News

TWU faculty member receives Cancer/CHD Research Completion Award

7/3/20

Texas Woman’s School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Ann Amuta, PhD, MPH, received a $5,000 Cancer/CHD Research Completion Award from the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

TWU dental hygiene student awarded $1,000 National Allied Health Scholarship

6/29/20

Texas Woman’s dental hygiene student Blair Baumann, Plano, TX, received a $1,000 Allied Health Scholarship from Platinum Educational Group, which helps health occupation students with preparation for written board examinations and facilities tracking student clinical requirements throughout their clinical, educational program.

Pursuing knowledge to help others: PhD in kinesiology graduate Manisha Rao

6/3/20

Working as a physical therapist in Maharashtra, India, Texas Woman’s kinesiology doctoral May graduate Manisha Rao (MS ’13) provided rehabilitative support to patients with medical, neurological and orthopedic conditions. But, as she helped patients with their rehabilitation, she felt the need to upgrade her knowledge and skills on therapeutic exercise.

TWU nutrition student first to be elected to serve in national honor society

5/29/20

Texas Woman’s student Lina Gonzalez made history this spring by being the first TWU Regional Collegiate Representative elected for the Phi Upsilon Omicron Honor Society, a scholastic honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in family and consumer sciences.

OT faculty member Tina Fletcher credited for role in DMA award

5/27/20

A Dallas Museum of Art official says TWU's Tina Fletcher was instrumental to a recent exhibition and its catalogue, which won a "best in show" award in the Texas Association of Museums publication design competition.

TWU students enhance their skills by attending virtual conference

5/22/20

Fifteen Texas Woman’s School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology students received an outstanding professional development opportunity by attending Move United’s 2020 Virtual Leadership Conference May 11-15.

Finding ingenuity during difficulty: Dental hygiene alumna invents handy tool

5/14/20

It is often during our most difficult days that we find skills we didn’t know we possessed. That certainly was the case for Texas Woman’s dental hygiene alumna Courtney Crew (BS ’06), who took her personal health struggles and created an invention that is aiding professionals in the dental industry.

Teaching and testing PT virtually becomes a family affair

5/13/20

As part of their education, Texas Woman’s physical therapy students need to learn and be tested on their skills before they can work hands-on with patients in clinics. The coronavirus pandemic cut that experience short for students this semester, but they still were able to stay on track thanks to the open-mindedness of Houston professor Carolyn Da Silva, P.T., D.Sc., and her husband’s willingness to help.

SLP graduate demonstrates unwavering determination to pursue new career path

5/12/20

Prayers, perseverance and sheer determination are what Texas Woman’s speech-language pathology master’s program graduate Dorothy Henking credits for sustaining her through her life’s journey. Now ready to embark on a new career path, she is eager to face the future thanks to the support of her family and her experience at TWU.

A life of service: TWU alumna demonstrates commitment to patients and country

5/6/20

As both a health care professional and an officer in the U.S. Army, Texas Woman’s alumna Maj. Katie Odom (BS ’07, MOT ’09), serves her patients and her country every day. Now the recipient of the prestigious Interallied Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers Martelet Cup, she continues to be grateful for the foundation she received from TWU and the amazing experiences the Army has provided.

TWU team exhibits creativity and collaboration in design competition

4/30/20

Texas Woman’s kinesiology students once again demonstrated their creativity, ingenuity and ability to work across disciplines by competing in the Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge Showcase April 23-24. The TWU Good Vibrations spring team placed sixth in the overall top design teams and third for Best Peer Review.

TWU professor uses grant to help create autism-friendly community events

4/14/20

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience many challenges when it comes to participating in social activities in their communities, and as a result, are frequently underemployed, bullied or lonely. Thanks to a $267,477 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Woman’s Occupational Therapy faculty member Tina Fletcher EdD, MFA, OTR, is addressing this problem.

