Student Spotlight: Frank Myers, MSW Program
Frank Myers is a student in the Master of Social Work program at the University of New England. We spoke with Frank recently about what attracted him to the field of social work, his experience in the UNE Online program, and what drove him to create and host an outreach event for homeless people in his area. What got you interested in becoming a social worker? I was homeless and on my own when I was 11, so the homeless population has always been in my heart. For the past three years now I’ve been working full time with the homeless, but really I’ve been working with the homeless for pretty much all my life. I try to help out where I can. What encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Social Work? I always wanted to get into social work, so I went and got my bachelor’s degree, and immediately after that started on my master’s – and I… Read More >
Tags: Master of Social Work | MSW | MSW Spotlight | MSW Student Spotlight | Social Work | Student SpotlightScience Prerequisite Student Spotlight: Justin Kenney
Ever since he can remember, Justin has always wanted to be a doctor–but his exceptional musical talent pulled him in a different direction after high school. Justin accepted a scholarship to study classical music at Vanderbilt University, where he graduated in 2014 with a BA in Classical Music. Prior to graduation, Justin started to realize that he couldn’t ignore his draw to the medical field, and soon he decided to pursue his childhood ambition of being a doctor. Continue reading to learn more about Justin’s journey from music major to studying for the MCAT, and all the online prerequisite courses for medical school he took in between. You must be pretty talented if you went to college on a music scholarship. Could you share more about your musical background? I grew up enamored with music as a way to reach others, playing in any ensemble and genre that would have me. I taught myself any instrument I could get my… Read More >
Tags: SPHP | student | Student Spotlight | UNE OnlineStudent Spotlight, Jeffrey L. Brown, Ed.D. Program
Jeffrey L. Brown is an Ed.D. candidate in the Transformative Leadership program at UNE Online. The Ed.D. program is focused on transformative leadership and prepares leaders to transform themselves, their organization, and their community through focused, flexible study. In this post, Jeffrey talks to us about his experience at UNE, and how he feels that UNE has helped him learn new skills to be even more successful in his role as a Chief Information Officer. Can you tell me a little about your background, and what motivated you to pursue your Ed.D.? When I entered the healthcare space 20 years ago, healthcare was just beginning to undergo a real digital revolution. Through that digital revolution wave, I climbed up the leadership ladder fairly quickly and at a relatively young age. I’m currently the Chief Information Officer for Martin’s Point Healthcare, and this is my third executive officer role. There came a point where I felt that I had reached a… Read More >
Tags: Ed.D | Education | Graduate Programs in Education | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Stephanie N. Marcotte, Ed.D. in Transformative Leadership
Stephanie Marcotte is a student in the Ed.D. Transformative Leadership program at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies here at the University of New England. She talks about her experience as an online student, how her leadership has developed throughout her time in the UNE Ed.D. program, and how her identity as a leader has changed throughout the program. What are your current leadership roles? Like many adjunct professors around the country, I work multiple jobs. While I believe in the establishment of full-time benefited teaching opportunities, I have learned a lot from wearing many hats. Currently, I am an adjunct professor of ESL within a credit-bearing community college academic ESL program, a teacher-trainer, a union chapter president representing all faculty and professional staff, and now an interim part-time professional staff member within the nursing department at my community college. “Busy” doesn’t quite represent the many hours I spend working, teaching, preparing, and supporting others. All of these roles… Read More >
Tags: Ed.D | Ed.D. Student Spotlight | Education | Graduate Programs in Education | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Nicole Petrin, MSW Program
Nicole Petrin is a student in the Master of Social Work program at UNE Online. She has her undergraduate degree in social work, works in the field, and is also very active as a mentor for rising social workers. She just recently returned from an international social work conference in South Africa, and she shares her experiences with us here. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Social Work? I am originally from Rhode Island, where during my childhood and adolescence I was a very active member of Girl Scouts, even going on to earn the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, the Girl Scout Gold Award. My early exposure to community service through scouting helped me develop my passion for helping those who are marginalized, and this engagement is ultimately what led me to the field of social work. In 2012, I earned my undergraduate degree in social work at… Read More >
Tags: Master of Social Work | MSW | MSW Spotlight | MSW Student Spotlight | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Jessica Brousseau, CAGS AEL Program
Jessica Brousseau is a student in the UNE Online CAGS in Advanced Educational Leadership program. As a high school counselor, she enjoys learning from the diverse perspectives and experiences of her classmates, and she feels that she especially benefits from learning how her classmates in other states deal with common situations in different ways. We spoke with her recently about her experience of being a first time 100% online student and got her perspective on the program. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your CAGS AEL? I work at a regional high school in Litchfield, Connecticut. This is my second year as a school counselor there, working with kids in grades 9-12. Prior to that, while I was a graduate student earning my Master’s in School Counseling at the University of St. Joseph’s in West Hartford, CT, I was a school counseling intern. I’m pretty new to the school counseling scene, but I’ve… Read More >
Tags: CAGS | CAGS AEL | Education Student Spotlight | Graduate Programs in Education | Student SpotlightAlumni Spotlight: Mike Wilber, Ed.D.
