A new speaker series in the College of Nursing will provide opportunities for discussion and collaboration among the nurse scientists and researchers in the college and other health sciences colleges. Hosted by the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth (MSPCWCY), the Lean-In speaker series inspires thinking, promotes discussion and stimulates research collaboration. The series will offer conversations that are “so good, you want to lean in and hear what is being said,” explained Karen Patricia Williams, PhD, distinguished professor of women’s health and director of the MSPCWCY.
The center is promoting several different programs throughout the year to encourage collaboration from mentoring junior faculty to help them understand the process of gaining tenure to providing regular opportunities for faculty to present recently published papers.
“We are trying to build more of a team approach to science,” Williams said. “Nurses in hospitals are accustomed to working in teams. Traditional academic nursing tended to be more independent, and that model is passé. With knowledge being generated so quickly, we have to engage in collaborative research. I think that understanding what others are doing helps build productive collaborations that will advance our research.”
The first Lean-In speaker of the year will be LeeAnne Roman, PhD, MSN, RN, associate professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. Roman will speak on “Improving the Health and Health Care of Medicaid-insured Pregnant Women and Their Infants” on Monday, Sept. 19, from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 198 in Newton Hall, located at 1585 Neil Ave. Roman specializes in health-services research primarily focused on maternal and child health and health disparities among Medicaid-insured families. Her research is conducted in collaboration with multiple partners, health systems, health departments and community agencies.
The second talk in the series "Can You Hear Me Now?" will be presented by Karon F. Cook, PhD, research professor in the department of medical social sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, on Monday, Oct. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 198 in Newton Hall. Cook has made substantial contributions to research of health outcomes, including the National Institutes of Health-supported Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Her work focuses on modern psychometric approaches and in recent years on the measurement of self-reported pain and its correlates.