Answering the call to serve: Students help communities during pandemic

4/9/20

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, people are continuing to find ways to help their friends, neighbors and local communities— and TWU students are no exception. Several College of Health Sciences students have taken up the call to help however they can.

TWU physical therapy graduates have manuscripts published

4/2/20

Three TWU School of Physical Therapy PhD program graduates, Carol McFarland, Christina Criminger and Jehad Alzyoud, had manuscripts related to their dissertation studies accepted for publication. Several School of Physical Therapy faculty members were coauthors on the papers as well.

TWU clinics offer teletherapy to assist clients and continue students’ education

3/27/20

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Texas Woman’s is responding to the needs of its Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic and The Stroke Center-Dallas clients and speech-language pathology students by offering teletherapy sessions, free of charge, in place of in-person appointments.

TWU faculty members receive grant to assist children with autism

3/25/20

Texas Woman’s Associate Professor Jyutika Mehta, PhD, and Professor Cynthia Gill, EdD, of the Department of Communication Sciences and Oral Health, received a grant for $291,847 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to fund their work on autism.

Associate Dean Kim Miloch discusses the balance between athletics and academics

3/9/20

Here's a scenario: You're a high school cross country coach and your best runner has been skipping class to log more miles. She has won every meet of the season, but is failing English class. Question: Are you fulfilling your role as a coach?

TWU earns second place in Student Bowl Competition; faculty and students awarded

3/5/20

Two teams of kinesiology students proudly represented Texas Woman’s and the School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology by competing in the Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (TACSM) Student Bowl Competition against 36 teams representing 23 universities. The TWU Maroon Team, which earned second place in the competition, consisted of Kylie Eynon, Maddie Hoffman and Dreanna McAdams. The TWU White Team consisted of Samantha Brandt, Madeline Boutwell and Ansah Qureshi.

Associate Dean Kim Miloch illustrates how sports help kids become better leaders

3/2/20

As parents and coaches, it's normal to question if all the time and money we spend on our kids' sports are worth it. Since Little Timmy and Tammy likely aren't going pro (and are sometimes reluctant to even drop their devices to get outside and practice), what are the benefits to keeping them involved in youth athletics?

Lily Sebastian: Bringing nutrition research to the forefront of health care

2/28/20

As the role nutrition plays in health care continues to grow, research opportunities for Texas Woman’s students such as nutritional sciences major Lily Sebastian are becoming increasingly valuable for both her future and the future of health care. With several accomplishments already under her belt, Sebastian is taking advantage of everything TWU has to offer to pave her own way in the medical field.

Associate Professor Rhett Rigby discusses how horse riding plus brain-building exercises may help kids with autism, ADHD

2/28/20

Associate Professor Rhett Rigby, PhD, researches how a combination of horseback riding and brain-building activities may help improve motor skills in children with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism-spectrum disorders and ADHD.

TWU doctoral student receives NCHEC Outstanding Service and Leadership Award

2/11/20

Morgan Grant, a Texas Woman’s University health promotion and kinesiology PhD student, received the 2019 Outstanding Service and Leadership Award in the Emerging Professionals category from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC).

Muchinka Peele: TWU student leads cause for change in Zambia

2/6/20

TWU PhD student Muchinka Peele (special education) is on a mission to help the people of Zambia. Traditionally in her home country, those with disabilities have been shamed and hidden. Education and advocacy are slowly changing these views, and Peele is leading the cause.

TWU graduate student trains next generation of occupational therapists

2/4/20

Lou Ann Hintz, Texas Woman’s PhD in occupational therapy student and recipient of a Virginia Chandler Dykes Scholarship, first heard the words “occupational therapy” when she was just 9 years old. From that day forward, she knew she wanted to have a job where she could help others by making them feel better despite having medical conditions and being separated from their families.

