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Congratulations on another successful school
year from all of us in the Rehabilitation
Science Program! We hope you have a GREAT
summer! We know it’s a well-deserved break!
Rehab Science Program Post
April 2014Volume 6, Issue 2
You may know Dr. Margaret Minnigh from the Rehabilitation Science course Pharmacology in Rehabilitation (REHSCI 1265), but her presence on campus is much more diverse than that! In addition to teaching for the Rehab Science Program, Dr. Minnigh is an Assistant Professor for Pitt’s School of Pharmacy, where she lectures on topics in medicinal chemistry. She also teaches for Physical Therapy and Dental Medicine graduate students.
About half of Dr. Minnigh’s time on campus is spent in the Small Molecule Biomarker Core Laboratory (SMBC), which is part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. The SMBC specializes in providing quantitative analysis of small molecules (such as hormones or various metabolites) in clinical samples. As part of the SMBC, Dr. Minnigh supervises and coordinates a variety of research projects. She is particularly excited about a current project investigating birth control use and HIV susceptibility in both Africa and Pittsburgh. Dr. Minnigh says that although sometimes she wants to pull her hair out, she definitely enjoys what she does because of the constant variety and challenge. In her (scarce) free time, you can likely find Dr. Minnigh accompanying her choir, doing needlework, or out on a walk. She also enjoys traveling, especially her yearly trips to Chautauqua Lake in New York to visit family. Dr. Minnigh and her husband have two sons of their own and are thrilled to be welcoming their first grandchild in June (it’s a boy!).
2 Nicole Myers, RS ’05, has been intrigued with the anatomy and
physiology of the human body since high school. It was the same fascinations that led her to the Rehabilitation Science Program, which she loved because of its “big picture” curriculum that taught her hands-on and practical knowledge. Nicole went on to pursue a medical career and graduated from the Philadelphia
College of
Osteopathic Medicine in
2011. She is currently in her third
year of a Family Medicine –Neuromuscular
Medicine Residency at Florida Hospital East Orlando. After the long winters of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Nicole was ready for a change in scenery and absolutely loves Orlando, the program, and the residents.
Nicole calls herself a definite “theme park person” and loves Disney and Harry Potter World. She also enjoys running, and just
recently finished a half marathon at Disney World. Serving through Habitat for Humanity is also a favorite activity of Nicole’s; she cites a trip to Uganda to build houses as a particularly noteworthy and enlightening experience.
For current RS students, Nicole recommends finding and utilizing a mentor for your profession of interest. She says linking up with medical professionals has been very important in her career, and encourages others to do the same.
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New & Prospective
Students!
Have you joined the Rehab
Science Student
Association yet?
Purpose
The goal of the RSSA is to provide
a context in which members can
partake in volunteer work, increase
awareness of the rehabilitation
science field, and become active
community members, while in the
process establishing cohesiveness
within the group as a whole. As an
active group member, one will
have the opportunity to
simultaneously learn from and
educate fellow members. Our
emphasis on volunteer work and
community service expresses our
desire to be of assistance to aspects
of society within the rehabilitation
focus and the surrounding
community. Achieving this
objective will prove beneficial to
the community and the students
involved.
Questions?
Contact RSSA President Autumn
Puhac at [email protected]
Congratulations Lauren Matevish, RS ’14, forbeing named the recipient of the Emma W. Locke Award!
The Emma W. Locke Award is presented annually to a Pitt graduating senior for recognition of high scholarship and character. Lauren was presented the award at the Honors Convocation on Friday, February 28th, 2014.
Lauren was also honored as one of six finalists for the prestigious Walter Byers Post Graduate Scholarship, a national award for Varsity athletes.
Lauren is pursuing a double degree in rehabilitation science and psychology and plans to attend medical school after graduating. She is a member of Pitt’s swim team and stays involved on campus through a variety of organizations.
Pitt Rehab Science
www.twitter.com/PittRS/
@PittRS
www.twitte
r.com/Pitt
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Brendan, Danielle, and Emily discuss
movements of the trunk and pelvis
during different exercises in REHSCI
1220 - Kinesiology and Biomechanics lab.
Danielle is using a dynamometer to
measure the torque of Becky’s elbow in
REHSCI 1220 - Kinesiology and
Biomechanics lab.
Danielle and Emily are learning to take
body measurements in REHSCI 1217-
Advanced Health Assessments and
Exercise Prescription
Danielle is measuring the body fat of Christa
in REHSCI 1217 – Advanced Health
Assessments and Exercise Prescription
Rehab Science
Students in Action!
5 Quidditch 101 From the International
Quidditch Association
Quidditch is a co-ed contact sport with a unique mix of elements from rugby, dodgeball, and tag. A quidditch team is made up of seven athletes who play with brooms between their legs at all times.
Three chasers score goals worth 10
points each with a volleyball called
the quaffle. They advance the ball down the field by running with it, passing it to teammates, or kicking it. Each team has a keeper who defends the goal hoops. Two beaters use dodgeballs called bludgers to disrupt the flow of the game by “knocking out” other players. Any player hit by a bludger is out of play until they touch their own goals. Each team also has a seeker who tries to catch the
snitch. The snitch is a ball attached to
the waistband of the snitch runner, a neutral athlete in a yellow uniform who uses any means to avoid capture. The snitch is worth 30 points and its capture ends the game.
You wouldn’t expect getting lost on a dreary winter day to set the stage for falling in love with a school, but that’s exactly what happened during Brendan Doska’s, RS ’15, first campus visit. Like many students, Brendan knew Pitt would be a great fit as soon as he first stepped foot on campus. In fact, he hopes to remain here and attend Pitt’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Brendan is interested in an interdisciplinary approach to physical therapy and plans to combine both the physiological and psychological aspects of therapy in
his future career.
On campus, Brendan serves as both an officer and a dancer with the African Music and Dance Club. Although he had no prior dancing experience, he loves it because it’s “just out of the box enough” and is a refreshingly unique hobby. Brendan also stays busy as part of Pitt’s Quidditch team, which he joined at the start of his sophomore year. On the very first day of practice, he found himself among an interesting mix of athletes and Harry Potter enthusiasts (many of whom didn’t come back for Day 2). Although it’s been more physical and intense than he had expected, Brendan has found the Quidditch team to be a great stress-relief. He’s thrilled that he was able to compete with his team in the Quidditch World Cup (again!), which was held in early April in Myrtle Beach.
