AU News
- President Greg Weiner Announces 2023 Presidential Award WinnersPresident Greg Weiner Announces 2023 Presidential Award Winners oe.boudreau Wed, 11/22/2023 - 08:55 For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Presidential Awards and Employee Appreciation Ceremony was held in the Tsotsis Family Academic Center Ballroom on November 16th. During the ceremony, four faculty and staff members were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Assumption community. President Greg Weiner opened the ceremony with a speech recognizing not only the hard work of those four individuals who received awards, but also the efforts of all faculty and staff that help to make Assumption thrive. “We acknowledge today and express our appreciation for those who have dedicated their careers to advancing our university’s mission and to providing an excellent education to our students,” he said. “Each honoree recognized this afternoon has not only contributed their time, but has also invested passion, expertise, and energy for the betterment of our community.” The winners of the Presidential Awards for 2023 are as follows: Dr. Samantha Goldman, Associate Professor of Special Education, has received the Paul Ziegler Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship. “Receiving this award is a huge honor, and it means so much to have my scholarly work recognized by the Assumption community,” said Goldman. “My research is focused on access to services for students with disabilities and their families, as well as teacher preparation/training. It is a great feeling to know that others also recognize and value the importance of this area of scholarship. I am extremely grateful to my colleagues in the Education department who nominated me, but also to all the students, families, and educators who have participated directly in my research.” Ms. Melanie Demarais, Associate Vice President of University Advancement, has received the Kathleen M. Murphy Presidential Award for Excellence in Contribution to the Mission. “I was very humbled when I got word that I was going to receive this award,” said Demarais. “I want to congratulate my fellow awardees, because I feel like I am in a very special class of individuals. I’d like to thank my nominators, and of course our University Advancement team. They are great. We are mighty, and we try to support this university as best we can. I want to thank the Assumptionist fathers, brothers, and religious sisters, and they are great friends of mine, and I do try to sparkle whenever I am with them.” Dr. Christian Williams, Assistant Professor of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies, has received the Michael O’Shea Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching. “I am filled with gratitude and reflection as I think about my time at Assumption. My journey within the Assumption community began many years ago, not as an educator, but as a student. Today as I share this space with my former professors, my esteemed colleagues, and my students, the future of this great institution, I am filled with gratitude,” Williams said. “This award is not just a recognition of my work. It symbolizes the collective effort of our community, in nurturing minds and in shaping futures. I thank Assumption University for shaping me as a student, for inspiring me as an educator, and for allowing me to honor and contribute to the journeys of our students. The shared mission of fostering a lifelong journey of learning, passion and purpose is what makes this institution extraordinary.” Mr. Thomas Burke, Media Services Supervisor and Lecturer in Television Arts, has received the Presidential Award for Service. “It is an honor to be recognized with the 2023 Presidential Award for Excellence in Service,” said Burke. “I sincerely appreciate the nomination along with endorsements received from colleagues, students, alumni, and the Assumption University community. I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support.” Along with these four honorees, faculty and staff were also honored with years of service awards, ranging in five-year increments from five to 50 years of service. One faculty member, Kevin Hickey, Chair of the Global Studies minor, was recognized for 50 years of service and employment at Assumption University. MicrosoftTeams-image (8).pngDr. Samantha Goldman, Dr. Christian Williams, Ms. Melanie Demarais, Mr. Tom Burke, and President Greg Weiner at the Presidential Awards ceremony.General Olivia Boudreau
- Students Dante Bachini ’24 and Katy Cannistraro ’24 Present Research at Annual National Organization for Human Services ConferenceStudents Dante Bachini ’24 and Katy Cannistraro ’24 Present Research at Annual National Organization for Human Services Conference oe.boudreau Tue, 11/21/2023 - 14:22 The National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) Conference was held in Alexandria, Virginia, from November 10th through 13th, and Assumption students Katy Cannistraro ’24 and Dante Bachini ’24 both attended and presented their research relating to the field of human services. In addition, Katy Cannistraro ’24 was awarded the NOHS Outstanding Human Services Student Award. NOHS is an organization with members involved in the human services as educators, professionals, practitioners, and students. The conference is held in order to connect those involved in the field to resources and conversations that will enrich their work. Workshops at the conference include research presentations, workshops on human services pedagogy, and best practices in the field. Many of the Assumption University faculty in the Human Services