Wayne Brewer, PhD: Affecting health care through research and teaching

1/28/20

TWU Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Wayne Brewer, PT, PhD (’14), MPH, OCS, CSCS, brings his passion for discovery and affecting change to everything he does—particularly his research and teaching.

Texas Woman’s holds annual occupational therapy lecture, workshop

1/14/20

The Texas Woman’s University School of Occupational Therapy will host its 27^th annual Vanderkooi Endowed Lectureship at the T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center (5500 Southwestern Medical Ave., Dallas, TX 75235-7299) on Friday, Feb. 7.

Students recognized during CHS commencement for outstanding achievements

12/13/19

During the Fall 2019 commencement ceremony for the College of Health Sciences on Dec. 13, several graduates were recognized by the chancellor for their significant accomplishments during their time at TWU.

TWU team tackles astronaut shoulder injuries in NASA competition

11/19/19

Texas Woman’s University sends its third team of senior undergraduate kinesiology students to the Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge Showcase in Houston this week. They will compete against engineering and technology teams from universities across the state who are working to solve research problems identified by NASA. TWU’s Good Vibrations will be the only team to have a project focused on the human aspect of space travel.

Setting the Stage: Career-ending injury leads dancer to new passion at TWU

10/29/19

A professional ballet dancer whose international career was cut short due to a series of injuries is pursuing a degree at Texas Woman’s University to help others avoid the same fate.

To the Top of the World and Back

10/15/19

TWU alumna Roxanne Vogel has taken mountain climbing to new heights. 

An experienced mountaineer who’s climbed the tallest mountains on nearly all the continents, Vogel set a unique goal for herself to become the first person to scale Mt. Everest – going up from sea level, to the top of the world and back down – in a record-making two weeks. By comparison, the average climber takes two months to climb the world’s tallest peak.

TWU alum continues family legacy and grows State Fair empire

10/1/19

TWU alumna Amber Fletcher has had quite a journey from carnival kid to successful entrepreneur. As the head of marketing for her family’s business, the multi-million-dollar Texas staple Fletcher’s Original State Fair Corny Dogs, she is making waves and forging new paths as a third-generation business owner.

Fletcher brings Autism awareness events to students and DFW community

9/3/19

Eight years ago, TWU Occupational Therapy professor Tina Fletcher, EdD, MFA, OTR, collaborated with the Dallas Museum of Art to host sensory friendly events to build autism awareness and bring OT training and teaching opportunities to her students. The events have now expanded across Dallas and influenced museum planners and therapists across the globe.

TWU hosting sports camp for visually impaired

7/19/19

A unique sports camp for students who are blind, visually impaired or deafblind has set up shop at Texas Woman's University in Denton. Camp Abilities Texas gives local children and teens with sight impairments the chance to experience sports like gymnastics, swimming, indoor rock climbing, tandem biking and beep baseball. Camp instructors, many of whom are enrolled in the School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology, get hands-on experience in their fields while also giving campers one-on-one instruction in adapted physical education. The one-week camp, which is put on by the Denton Public School Foundation, takes place each summer.

TWU dental hygiene students, faculty provide services in Peru

6/19/19

For the past three years, TWU dental hygiene clinical professor Leslie Koberna and her students have ventured to Guatemala, working in make-shift facilities and mobile dental units to treat and clean the teeth of orphans, school children and families who might not get these services elsewhere. Last month, Koberna took her students 2,000 miles further south to provide dental hygiene services to nearly 300 people in Lima, Peru, during an 11-day faculty-led education abroad experience.

