The Faculty Chronicles

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Michelle Buccinna from the School of Health Sciences speak about the near-peer mentoring program she created as a part of her Touro University Leadership Academy project.

Dr. Jasmin Cowin discusses her vision for the future of Artificial Intelligence in tandem with how students can use Artificial Intelligence to ethically evaluate and adapt best practices to a variety of course assignments.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Suzanne Patzelt, from Touro University's Graduate School of Education (Teacher Residency Program) speak about her journey as a science teacher who uses story telling to make science matter.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Stephanie Zeszutek from Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Montana speaking with Elizabeth Unni about being a mindful educator and open to new opportunities.

In this episode of the Touro Center on Excellence podcast, Dr. Jordan Yacoby discusses the evolution of nursing education, emphasizing cultural competency, equity, and inclusion. Explore his insights on preparing nurses for the complexities of modern healthcare and the importance of a holistic educational approach.

Dr. Ham discusses her new evidence based self-regulation program which she developed for students wanting self-efficacy strategies for learning, time-management and overall academic success.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Stacey Fanning from Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York speak about the ungrading in higher education and in the classroom.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Eric Wachs from the College of Dental Medicine at Touro University New York speak about incorporating ethics lessons into the classroom with case examples.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Joseph Hayes from the School of Health Sciences at Touro University New York speak about his journey as an academician and clinician.

In this episode, Bari Fleischer speaks about using art in classroom to engage students and her tips to faculty on how common artistic expressions can be used in the classroom. 

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Briendy Stern, Academic Dean at the School for Lifelong Education (Touro University) speak about the different modalities used by the school to integrate non-traditional students into academic life and some success stories. 

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, Assistant Professor from Touro University College of Business speaking about using padlet as a way to engage the classroom, especially in online teaching. 

In this episode, you will hear Dr. John Rider, Associate Professor at Touro University Nevada and recipient of the 2023 Presidential Award for Excellence in Research, speaking about finding time to conduct research and publish his work. He discusses how he integrates research and clinical practices and shares his tips and strategies to be a productive researcher. 

Professor Gena Bardwell from  New York School for Career and Applied Sciences speaks about her journey at Touro University, specifically focusing on service. She talks about finding her passion and collaborating with other faculty and staff, while serving the University.

Touro University College of Pharmacy was a leader in medical activism during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Dr. Liu imparts his expertise, leadership and wisdom on making community health care information, services and solutions accessible to vulnerable populations experiencing health care crisis.  

Professor Naomi Klapper from the Lander College of Women at Touro University speaks of her experiences as an educator for over three decades. She brings home the message of authentic teaching and being mindful of our students at times of uncertainty.  

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Aaron Yancoskie from the Touro College of Dental Medicine in NY speak about his experiences being a leader at a new college. He talks about mentoring, lessons learned and tips on being a good leader.

Dr. Susan Shapiro describes how engaging student voices in substantive discussions during the turbulence of COVID-19 provided the opportunity for total classroom transformation and inspired her new book, which captured those stories and deepened her teaching practice.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Aurelio Lorico from Touro University Nevada about being a cancer researcher--his journey from Italy to Yale and Nevada and being disruptively innovative, all in the quest of finding a cure for cancer.

Dr. Mary Flanagan-Kundle has been a physician assistant (PA) for over 40 years and entered the academic arena in 2006. As co-chair of the Touro PA Programs, Mary Flanagan focuses on the program's academic components, assessment, and remediation. Some of her favorite moments have been her one-on-one remediation sessions and helping students achieve their dream of becoming a PA. When she is not working, she spends as much time as possible with her four precious grandsons ages 2 to 6!

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Rebecca Edgeworth from Touro University Nevada (Director of the Community Medicine internship) speak about her experiences working with the Physician Assistant students to increase their awareness about barriers to healthcare, access and cultural competence.