Dr. Mike Wilber is an Adult Basic Education Instructor at the Delaware Department of Education Adult and Prison Education Resources Division in Wilmington, Delaware, helping inmates earn their GEDs and learn job skills. He is also a GED Instructor in the Adult Education Division of James H. Groves Adult High School. Dr. Wilber’s Ed.D. dissertation was designed to examine a particular aspect of the prison population in order to look at the problem of recidivism from a different angle. It’s challenging work, but Dr. Wilber’s passion for teaching and serving others is evident through his most recent award: Region II Teacher Of the Year for 2018. We sat down with Dr. Wilber recently to talk about his experience in the UNE Online Ed.D. program. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Ed.D.? I earned my bachelor’s degree in History and very nearly earned a minor in Education. I took all the courses… Read More >
Tags: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership | Ed.D | Ed.D. Student Spotlight | Education | Student SpotlightAmbassador Spotlight: Emily Bartlett, MPH Program
UNE Online Ambassadors have been recognized by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies for being exemplary students and enthusiastic members of the UNE Online community. UNE Online Ambassadors serve as liaisons between our extended community and UNE Online, setting a precedent and standard for what it means to be a UNE Online student and community member.Can you tell me a little about your background, and why you chose to earn your MPH at UNE Online? I’m from Maine, so I’ve known about UNE for a long time now. I got my undergraduate degree at The University of King’s College in Nova Scotia, majoring in International Development with a minor in Health. After graduation I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to continue my education in the health field. During my undergrad I took a course in epidemiology, which ended up being my favorite class. I loved the material potential, so I looked… Read More >
Tags: 12 Days of Online Learning | Ambassador Spotlight | Graduate Programs in Public Health | MPH | MPH Student Spotlight | public health | Student SpotlightAmbassador Spotlight: Janet Quiring – Health Informatics Program
Janet Quiring is a student in the Master of Science in Health Informatics program here at UNE Online. We spoke with her recently about her thoughts on the program, how she leveraged her strengths to find her practicum placement, and what aspects of real-life cybersecurity her practicum is exposing her to. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Health Informatics? I’ve had a career in the pharmaceutical industry for many years now. The industry is great, and I’ve enjoyed it, but at some point, you step back and look at how the market is changing. I’ve seen the whole dynamic of medicine shift, and I felt that I needed to be able to change with it. Many pharmaceutical companies like mine conduct outcome studies, and over the years I’ve become interested in how to apply the principles of health economics to improve decision making in a complex healthcare environment…. Read More >
Tags: Graduate Programs in Health Informatics | Health Informatics | Health Informatics Student Spotlight | Master of Science in Health Informatics | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Rachael Flaxman, Education Program
Rachael Flaxman is an elementary school teacher in Maine and a student in our online MSEd program. We celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week by speaking with some of our students who have dedicated their professional lives to education. Teachers make a profound impact on the lives they touch, so we want to honor some of these very special teachers who are also our students, and who are making a difference every single day in their classroom. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Education? I was a little bit later coming to teaching. I didn’t start teaching until I was about 30. We lived in California and I got my teaching degree out there. I taught just for a couple of years in California before taking quite a few years off to be home with my kids, but I’ve been back in the classroom for about… Read More >
