Associate Professor of Nursing Elizabeth Van Horn were involved in organizing the event.

“The forum gives a chance for students in the School of Health Sciences to showcase their high-quality hard work in the areas of global engagement and research to a wider community. It is a festive time of the year when the whole of SHS gets together to celebrate the fantastic achievements of the students and their faculty mentors,” Vallabhajosula said.

“For those that presented their work,” he added, “I hope that they got to engage in meaningful and thought-provoking conversations that they can use for future work as need be. I am hopeful that those who attended found the presentations educational and informative and got a sense of the high-quality work put in by the students.”

His students presented work on a project that was supported in part by the Undergraduate Research Program.

The following were the citations of their presentations:

Vallabhajosula S, Shenoy S, Naaz N, Wittstein M, Metcalf JG. First National Biomechanics Day in India – Lessons learned from a collaborative approach.

Wiltshire B, Henderson S, Whyte A, Chinworth S, Vallabhajosula S. Five Times Sit-to-Stand Performance Is Related to Impulse Than Power in Healthy Young Adults.

Alberto K, DeMarco D, Meyer A, Henderson S, Wiltshire B, Vallabhajosula S. Analyzing force and time difference among older and younger adults performing the five-time sit-to-stand (FTSTS).

Paula DiBiasio, associate professor in Elon’s Department of Physical Therapy Education and the Global Learning Opportunities Program Coordinator, and Katey Collins, senior lecturer in physiotherapy at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, have been working together for over a year to create student and faculty exchanges. Both programs are interested in creating intercultural learning opportunities to promote the development of intercultural awareness, sensitivity and humility in physical therapy students with the ultimate goal of providing high-quality patient-centered care that helps to reduce health and health care inequities.

In the first meeting, both academic programs introduced information about the path to becoming a physical therapist and then 32 students broke out into groups to “scavenger hunt” facts about each program. In the process, students explored program similarities and differences, described unique aspects of their programs and shared some of their favorite aspects of their local culture.

The group will continue to meet monthly to discuss student-initiated topics while exploring aspects of the physical therapy profession, health care systems, delivery and reimbursement models in each country. Next month, a patient panel will launch the exchange. Future sessions will include topics related to patient populations, work environments and the impact of climate change on health care.

“It’s a great opportunity. There are so many interesting topics and people worked really hard on their presentation. I’m honored to be here and get to share what I’ve learned and … show people that there are interesting things happening,” said Christina Walters PA ’21, who presented her research on pharmacogenetic testing and the future of major depressive disorder treatment.

The gathering was an opportunity to showcase the results of collaborations across Elon’s campus, as well as the engaging experiences students have learned from while studying abroad. Fifty-three projects – 19 from second-year Physician Assistant Studies program students, 16 from first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy program students, 10 from students who participated in Global Learning Opportunities and eight engineering students – were presented at the symposium in McKinnon Hall inside Moseley Center. The projects ranged a variety of issues from the long-term effects of COVID-19 to the accuracy of virtual reality methods in physical recovery, and everything in between.

Grant Janicik DPT ‘21 and Makena Mueller DPT ‘21 centered their research on gaining insight into practicing physical therapists’ understanding of and confidence in treating long COVID and identifying the most common symptoms seen in those with long COVID.

The study aimed to increase the available data on physical therapist management of treatment for patients with long COVID. Janicik and Mueller sent out a survey and received over 362 physical therapists. Of those surveyed, more than 80 percent reported seeing patients with long COVID but only 20 percent used outcome measures recommended by the American Physical Therapy Association.

They found that physical therapists who did not receive structured education reported having a personal experience working with long COVID, either directly working with patients or having a previous diagnosis of long COVID. A significant difference was found in perceived confidence level between physical therapists who completed continuing education (43 percent) on long COVID and those who didn’t (26 percent).

“The education needs to be much higher to get that confidence level much higher,” Janicik said.

“One of the big things we did find was that PTs who did complete some form of continuing education in regards to COVID-19, or long COVID in general, had more confidence in treating patients with long COVID,” Mueller said. “And most of those who did complete education, completed it on their own through their own research, rather than through their employer.”

Stacey Walton DPT ‘21 and Oliver Tuisa DPT ’21 researched obstacle crossing in mixed -eality environments compared to virtual and physical environments.

Walton and Tuisa worked with 12 healthy, young participants and observed them crossing a 15-centimeter obstacle in physical reality (PR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) settings. Previous research has shown that VR and MR can be beneficial and cost-effective tools for PT assessment for populations with higher risks of tripping during activities of daily living.

They discovered that when using MR and VR systems, there is a greater height of the leading leg while clearing obstacles but a shorter peak height in the trailing leg. Walton and Tuisa concluded that the shorter peak height in the trailing leg of MR and VR may be attributed to the lack of feedback if not cleared or the perception that the obstacle is not real and the chances of tripping are lessened.

Both said that the past year spent conducting this research was difficult, but it was rewarding to garner the experience of creating an extensive research project from scratch.

“I’ve always got onto a project that’s already started … whereas this time, we built it from the ground up. It was a very lengthy process, but it ended up being very beneficial,” Walton said.”

