LEND Program

LEND Program Highlights 2007- 2008

LEND Graduation Class of 2008

The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Program at WIHD conducted its Graduation on May 8, 2008. Administrators, faculty, mentors, LEND Alumni, family and friends joined the trainees in marking their accomplishments during a poster session, the graduation ceremony and celebratory luncheon. The class of 2008 was composed of twenty trainees including three distance learning trainees in Puerto Rico.

The 2008 LEND Graduates are:
Vivian Agboro-Idahosa, MD; Ellie Becker, JD, MSW, MA; Kathleen Davis, PhD; Lisa DeDomenico, PhD; Meghan Gleason, MSW; Elizabeth Gonsalves; Jessica Hutter, MS; Aieya Jean-Francois;  Rosetta Malvese, MSEd; Nerian Ortiz, MD; Grace Owen, ScD; Yasmin Pedrogo, MD; Marie Pennacchio, RN MBA; Julie Reichling, MS; Tasanyia Sebro; Loretta Severson, PsyD; Victoria Stockton, MS; Cristina Travieso, MSW; Sheryl White, MBA; & Elana Yudman, MS

The Poster Session

The day’s festivities were opened by a Poster Session held in the WIHD Main Lobby. Seven posters were on display, highlighting the projects of the LEND trainees. The projects presented were:

• Services for Foster Care Families
• School Age Assistive Technology Programs
• Follow-up of High Risk Neonates
• Follow up of Young Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Technical Assistance Tools for Providers Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities
• Assessment of Consumer Awareness and Understanding of Newborn Screening
• What do health professionals know about the diagnosis of autism and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in preschool children

Guests enjoyed viewing the posters and having the opportunity to discuss with the trainees the details of the important issues addressed by their projects.

The Graduation Ceremony

The main event of the day’s proceedings, the Graduation Ceremony was conducted in the WIHD auditorium. Graduates were addressed by Ansley Bacon PhD, President & CEO of WIHD; Karen Edwards, MD, MPH, LEND Program Director; and Robert Amler MD, Dean of The School of Public Health at New York Medical College.

As each graduate was called up to receive their certificate, they were warmly greeted and congratulated by Dr Edwards, Lawrence Miller, Ph.D., Director of Distance Learning and their faculty advisors including;
Dr. Ben Watson, Program Director in Speech-Language Pathology, NYMC SPH; Ms. Marilyn Klein, Director, Speech and Hearing Center at WIHD; Dr. Kate Franklin, Director of Clinical Education in Speech-Language Pathology, NYMC SPH and Director of Assistive Technology at WIHD; Barbara Levitz, Director of LEND Family Partnerships Training at WIHD; Caroline Lieber, Director of the Human Genetics Program at Sarah Lawrence College; Dr. Wendy Breitner, Director of Child Welfare Services at WIHD; Dr. Patty Towle, Director of Training in Psychology at WIHD and  Dr. Laurette Olson, Associate Professor of the Occupational Therapy program at Mercy College.

Seventeen of the twenty graduates were in attendance. The trainees from Puerto Rico were unfortunately unable to attend due to professional obligations but were fully acknowledged, and their names announced followed by a warm round of applause.

The Zully Gonzalez Memorial Award

During the Graduation Ceremony, “The Zully Gonzalez Memorial Award” was presented to Edgar Olivas, a social work intern with WIHD this academic year.

Zully Gonzalez was a social worker who worked in the Family Program for many years and died 2 years ago from lung cancer.  She came to this country from Peru as an adult and worked her way through an undergraduate program and then a Master’s degree in Social Work.  She was an excellent clinician and was especially effective in working with Hispanic families whose children were in foster care.  The money raised for the award came from WIHD staff and other friends and associates who wanted to pay tribute to Zully.  The goal of the award was to make a donation to an Hispanic social work student who emulated the values that Zully held.

The recipient of the award, Edgar Olivas, was completing the 2nd year of an MSW program at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and was doing his field experience here during the ’07-’08 academic year.  He was a highly motivated student who demonstrated that he really cared about the Hispanic community and was furthering his studies in order to help that population just as Zully had.  He was extremely honored to be presented with this award and the $1200 he received will go toward academic and other expenses.

Zully’s mother, Ms. Gonzalez and her daughter, Catherine Gonzalez, assisted Wendy Breitner, Ph.D., Director, Child Welfare Services at WIHD, in presenting the award. Her sister and son-in-law were in attendance as well.

Luncheon

The Ceremony was followed by a Luncheon in the Board Room, giving trainees the chance to celebrate together with their families and friends and providing guests the opportunity to meet the faculty and other trainees who have been so important to their loved ones during the LEND Program experience. What might have been sad goodbyes at the end of the day were tempered by the knowledge that the trainees, faculty and mentors have only begun long lasting professional and personal relationships.

Congratulations to All!

View photos

Student Projects

Assistive Technology Program Development (PDF, 147 KB)
Diagnosis of Autism and ADHD in Children (PDF, 84 KB)
Newborn Screening (PDF, 119 KB)
Evaluating Services - Foster Care (PDF, 106 KB)
Follow-up of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (PDF, 65 KB)
Technical Assistance for Providers - Parents with Disabilities (PDF, 56 KBv
Two Year Medical Outcomes of Moderately Preterm Infants (PDF, 107 KB)

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