Tags: Education | Graduate Programs in Education | MSEd Student Spotlight | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Dr. Puneet Saini, MPH Program
Dr. Puneet Saini is a native of Madison, WI, and a second-year MPH student at UNE Online. Having completed his M.D., he is looking to complement and add more value to his education, and also delve more deeply into the realms of public administration and policy-making in order to bring about change on a global level. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Public Health? I was born in America and come from a multi-cultural family. Growing up in this diverse mix of different ethnicities and cultures made me very aware of the world, and I learned early on to respect other people’s values, ideas, and ways of life. I come from a family of doctors, and I graduated medical school myself, but at some point, I realized that something was missing. I wanted to see what else was out there, so after doing some research, I felt that… Read More >
Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | Master of Public Health | MPH | MPH Student Spotlight | Student SpotlightAmbassador Spotlight: Jacqueta Miles, MSW Program
Jacqueta Miles is a student in the Master of Social Work program at UNE Online. Despite a number of challenges, she never gave up on the pursuit of her Master’s degree and her commitment to the field of social work. Read her story, and see what advice she has for incoming students. What encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Social Work? Growing up, I lived between my mom’s and my grandmother’s houses. My grandmother took me, my sisters, and my cousins in – we all grew up pretty much like sisters. She’s was always teaching us to help, and so growing up, I discovered that I have a heart for people. I love to help. I was in the healthcare field for a long time working as a CNA and PCA, and during that time I found myself drawn to the families that I worked with. I enjoyed helping them with their needs and connecting them with the social services… Read More >
Tags: Master of Social Work | MSW | MSW Ambassador | MSW Spotlight | Social Work | Student SpotlightAmbassador Spotlight: Melanie Berdyck, MSAN Program
Melanie Berdyck is a dietitian and student in the UNE Online Master’s of Science in Applied Nutrition program. We spoke to Melanie recently about her work, her online graduate school experience, and her thoughts about the Applied Nutrition program. What encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Applied Nutrition? I earned my Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics in 2008, and I’ve been working in the field as a dietitian for about ten years now. Most of the people I work with have advanced degrees, and I’ve always had the feeling that there was so much more to learn – so I decided to go back to school. I figure that I have about another 40 years or so working in my career, so I want to keep current in my industry. I also went back to school to strengthen and improve my resume and to gain additional expertise in the area of nutrition. When you’re in the industry and working in… Read More >
Tags: Graduate Programs in Applied Nutrition | Master of Science in Applied Nutrition | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Stephanie N. Brown, Ed.D. Program
Can you tell me a little bit about your background? My name is Stephanie Brown and I am an adjunct English as a Second Language (ESL) professor. I honestly love what I do. There is nothing like teaching, especially teaching English learners. I learn so much from my students, probably more than they learn from me. Every day my students open my eyes to the world – not just in terms of content, but with their lived experiences. I am honored to know, work, and support these amazing people. They work so hard and give so much. Their passion and dedication are what keeps me alive: as a human and as a teacher. Outside of teaching, I have also taken on different leadership roles within the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). I am the President-Elect of NNETESOL and the Reviews Editor for MATSOL. I am also an active member of my three unions (NEA, MTA,… Read More >
Tags: 12 Days of Online Learning | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership | Ed.D | Ed.D. Student Spotlight | Education | Student SpotlightSpotlight: Dr. Joel Lowsky, Ed.D.