Continuing education

Tuesday’s symposium was just one event leading up to the combined School of Health Sciences commencement on Saturday, Dec. 11. The Elon Department of Physical Therapy Education held its annual two-day continuing education course this week that was attended by graduating third-year students, department faculty and community partners— including alumni and clinical instructors. The course is planned by Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Education Shefali Christopher.

This year’s course, “Transformative, Equitable and Inclusive Practice in Physical Therapy,” was an interactive program with 100 attendees and taught by Tiffany Adams ’10, an Elon graduate and current Duke faculty member, along with Mica Mitchell from Methodist University.

“What a thrill to have been invited to return to my alma mater to provide the annual continuing education course,” Adams said.

Wes Rissell ’16 is currently a physical therapy at Cone Health Alamance Regional Medical said, “The course was collaborative, interactive, and thought-provoking.”

This two-day course invited attendees to perform root cause analysis and think about themselves and their organizations in a shared and thoughtfully curated and evidence-based conversation.

“I’m graduating on Saturday, and this was a very enlightening experience that will definitely promote inclusivity in my upcoming career,” said Liana Solomon, a third-year student who will earn her DPT degree on Dec. 11.

According to Mary Kay Hannah, assistant professor of physical therapy education, the central theme of the course was, “Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a behavior. Equity is the goal.”

Hannah, who also serves as president of the American Physical Therapy Association North Carolina chapter, noted that with only 4% of all PTs being Black, the profession is working at the national, state and school program levels to promote physical therapy to less-represented communities with the goal of increasing diversity.

“We hope that our profession ultimately looks more like the communities we serve,” Hannah said.

The partnership became official during a virtual signing ceremony attended by leaders from the two schools. Elon President Connie Ledoux Book and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aswani Volety and other campus leaders were joined by GITAM President M. Sri Bharat, Vice Chancellor K. Siva Rama Krishna, Registrar D. Gunasekaran and others from their university in offering remarks about the significance of the new partnership in the years to come.

“Today, more than ever, we understand that our world is interconnected,” Book said. “Global perspective is a critical competency in the 21st century, and �þ��� leads the advance of global understanding. The partnership we have forged with GITAM University will create new opportunities for students and faculty at each of our institutions to learn, to grow and to thrive.”

GITAM is a multidisciplinary university established in 1980 with campuses in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Initially established as an engineering and management college, GITAM became a university in 2007, and has continued to expand its academic offerings, campuses and student body. GITAM is accredited in India as an A+ category university, and is recognized as a top-75 university in the country by the national ranking body in India, NIRF.

The student/scholar exchange memorandum of understanding signed Friday is designed to further academic cooperation and friendship between the two universities with a primary focus initially on the academic areas of business analytics, physical therapy and engineering. The partnership will facilitate the exchange of best practices in the areas of �þ��� and learning processes, such as in curriculum design, implementation and execution.

“We wanted a memorandum of understanding that both parties believe in, not just one that just exists on paper,” said GITAM President M. Sri Bharat. “We want it to be mutually beneficial. We want to contribute to the growth of Elon and likewise, look for Elon to contribute to the growth of GITAM.”

Elon and GITAM will host scholars from the partner institution as part of short-term and long-term academic exchanges. Student exchange programs will also be launched and will be designed to promote cultural and educational understanding.

GITAM is developing a physical therapy program to help address unmet healthcare needs in the region that is home to the university, with leaders saying they are looking forward to the partnership with Elon’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The partnership with GITAM offers an opportunity to expand the Global Learning Opportunities that are part of Elon’s physical therapy and physician assistant studies programs.

“We are honored to partner with GITAM as they begin their physical therapy program and more broadly as we consider the ways we could learn from you and with you in preparing healthcare providers dedicated to health equity and evidence-based practice,” said Rebecca Neiduski, dean of the School of Health Sciences.

Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, said that in GITAM, Elon has a partner that offers many of the same disciplines within the realm of business education, and focuses, like Elon, on how education and research can benefit society. “I look forward to working with my counterparts there in advancing our common interests,” Tadepalli said.

In GITAM, Elon has a partner with roots in engineering education. The partnership comes as Elon continues to develop its engineering program, which added a four-year engineering degree in 2019, and is in the midst of construction of the first two buildings in its new Innovation Quad, which will provide a home to engineering and other STEM disciplines. “We’re excited to explore potential partnerships with GITAM’s engineering program in the future,” said Gabie Smith, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences.

The partnership with GITAM offers Elon a stronger connection to a growing region of the world while also expanding global education opportunities within professional fields, such as physical therapy, said Nick Gozik, dean of global education at Elon. Elon views an expansion of global partnerships as a strategic priority, particularly partnerships that are multifaceted, he said.

“We send a lot of students abroad, and we receive many students here at Elon, but these partnerships go beyond that by working at multiple levels, such as promoting faculty and staff collaboration,” Gozik said.

Elon students, alumni, faculty and staff are invited to submit to the annual Elon Global Photo and Video Contest. Submissions are due Sunday, May 2.