Texas Woman’s doctoral student named 2019-20 Schweitzer Fellow

6/17/19

Morgan Grant, a Texas Woman’s University health promotion and kinesiology Ph.D. student from Valdosta, Georgia, will spend the next year creating a sexual health empowerment and education program through a prestigious Dallas-Fort Worth Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. Grant, who earned his MBA from TWU in 2017 and recently became certified as a health education specialist, will work with a community agency to address HIV/STD prevention for minority and at-risk populations who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

TWU program assesses firefighters' health, wellness

6/13/19

For more than 20 years, Texas Woman’s University’s Institute for Women’s Health has offered wellness programs and performed health research. This year, a group of first responders— firefighters in the Denton Fire Department (DFD)—is taking advantage of the services available in the clinic. Denton firefighters can earn bonus pay for maintaining or improving specified wellness levels. To help them monitor these levels, the DFD signed a three-year agreement with TWU’s Institute for Women’s Health to assess the health and fitness of the department’s 170 firefighters annually.

TWU alum Roxanne Vogel reaches world’s tallest peak in record ascent

6/10/19

Roxanne Vogel is no longer an aspiring Mt. Everest climber. The TWU alumna is now a record-breaking climber of the world’s tallest peak.

TWU nutrition students showcase innovative food products

5/13/19

A semester of hard work and experiential learning recently came to a close for senior undergraduate Nutrition students at Texas Woman’s. Adjunct Professor James Adams guided his Food Product Development class through creating new products from beginning to launch, with creative and delicious results.

TWU alumna draws on student-athlete experience in professional stunt woman career

4/23/19

Texas Woman’s alumna Luci Romberg has come a long way since her time as a two-sport student athlete at TWU. Today, she’s a professional stuntwoman in some of the world’s biggest blockbusters and part owner of a freerunning business.

TWU students design garment to help astronauts fight back pain

4/19/19

A group of Texas Woman's University kinesiology seniors, known as the Acolytes of Apollo, have been working this semester on a special garment designed to reduce lower back pain experienced by astronauts in microgravity. The team presented their project at the Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge Showcase on April 15, and placed fourth out of 14 teams at this semiannual competition sponsored by NASA.

TWU hosts Autism Awareness night at Frisco RoughRiders ballpark

4/12/19

Texas Woman's University faculty and students hit a home run in early April when they managed an Autism Awareness Night for children and their families at a Frisco RoughRiders baseball game. According to Gwen Weatherford, director of TWU's sport management program, the baseball team specifically requested support from TWU. Twenty TWU occupational therapy students and faculty members managed the event, with hosting support from TWU students in sport management and kinesiology

Texas Woman’s PT professor gives back to her industry and students

4/9/19

Texas Woman’s physical therapy professor and alumna Rupal M. Patel, PT, PhD, attributes her servant’s heart with growing up in India and the values she inherited from her parents when immigrating to the United States. These values now drive Patel to give back to the physical therapy profession and her doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students on TWU’s Houston campus.

TWU professors team up for childhood obesity research

4/2/19

Texas Woman’s University professors Kathleen Davis, Ph.D. (nutrition and food sciences) and Marilyn Massey-Stokes, Ed.D. (health promotion and kinesiology) recognized a need for new approaches to combat childhood obesity. A current research project may give them the answers – and it may be as simple as picking up a cellphone.

Lee keeps White Coat Ceremony tradition alive among DPT students at TWU

2/12/19

From an early age, Texas Woman’s University graduate student Adrian Lee knew she wanted a future in healthcare. After her father became ill when she was in the eighth grade, Lee remembers being confused by and unclear on what exactly was happening.

Romans displays leadership skills on inaugural NASA team at TWU

12/11/18

Kinesiology senior Audra Romans made the most of her Texas Woman’s undergraduate experience as an Honors Scholar, Pioneer Ambassador, Kinesiology Club member and student employee in several departments on campus. Then, during her final semester, Romans and five other kinesiology students competed and won first place as TWU’s inaugural team in the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) Design Challenge, sponsored by NASA.

Detour marks leadership path for TWU senior

12/4/18

Just before she transferred to Texas Woman’s University, Kyra Solis’ career plan seemed set: First, a nursing school education and then a steady position with a hospital or doctor’s group. But a dose of reality hit her shortly after her transfer, when she learned that getting into nursing school wasn’t as easy as she thought. Her grades were good enough, but the competition was fierce. 