Dr. Joel Lowsky is a recent graduate of UNE Online’s Doctor of Education in Transformative Leadership (Ed.D.) Program. We recently spoke with him about his career, his research, and plans for the future. Can you tell me a little bit about your background? I earned my bachelor’s degree in humanistic studies and English literature; two areas for which it’s tough to find a job! So I went back to school and earned another diploma, this time in Computer Programming. This gave me access to work in the corporate world, in technology. I went on to get a great job implementing software at large corporations, but after a few years, I felt that I wanted a more meaningful work experience. Career twist The turning point in my career was an eight-month volunteer stint at an HIV community center in Namibia, Africa. The organization’s mission was to meet the needs of both youth and adults to combat the threat of the HIV/AIDS… Read More >
Tags: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership | Ed.D | Ed.D. Alumni Spotlight | Ed.D. Student Spotlight | Education | Student SpotlightAlumni Spotlight: Dr. Vicki Rusbult, Ed.D. – Education Program
UNE Online Alumna Dr. Vicki Rusbult fulfilled a lifelong dream last May and graduated from the College of Graduate and Professional Studies with her Ed.D. And it turns out that her dissertation wasn’t only interesting to her faculty advisor… The ‘National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Rural Transportation National Newsletter’ recently published a link to her full dissertation in their national newsletter. We’re so thrilled for Dr. Rusbult and her impressive national exposure! We spoke with Dr. Rusbult to talk about her professional career, and how her Ed.D. from UNE Online is opening doors and helping further her work. Here’s a little more about how she is putting her Ed.D. to good use: What was your experience like, getting your Ed.D. online? Not being in a classroom was initially a concern of mine, but the thing is, with technology now you’re able to have valuable interactions. You still have group work, but instead of in-person, you communicate on the telephone… Read More >
Tags: 12 Days of Online Learning | Alumni Spotlight | Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership | Ed.D | Ed.D. Alumni Spotlight | Ed.D. Student Spotlight | Education | Graduate Programs in Education | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Jackson Long – Applied Nutrition Program
Jackson Long, a Master of Science in Applied Nutrition student from Boulder, Colorado, is passionate about plant-based eating and living a healthy lifestyle. Jackson’s interest in nutrition was piqued during his time as a competitive cyclist, as he sought out the optimal diet for his athletic performance. His initial interest in nutrition gradually grew into a passion for helping others on their own health journeys, which ultimately led him to UNE. From Competitive Cycling to Nutrition Growing up in Sun Valley, Idaho, Jackson participated in and loved outdoor sports from a young age. He spent much of his free time skiing and then later got into cycling. This passion for physical fitness led Jackson to study integrated physiology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. While finishing up his undergraduate degree, Jackson became curious about how his diet affected his overall health. With a particular interest in the vegan diet, he enrolled in the Plant-based Nutrition Certificate program offered by… Read More >
Tags: 12 Days of Online Learning | Applied Nutrition | Graduate Programs in Applied Nutrition | MSAN | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Tyler Blankenship – Applied Nutrition Program
Tyler Blankenship, Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR), from Orlando, Florida, is a student in the Master of Science in Applied Nutrition program. Tyler’s background includes working as a chef at Walt Disney World, as a restaurant nutritionist at Sea World and also in nutrition management at a long term care facility. From Chef to Dietary Management Prior to beginning his master’s degree with UNE, Tyler flexed his culinary chops working as both a sous chef and nutritionist at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Armed with degrees in culinary arts and culinary nutrition from Johnson & Wales University, Tyler cooked at Four Star, Five Diamond restaurants at Disney. With a developing interest in nutrition, he moved on to a nutritionist position for the restaurants at Sea World. In this role, he provided nutritional and allergy analysis for each recipe offered on the property, as well as developed training materials on how staff could respond to and address concerns about allergies. After that,… Read More >
Tags: 12 Days of Online Learning | Applied Nutrition | Online Learning | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Thomas Troelstrup, MPH Program
“Thanks to this terrific program, I was just offered my dream job on Tuesday as a Foodborne Disease Outbreak Epidemiologist for the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville! I never thought I would land it by the age of 28!” MPH student Thomas Troelstrup reached out to us with some exciting news about his career this week, so we wanted to connect with him to talk about his new opportunity and his experience with UNE! Like so many MPH students, Thomas came to study Public Health in a somewhat roundabout way. After high school, he attended community college, playing college baseball and majoring in History. Shortly thereafter, he was offered the opportunity to transfer to UNC Greensboro, to play ball, but History was not available to him as a major due to an issue with transfer credits. He was offered the choice between Public Health, Economics, and Communications as the best potential fits for the amount and type of credits… Read More >
Tags: 12 Days of Online Learning | careers | MPH | MPH Student Spotlight | Student SpotlightStudent Spotlight: Alison Braid, MPH – Public Health Program
