TWU health sciences faculty demonstrate excellence in teaching and research

September 16, 2021 – DENTON – Some university faculty members teach, and some perform research. At the Texas Woman’s College of Health Sciences, they do both, educating the next generation of health care professionals while making significant advances in their respective fields. Even with challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty members secured an impressive amount of funding for their work.

“Our faculty members are research scholars who excel in the classroom and the research space,” said College of Health Sciences Dean Christopher Ray, PhD. “I am incredibly proud of their dedication to our students and their contributions to health care.”

During the 2020-2021 academic year, College of Health Sciences faculty members in Denton, Dallas and Houston received a total of $5,231,906 in grants for research, instruction and service projects.

The projects were as diverse as the faculty themselves and spanned the gamut in the fields of communication sciences and oral health, health promotion, kinesiology, nutrition and food sciences, occupational therapy and physical therapy. They included parent-led imitation therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders; equine-assisted therapy for adults with Parkinson’s disease; the effect of watermelon consumption for those with knee pain; making venues and events more accessible for those with autism; and evaluating the effects of moderate physical activity on health and well-being in adolescents and young adults with Marfan Syndrome, just to name a few. View the complete project list here.

Faculty research also is important because it provides opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience, applying the theories they learn in the classroom to real-world settings to advance industry knowledge and practices.

The College of Health Sciences recently recognized three of its faculty members for their outstanding contributions to TWU and their fields: Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Kelli Brizzolara, PhD, (Teaching); Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences Xiaofen Du, PhD, (Research); and Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences Kathleen Davis, PhD, (Service).

Page last updated 9:35 AM, September 16, 2021