The contest comprises 10 categories and will feature 14 winners.

Categories are either by theme, meaning any Elon student, alumni, faculty or staff (current or emeritx) may submit, or by participant, which is open to those that fit the category.

See full contest details here. 

By Theme:

• Resilience – Photos that celebrate the many facets of “resilience” — grit, compassion, flexibility, support, courage, authenticity, or your own interpretation. Photos that find the silver lining, or recognize the helpers, or show the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
• Global Engagement – Photos that portray what global engagement means to you. This could be how an opportunity or challenge shaped your intercultural development, how your actions affected the community around you, or other moments of engaged global learning.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – photos that disrupt stereotypes in global education. This could be showcasing study abroad or Study USA participation by historically minoritized populations, or uprooting stereotypes, or otherwise challenging damaging myths (e.g. white savior complex, appropriation, etc.).
• ���ٰ����쾱�Բ���������Ա�� – photos that make you pause and consider the wonder of the world. From a sweeping landscape to a bustling street – moments that made you stop in your tracks just to be where you are.
• Video – (no more than 60 seconds) that encapsulates what global education means to you. We’re not looking for polished, heavily edited submissions; rather, we’re looking for video moments of global engagement.

By Participant:

• ���Գٱ���Բ��پ��DzԲ�������dz����ܲԾ��ٲ� – entries from those having their international experience right here at Elon, or attending Elon from their home country. The international community at Elon is vibrant and dynamic, including students from over 45 different countries studying in the U.S. on a student visa, Americans and dual citizens that have significant lived experience abroad, those that have chosen to become permanent residents of the U.S., and others. Submit a photo of your international experience at Elon or from your home outside of the U.S.
• ���ٳܻ���������� – entries from Elon Study USA participants (current students or alumni) taken on a Study USA program (a Study USA Center or short-term program).
• Graduate Programs – entries from Elon’s graduate participants, including Business (MBA), Business Analytics (M.S.), Accounting (M.S.), Interactive Media (M.A.), Education (M.Ed.), Higher Education (MHE), Physician Assistant Studies (MS), Physical Therapy (DPT), and Law (J.D.). Submit photos from your Elon global experiences, whether that’s on campus or on study abroad.
• Alumni – entries from Elon alumni from study abroad or Study USA in years past or showcasing global impact in experiences following Elon (e.g. living abroad, working in globally focused fields, etc.).
• Faculty and Staff – entries from Elon faculty and staff (current and emeritx) showcasing global learning. From leading a short-term program or serving as faculty in residence at an Elon Center, to participating on the staff advisory council global engagement program, to mentoring independent research or service globally – we know global learning takes many shapes at Elon, and we want to celebrate all the ways faculty and staff help make this happen.

Ways to Win

All submissions are eligible to win their category and advance to the final round of voting for the overall winner (with a grand prize of a $350 flight voucher courtesy of !).

All submissions are also automatically considered for:

• Direct Travel Staff Pick
• GEC Staff Pick
• President’s Pick

Submissions welcome from all terms and experiences — those that make us reminisce about global experiences before COVID-19, and those that make us think about what “global” means during and after COVID-19.

While this may be a challenging subject for those whose global plans may have shifted, it also presents an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate global engagement, however that takes shape. Last year, the contest was expanded to include a “Resilience” theme category. The Elon community flooded this category with submissions of grit, compassion, flexibility, support, courage, and authenticity.

Voting takes place on April 30 to May 6 and on May 7 to 11.

Learn more from the Elon Global Photo and Video Contest Webpage.

DiBiasio, in collaboration with Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor, are leading a series of design workshops with the DPT students. The first session featured a GLO alumni panel and workshop activities with the DPTE class of 2023.  Alumni shared their “GLO stories”, including what they found personally, professionally, and civically valuable about their GLO now that they have graduated.

Alumni’s reflections included learning to have a more holistic perspective of their patients, and recognizing that, according to Chioma Ichoku DPT ’19, “assumptions can be one of the greatest enemies of growth”. Rebba Maylone DPT ’20 reported that spending time with people who were different from her and had different lived experiences changed her worldview and made her a patient advocate.

Maksim Birikov DPT ’14 explained that respecting and celebrating diversity has contributed to his success as a physical therapist. Patti Weber DPT ’16 described how her clinical rotation in Italy “challenged me culturally and clinically”.

Following the panel, current DPT students worked to imagine their own GLO stories, locations, and values. �þ��� shared their desire to build relationships, meet language challenges, function in collective societies, and explore the world outside of their own corner. They recognized the need, as physical therapists, to learn in diverse spaces and challenge their comfort zone.

DiBiasio and Lake will continue this project with a second student workshop at the end of this month and a subsequent redesign of the nationally recognized GLO program. Alumni will continue to contribute to the future of GLO by adding video stories, serving as a resource for current students, and participating in a national Elon GLO professional network created by DiBiasio. DiBiasio has reconnected with more than 40 GLO alumni who are interested in connecting with each other, as well as mentoring new Elon DPTE GLO graduates.

The workshop ended with gratitude, and excitement for the future.