FEATURE
Downstate Kicks-Off the New Academic Year with the 2021 Student Orientations!
The Bulletin is back, and so is the start if a new school year! Downstate kicked off
the 2021-2022 Academic Year at Downstate kicked off with great excitement and anticipation
in late August as the College of Nursing, the School of Public Health, and the School of Health Professions welcomed our new students to the Downstate Community with the Annual Fall Student Orientations.
I was proud to welcome so many enthusiastic, impassioned, and brilliant students to SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. As orientation week commenced, I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting with,
speaking to, and engaging many of our new scholars. I continue to be impressed by
the caliber of those we welcome year after year, and AY 21-22 is certainly no exception.
The eagerness and curiosity is coupled with balanced and incredible diversity—and
a reminder that regardless of how the world around us changes, Downstate will always
be home to the best, brightest, and most passionate minds. Here’s a glimpse into how
our schools kicked off the new academic year.
College of Nursing Orientation
The College of Nursing (CON) kicked off the new academic year in an impressive way—pinning and welcoming
nearly 300 new nursing scholars across five programs to its student orientation program
on August 30th—one of the largest incoming classes in the CON to-date!
Dean Lori Escallier, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN, welcomed new students in Alumni Auditorium where an onsite orientation program was
offered to 95 Accelerated Baccalaureate Program students. Joanne Ritter-Teitel, Ph.D., MA, RN, Chair of the Entry Level Program, presented program specific information along with
two 2021 graduates from the Accelerated Program, Rebecca Kaye and Tracy Wong. They
enthusiastically greeted the new class and provided pearls of wisdom for success in
this fast-paced, 14-month baccalaureate program. Jean McHugh, Ph.D., RN, ACNS-BC, Accelerated Program Director, who provides ongoing support and mentorship to students
accepted into program, also greeted students.
The College of Nursing also welcomed 26 new RN-BS students via a virtual orientation
program and were greeted by Barbara Messina, Ph.D., ANP, RN, Associate Dean for Entry-level Programs, and Barbara Kitchener, Ph.D., RN, RN-BS Program Director. CON’s graduate and certificate programs enrolled 177 new
students who were welcomed by Annie Rohan, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, NNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN. She was joined by Associate Dean for Advanced-Level Programs, Track Directors Beth Steinfeld, DNP, WHNP-BC, Director of Advanced-Level Program in the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Core,
and Nataliya Shaforost, DNP FNP-C CDCES, Director of Advanced-Level Program in the DNP Core.
Finally, I want to commend Dean Escallier. Under her leadership, the College of Nursing has seen consistent growth and increasing enrollment in the
Master’s Programs, including the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Women’s Health Nurse
Practitioner (WHNP) tracks, and the newer DNP program. For AY 21-22, total enrollment
in the College of Nursing has climbed to a remarkable 533 students—the largest in
CON history!
School of Public Health Orientation
The School of Public Health (SPH) boldly launched the new school year, welcoming one of its largest Fall cohorts
of students—96 new public health scholars. Of those 96 students, ten are pursuing
the Advanced Certificate in Public Health (ACPH), 74 are enrolled in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program, and 12 are students in the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree program.
Tracey E. Wilson, Ph.D., Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences and Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research
in the School of Public Health, welcomed students and throughout the program, they heard from faculty who shared
the history of public health, as well as SPH’s mission of “Building the Bridge to
Health Equity for All.” Students learned about the immense impact and roles that public
health professionals play in protecting health, extending life expectancy, and enhancing
quality of life—all of which were made undeniably clear as we continue to live through
the COVID-era.
Students learned about SPH’s record of excellence in education, research, and community
service—as well as its nationally-recognized, highly-trained diverse faculty. New
SPH students were also thrilled to hear about SPH’s new Hy-flex course options that
will enable them to participate in classes through asynchronous and synchronous online
options, as well as in-person learning. Most importantly, they met fellow cohort members
and connected with their respective Department Chairs—Denise Bruno, M.D., MPH, Chair of Community Health Sciences; Laura Geer, Ph.D., MHS, Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences; Elizabeth Helzner, Ph.D., Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; and Thomas Mackie, Ph.D., MPH, Chair of Health Policy and Management.
Many thanks to Dr. Wilson; Marlene Camacho-Rivera, ScD, MS, MPH, Assistant Dean for Student Engagement and Success and Assistant Professor of Community
Health Sciences; Raeann Rolston, Student Recruitment Specialist; and Paula Spann, Senior Staff Assistant, for putting on a dynamic program for our new students at
SPH.
School of Health Professions Orientation
For the 2021-2022 Academic Year, School of Health Professions’ (SOHP) Dean Allen Lewis, Ph.D., CRC, welcomed 150 new students who will pursue their baccalaureate, master's, doctoral degree, or advanced certificate in SOHP’s programmatic offerings.
Orientation was held on August 30th for 62 new SOHP students in the Diagnostic Medical
Imaging, Medical Informatics, and Midwifery programs. Asynchronous activities were provided
along with an in-person program that included a broad overview of each program's expectations,
giving them an opportunity to:
- Meet incoming students from other disciplines
- Learn about Financial Aid
- Meet with facultyand currently enrolled students
- Register for classes
- Meet with representatives from Student Life & Services
Returning students also volunteered for “big siblings” roles for new students helping
to make their transitions in their respective programs smoother.
A special thank you to the staff of the Offices of Student Life and Services and to
all the other departments that contributed to welcoming Fall 2021 entering and returning students
to the School of Health Professions.
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I want to extend my sincere appreciation to all of our students, alums, faculty, and
staff who helped make this year’s student orientations go off without a hitch. To
all of our new scholars—WELCOME to Downstate! We wish you a dynamic and successful
academic year!
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