SOHP Future Focused Faculty & Staff Retreat
By Deans Office | Aug 10, 2026
The SUNY Downstate School of Health Professions (SOHP) brought faculty and staff together for the SOHP Future Focused Faculty & Staff Retreat, a two-day experience dedicated to professional development, collaboration, reflection,
innovation, and connection.
Held August 3–4, the retreat extended across two SUNY locations. Day One was held at the SUNY Global Center in Manhattan, providing faculty and staff with an opportunity to gather off campus for focused learning, reflection, and team building. Day Two continued at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, bringing the experience back home and providing opportunities to explore resources and innovations available within the Downstate community.
More than a single event, the Future Focused Retreat marked the first of many planned training and professional development opportunities for SOHP faculty and staff. The initiative reflects the School’s commitment to investing in its people, strengthening its learning community, advancing student success, and creating intentional opportunities for continued professional growth.
Developing a Future Focused Vision
The retreat was developed and organized by the SOHP Dean’s Office team, including Brigitte Desport, DPS, OTR/L, BCP, ATP, Interim Dean; Vikram Pagpatan, EdD, OTR/L,
BCP, CLA, ATP, FAOTA, Interim Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives; and Vanessa
Vales-Lewis, PhD, MAT, Assistant Dean.
Together, the Dean’s Office team envisioned a retreat that would provide faculty and staff with dedicated time and space to connect, learn from one another, explore new approaches, and engage in meaningful conversations about the continued growth and future of the School.
That vision extended beyond the two-day retreat. Future Focused represents a broader commitment to creating ongoing opportunities for faculty and staff development throughout the academic year.
Creating a Flourishing Learning Community
Retreat facilitation was supported by Lori Bruno, MPH, Assistant Vice President, Office of Policy and Planning; Wolf Lacossiere, MPA, Director of Strategy and Community Campus Initiatives, Office of Policy and Planning; and Sonia R. Banks, PhD, founder of DrBanksAtPlay.
Through interactive activities, facilitated conversations, and opportunities for reflection, faculty and staff were encouraged to connect across programs and roles, share perspectives, and think creatively about the community they are building together.
Dr. Banks also led “Building Our Flourishing Learning Community,” engaging participants in an experiential and interactive session focused on strengthening
connection and creating an environment in which faculty, staff, and students can grow
and flourish.
Her approach encouraged participants to consider the importance of relationships, creativity, engagement, and shared experiences in building a strong learning community.
Leading Change for Student Success
A highlight of the retreat was keynote speaker Jennifer Miller, PhD, Executive Director of Professional and Continuing Education
at the University at Albany, SUNY.
Dr. Miller delivered the keynote presentation, “Leading Student Success Change in Higher Education,” placing student success at the center of the Future Focused conversation.
Her presentation invited faculty and staff to consider the role that individuals, teams, and institutions can play in advancing meaningful change in higher education and creating environments that help students succeed.
The keynote reinforced an important theme throughout the retreat: preparing for the future requires not only responding to change, but also working collectively and intentionally to shape it.
Exploring the Future of Simulation
Day Two continued at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, where innovation in teaching and learning became another important focus of the
retreat.
Marie-Claire Roberts, PhD, MS, MPA, RN, Executive Vice Dean and Associate Professor in the SUNY Downstate College of Nursing and Executive Director of the Center for Healthcare Simulation, led a virtual simulation showcase, demonstration, and tour for SOHP faculty and staff.
The experience introduced participants to virtual simulation resources and demonstrated how simulation can be incorporated into healthcare education to create immersive and experiential learning opportunities.
Faculty and staff had an opportunity to explore the role of simulation in teaching and learning while considering its potential applications across SOHP programs.
Dr. Roberts’ participation also highlighted the value of interprofessional and cross-school collaboration between the School of Health Professions and College of Nursing, bringing together expertise from across SUNY Downstate to explore innovative approaches to preparing future healthcare professionals.
Strengthening Our Interprofessional Community
One of SOHP’s greatest strengths is the diversity of disciplines, experiences, and
perspectives represented throughout the School.
Across both days and locations, the retreat created intentional space for faculty and staff to connect with colleagues outside of their usual departments and roles. These interactions are especially meaningful within a School where interdisciplinary collaboration is central to preparing students for careers in healthcare.
Whether through classroom instruction, clinical education, simulation, research, academic support, administration, or community engagement, every member of SOHP contributes to the student experience.
Coming together as a School provides opportunities to learn from one another, identify shared goals, strengthen relationships, and recognize the collective impact faculty and staff have on SOHP students and the communities they will ultimately serve.
Building a Culture of Continuous Learning
The SOHP Future Focused Faculty & Staff Retreat is only the beginning.
As the first of many planned faculty and staff trainings, the retreat launches a continuing effort to make professional development an ongoing part of the SOHP experience.
Future opportunities will provide additional spaces for faculty and staff to share expertise, strengthen skills, explore emerging approaches to health professions education, engage with colleagues across disciplines, and continue developing strategies that support student success.
The goal is to build a culture in which professional development is not limited to a single retreat or training day, but becomes part of how the SOHP community continues to learn, grow, innovate, and move forward together.
Future Focused: Honoring Our Past While Looking Ahead
The retreat takes on additional significance as SOHP celebrates its 60th Anniversary (1966–2026).
For six decades, the School of Health Professions has prepared healthcare professionals to serve patients, families, and communities. As SOHP honors that history, Future Focused represents an investment in what comes next.
Being Future Focused means honoring the foundation built over the past 60 years while remaining open to new ideas, new technologies, new collaborations, and new approaches to teaching, learning, leadership, and student success.
The School of Health Professions extends its appreciation to Dr. Jennifer Miller, Dr. Sonia Banks, Dr. Marie-Claire Roberts, Lori Bruno, and Wolf Lacossiere for sharing their expertise, facilitating meaningful conversations, and contributing to the retreat experience.
SOHP also recognizes its faculty and staff for their participation, engagement, and continued commitment to the School and its students.
From Day One at the SUNY Global Center to Day Two at SUNY Downstate, the retreat reflected the spirit of a School looking ahead together.
The SOHP Future Focused Faculty & Staff Retreat may have been the first training in this continuing initiative, but it represents a much larger vision:
A School that honors its legacy, invests in its people, embraces innovation, strengthens community, and remains Future Focused as it prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals.
See the Retreat in Pictures
From the SUNY Global Center in Manhattan to SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, the two-day retreat captured faculty and staff learning, connecting, reflecting, and imagining what comes next.
View highlights from the SOHP Future Focused Faculty & Staff Retreat in our Flickr photo album.