A frank discussion with an academic adviser got her thinking about another academic opportunity, and in a similar direction: Health Studies.

TWU team wins NASA design challenge

11/20/18

The first time was a charm for a team of six Texas Woman’s University students who won best overall team accolades at the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) Design Challenge Showcase held in Houston on Nov. 12.

From first year to PT grad student, Mathis’ light shined brighter

10/30/18

It seems like Monica Mathis (DPT '20) is always moving. That’s not exactly unexpected for a physical therapy graduate student, but with Mathis, if you blink, she might already be on to her next commitment. In the five and a half years she’s been at TWU, Mathis hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down – from her first year as a shy, soft-spoken undergraduate kinesiology major to the outgoing, confident student in the physical therapy graduate program she is today.

Outdoor Nation Campus Ambassador leads students on Grand Canyon trip

10/23/18

As a lifelong lover of the outdoors, Kaitlyn Houser (B.S. '19) dreamed of encouraging others to get outside and experience nature. When Texas Woman’s University joined Outdoor Nation (ON), she found the perfect opportunity to inspire students to get active on campus. Today, as TWU’s ON Campus Ambassador, she is taking it one step further and inspiring others to witness nature off campus.

TWU student strives to increase access to physical therapy care

10/16/18

Although she has only just begun her second year in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Texas Woman's University Institute of Health Sciences – Houston Center, Meagan Ortega has already made a lasting impact in both her professional and local communities.

TWU graduate turns traditional nutrition coaching upside down

9/11/18

Joan Denton (MS '18) knew she wanted to be a registered dietitian, but never felt at ease in a hospital. When she expressed her interests to one of her Texas Woman’s University nutrition professors, Denton discovered she could be categorized as a “culinary dietitian.” This set Denton on to create her own path in the field of nutrition.

Texas Woman’s professor brings the world to her classroom

8/28/18

You might have trouble finding caterpillars, termites and fermented milk on store shelves in Texas, but, as a Texas Woman’s University global perspectives class learned in the Spring 2018 semester, these are staples in South Africa.

Through a unique partnership, Nutrition and Food Sciences assistant professor Monique LeMieux, PhD, took an introductory Food and Culture class to the next level by co-teaching with a professor from the University of Venda (UNIVEN) in South Africa.

Kinesiology team wins National Biomechanics Day recognition

7/24/18

Texas Woman’s University’s biomechanics labs provide a way for our Kinesiology students to combine classroom theory with real-world application. A group of these students put this experience into practice on National Biomechanics Day 2018, when they invited 27 Aubrey high schoolers into the labs for a fun day of movement and motion. Their creative event recently received top recognition from the American Society of Biomechanics.

Texas Woman’s graduate student named 2018-19 Schweitzer Fellow

7/18/18

Stephanie M. Lopez-Neyman, R.D.N., M.P.H., a Texas Woman’s University nutrition and food sciences Ph.D. student, will spend the next year developing a community health program through a prestigious Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.

Summer camp tackles rare childhood speech disorder

6/5/18

TWU is the only university in Texas to offer a special camp to help families overcome childhood apraxia, a neurological disorder affecting speech. NBC5 DFW aired a news story highlighting the positive impact our CHAMP Camp program has on young lives.

Nothing but home runs for TWU Nutrition alumna

5/29/18

Lindsay Oar (MS ‘17) discovered the perfect way to merge her two passions — sports and nutrition — with an Exercise and Sports Nutrition degree from Texas Woman’s that led to a position as assistant sports dietitian (RDN) for the Texas Rangers professional baseball organization.

TWU kinesiology student conducts unique, award winning research

5/1/18

As a Texas Woman’s honors student, Ayana Georges (B.S. ‘18) knew she wanted to make a difference in the world of kinesiology. This prompted her to begin her award-winning research, which received top honors at the 2018 Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC) Conference held in March.