MPH student Alison Braid is more than halfway through her degree, and loving it. After spending over 15 years in the professional translation and website localization industry, she wanted to make a career switch. Says Alison, “I decided that it was time for a change!” Alison is based in New York City, and most recently managed a localization team of engineers, linguists, and graphic designers, evaluating certain websites, translating and adapting them into several languages. Her day-to-day activities involved working across diverse industries and cultures, and making the websites they’re localizing appealing to each culture. With her Master’s Degree in Translation Studies, she started in the firm as a project manager, and worked her way up through the ranks of the company. Most recently, she managed an international production team of 80 members located in the US, India, Asia, Europe, and South America. Career change on the horizon Ten years ago Alison started thinking about a career change. She tried… Read More >
Tags: careers | Graduate Programs in Public Health | MPH | MPH Alumni Spotlight | MPH Student Spotlight | Student SpotlightEd.D. Student Ben Luce published in professional journal
Benjamin Luce, a student in the University of New England’s Online Doctoral Program in Transformative Leadership, was recently published in the American Journal of Distance Education. Benjamin interviewed Bryan Alexander, a leading thinker and writer in issues of education and technology. Alexander is a senior fellow for the National Institute of Technology in Liberal Education. The two discuss many issues relating to technology and its place in modern education – including social media, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), history of technology in education, distance education, and much more. For those with institutional access to the American Journal of Distance Education, the interview can be found here. Check with your library to see if you have access to the periodical – it’s a fascinating discussion on education and how Bryan’s life has shaped his thinking. Check out Bryan Alexander’s site for more about him, and to read his writings. About Benjamin Luce Benjamin Luce is the Academic Dean for the Maine… Read More >
Tags: careers | Ed.D | Student Spotlight | student successStudent Spotlight: Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, Ed.D. – Education Program
Kimberly Roberts-Morandi is a student in the University of New England’s Online Doctoral Program in Transformative Leadership. She is currently working on her dissertation with the other members of her cohort, and checked in with her about her study. Here’s what Kim has to say about her participatory action research experience and why she picked the University of New England for her doctorate in education: “The opportunity to pursue research that would document the transformative impact of an Instructional Leadership Team in a rural environment combined my work and passion for school turnaround. I have rooted my qualitative study in a district that embraced shared-leadership as a structure for implementing numerous educator mandates. The study identifies the actions and supports the district and school administrators engage in and the work of a leadership team integrating the educator evaluation frameworks. My goal is to document a process that is replicable in other rural environments as these resource-thin areas struggle to improve… Read More >
Tags: careers | Ed.D | Student SpotlightSpotlight: Katy Krings, MPH – Public Health Program
Katy Krings is in her final semester of the MPH program and is an excellent example of how online education can be used as a powerful tool to reach qualified individuals who wouldn’t otherwise have access to higher education. Originally from Wisconsin, Katy now lives and works as a public health nurse in rural Southwest Alaska. In fact, the area in which Katy works is so remote that her patients are not accessible by road or boat for much of the year – she has to fly between these arctic villages to provide her patients with care and public health education. Now that’s going the extra mile. Some background on Katy and her career Katy discovered Public Health nursing after earning her undergraduate degree in nursing and completing a nursing rotation in Denver, Colorado. In researching career opportunities, she found that Alaska hires many new nursing graduates, giving them the opportunity to get real-life experience right away. So because of the plentiful opportunities… Read More >
Tags: careers | Graduate Programs in Public Health | MPH | MPH Alumni Spotlight | MPH Student Spotlight | Student Spotlight | student successStudent Spotlight: Brittany Roy, MPH – Public Health Program
This August, a group of UNE students and advisors participated in an immersion experience in Ghana. Students worked alongside Ghana Health Service, community health educators and the community to provide healthcare services to the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. Participants of the program engaged in direct health services, interprofessional collaboration, community education and academic and cross-cultural exchange. Here, Brittany Roy gives us a glimpse of her involvement with the program in Ghana, and her most important takeaways from the experience. About Brittany Roy, MPH Class of 2015 I currently live in Biddeford, Maine with my fianceé. I graduated from Stonehill College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree where I majored in Neuroscience and minored in Music. I previously worked at The Jackson Laboratory as a Research Assistant studying drug addiction and obesity and at the University of New England as a Laboratory Manager/Senior Research Associate studying the role of various transcription factors in chronic pain. Turning point After… Read More >
Tags: Graduate Programs in Public Health | MPH | MPH Alumni Spotlight | MPH Student Spotlight | Student Spotlight