Program facilitators of Touro College Academy of Leadership and Management (TCALM) share insights on leadership training, student engagement, and best practices in professional development for faculty, students and staff.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Steven Pirutinsky from the Touro graduate School of Social Work share his experiences in conducting research, including collaboration and self-motivation. He also gives tips about finding time to write and maintaining a balance between research and other faculty responsibilities.

In this episode, you will hear Professor Sara Berman (Touro University Law Center) share her expertise in helping students pass high stakes exams. Using her book “Bar Exam Success: A Comprehensive Guide” as a framework, she talks about the stressors often faced by students with regards to the bar exams and the strategies that can be used by faculty to help their students achieve success.

Dr. Pai from Touro University California discusses the cause, symptoms and treatments to mitigate medical school burnout. This conversation is useful to anyone experiencing stress in either school or the workplace.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Fernando Bruno from Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York speaking about experiences with faculty fellowships, both at the university level and the national level. He also talks about the open education resources available for faculty and his experiences with the prestigious AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship.

Professor Timothy Bellavia from Touro University's Graduate School of Education discusses the positive effect of art on social and emotional behavior in the classroom.

Dr. Perella Perlstein, Assistant Professor of Psychology, speaks about her teaching journey and how she integrates her clinical experience into her classroom teaching. She also shares about her journey from a novice faculty to the recipient of the Touro University Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Dr. Moshe Miller, Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies speaks about being a faculty who don’t want any “students left behind”. He also shares various techniques he uses in his classroom to ensure that students are engaged in the classroom. 

Dr. Carrie DiMatteo speaks about her research journey and involving students in research, both as participants and as collaborators. She also shares the various strategies she has used to pique the interest of students in research and forming a research lab with them.

In this episode, you will hear Dr. Brian Chiswell, Associate Professor & Deputy Chair, Biology Department at Touro College's New York School for Career and Applied Sciences. He speaks about his transformation from a graduate student to a post doc to an Assistant Professor. You will hear him reflect on his teaching journey and the lessons he has learned as a faculty member.

Tira Bluestone, Teaching Artist and former Touro NYSCAS and Touro GSE Alumni, discusses how composing original songs with everyday themes help students with physical and psychological challenges improve their motor skills and become active participants in their own healing and learning.

In this episode, you will hear Ann Nowak, Director of the Writing Center and Adjunct Professor of Law Practice Management at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center Law speak about her experiences in writing and securing both an intramural and extramural grant to study reading dysfluency among law students and its potential impact on their exam performance. She also provides tips and suggestions for faculty who are hesitant to write a grand proposal.

In this episode, you will hear Drs. Rosa Kim and Catherine Liu, Assistant Professors at the Touro College of Pharmacy share their experiences in using the “Escape Room” concept for an interprofessional educational activity in health care. They speak about the challenges faced, feedback from faculty and students, and provide tips for anyone who wants to use an escape room activity in their classroom.

Professor Jorge Roig, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Neighborhood Programs at the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center shares how taking street law to the halls of Brentwood High School (NY) is integral to addressing a variety of learning barriers found in an underserved community. And at the same time, we learn more about the process through which Touro law students serve as instructors to Brentwood high schoolers, to gain a deeper understanding of the workings of the criminal justice system.

Susan Courey, Ph.D, Chair of Early Childhood and Special Education at the Touro College Graduate School of Education talks about her passion for marathon running, grant writing and twenty years of research in music and mathematics. Courey elaborates on the research work her colleagues and her are involved in--music and math curriculum in elementary school classrooms.

In this episode, Dr. Daniel Lee, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy from the School of Health Sciences, speaks with Elizabeth Unni about his experience in flipping classrooms. He talks about the work needed in getting the flipped classroom started, its technological aspects and pedagogical challenges. He also weighs in on some tips for faculty who are interested in using this teaching strategy.

Meet your podcast hosts, Professor Gena Bardwell from New York School of Career & Applied Studies and Dr. Elizabeth Unni from the College of Pharmacy. In this brief introduction, they also go over what the The Faculty Chronicles (TFC), housed at the Touro College Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is all about! Tune in every other week for new episodes to learn more about our faculty, their work and scholarly journeys.