Texas Woman’s professor brings the world to her classroom

4/24/18

You might have trouble finding caterpillars, termites and fermented milk on store shelves in Texas, but, as a Texas Woman’s University global perspectives class recently learned, these are staples in South Africa.

TWU graduate turns traditional nutrition coaching upside down

4/20/18

Joan Denton (M.S. ‘18) knew she wanted to be a registered dietitian, but never felt at ease in a hospital. When she expressed her interests to one of her Texas Woman’s University nutrition professors, Denton discovered she could be categorized as a “culinary dietitian.” This set Denton on to create her own path in the field of nutrition.

TWU alumna Rachel Russell brings taste to your table

3/28/18

Rachel Russell (BAS '16) found her career niche when she wasn't expecting it. But at a meeting for nutrition transfer students, she got a sales pitch that hooked her from the start.

TWU Houston celebrates opening of Student Food Market

3/27/18

With a goal of supporting students holistically, Texas Woman's University Institute of Health Sciences in Houston celebrated the opening of the TWU Student Food Market March 19, 2018. The Student Food Market—a joint venture between the university and the Houston Food Bank, the nation’s largest food bank in distribution— provides perishable and non-perishable food twice monthly to food insecure students.

Texas Woman’s faculty Christopher Bolinger wins national research award

6/28/17

Texas Woman’s University communication sciences and disorders faculty member Christopher Bolinger, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, was selected as one of 10 recipients for a national research award given by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

TWU tackles shortage, growing demand for speech therapists with unique collaborative program

5/11/17

Texas Woman’s University—one of the nation’s top producers of speech therapists—will place 124 new graduates in public schools across the state, the largest group of speech-language pathologists to graduate in Texas this year. Because of this program, the Lone Star State's public schools benefit from cost savings and a guaranteed pipeline of high-demand professionals.

Texas Woman's student named Schweitzer Fellow

5/11/17

Roselyn Cedeno Davila, a Texas Woman’s University master’s student in Texas Woman's student named Schweitzer Fellow from Dallas, will spend the next year learning to effectively address the social factors that impact health after being awarded a fellowship with the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program.

Occupational therapy as critical today as it was 100 years ago

4/26/17

April is national Occupational Therapy Month and 2017 marks the 100^th anniversary of the profession that helps everyone from birth to old age live their best lives.

At-home multi-sensory environment can help those on autism spectrum

4/10/17

Everyone processes the world through their senses. For those with sensory processing disorders, such as a child with autism, this can be an uncomfortable and over-stimulating experience. Occupational therapists work with individuals with sensory processing disorders to help them experience their environments in a more productive manner.  

TWU student team celebrates Nutrition College Bowl win

4/4/17

TWU Nutrition students out-answered their competition to win the annual Nutrition College Bowl at the recent Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Access to preventive health care can boost Texas women’s economic outlook

3/13/17

A recently released study by TWU and the Dallas Women's Foundation sheds light on the economic disparities Texas women face in regards to the four essential building blocks of women's economic security: health insurance, education, child care and housing. As a physical therapist and TWU faculty member, Wayne Brewer, Ph.D.,  has seen firsthand how lack of financial security impacts the lives of patients, particularly women who are heads of households.

Texas Woman’s faculty Nancy DiMarco elected to credentialing commission

3/8/17

Nancy DiMarco, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, Texas Woman’s University nutrition and food sciences professor and director of the university’s Institute for Women’s Health, recently was elected by the members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to serve on its Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). DiMarco will serve a three-year term.

Program invests in veteran sports training and activities

11/10/16

The TWU Lasso reports on Nicholas Levine, a TWU kinesiology doctoral student, who is the first recipient of the Project INVEST Scholarship sponsored by Heritage Health Solutions in Flower Mound. TWU's Project INVEST (Injured Veterans Entering Sports Training) gets veterans active in adaptive sports.