department are involved in the NOHS, including helping with the planning of the conference, as editorial members of the organization’s academic journal, and sitting on the Board of Directors. “We have great participation in the NOHS. We are represented on the Board of Directors, as editorial staff on the Journal of Human Services, and at the conference itself,” said Cinzia Pica, Chair of the Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies department. “I am so proud of our students who are being highlighted at the national level. It speaks to their strengths as well as to the quality education and preparation they are engaged in both in our department and across our institution.” “The conference is where everyone comes together and tries to look forward five years,” said Dante Bachini, a health sciences major with a focus on patient advocacy. “We ask questions like, ‘what are we doing now?’, ‘What’s the new research?’, ‘As a profession, are we moving forward to not only support our patients and clients, but each other?’, ‘How are we trying to maintain the highest ethical standards for our patients?’” Bachini gave a presentation at the conference on the interviewing methods used by primary care physicians and their patients with chronic illness. “In the chronic disease world, providers are unable to really get all the knowledge about what’s going on,” he said. “What we’re seeing is that the patient and provider are on separate thought processes and have different information understandings which create a large barrier to care.” Bachini’s work is focused on how an interdisciplinary approach between human services strategies and clinical strategies can be used in clinical spaces to promote patient wellness. “My research found that the human services field, though not focused on being a clinician, has key enduring strategies which promote the wellness of chronic disease patients,” he said. “These strategies include patients’ stories, their lived experience, and their knowledge into the picture. This informs the interventions the provider can use to create a better and more comprehensive care structure for their patients.” Katy Cannistraro, a human services and rehabilitation studies major, gave a presentation on the gender gap in mental health. “I started the research about a year ago in my psychiatric rehabilitation course,” she said. “I had noticed after looking at these mental illnesses that there was a recurring gap in the statistics between male and female prevalence rates. I wanted to figure out why this gap existed; my project looks at how gender roles affect our emotional expression and what we see as far as emotional disorders and help-seeking behaviors.” On top of presenting her research, Cannistraro was also presented with the NOHS Outstanding Human Services Student Award, which is presented to one student member of NOHS who has “demonstrated a significant contribution to the field of human services during the time of his or her degree completion,” according to the NOHS website. The student who receives this award also then serves as the student member of the NOHS Board of Directors.Katy Cannistraro '24 receives the NOHS Outstanding Human Services Student Award, with NOHS President James Stinchcomb and Professor Christian Williams. “By no means had I ever defined myself as an ‘outstanding student,’” she said. “Professor [Christian] Williams (of the Human Services department) helped me realize that it’s not necessarily about my GPA, but about all the other work I do outside of that. Oftentimes, we emphasize the importance of having a high GPA and I understand that, it’s super important, but I think there are so many different aspects to a person that make them, I guess, ‘outstanding’.” Along with her meaningful work on the gender gap in mental health services, Cannistraro is also a part of AU Allies, and has a large focus on advocating for students of the LGBTQ+ community on campus and has minors in both secondary education and women’s studies. Bachini and Cannistraro both highlighted how meaningful it is for them to be involved with the human services department at Assumption and how it has shaped them as individuals. “Not enough people know about the human services program,” said Cannistraro. “It has changed my life and the whole trajectory of what I want to pursue in the future. I am grateful for all of the professors…they’re extraordinary, and I don’t think they get recognized enough for all the hard work they do and their dedication to the students. It’s incredible.” “Our department makes you a unique candidate for grad school or the workforce because it blends together your strengths that you may not be aware of,” said Bachini. “It makes you want to reach out, makes you able to reach out, and I think that’s a really unique trait to our program and speaks volumes to the level and type of practitioner Assumption is creating.” Pica believes that the futures of the human services department at Assumption and the future of the field of human services itself are bright. “I’m thrilled because I see that we have several students who are both accomplished in terms of academics but also because of their service to our profession,” said Pica. “This emphasizes the quality of students and young, aspiring professionals that we have amongst our ranks.” NOHS-pic-katy-dante-large.jpgAssumption students Dante Bachini '24 and Katy Cannistraro '24 at the National Organization for Human Services Conference.General Olivia Boudreau
WHO News Updates
- WHO tobacco trends report: 1 in 5 adults still addicted to tobaccoThe world is smoking less, but the tobacco epidemic is far from over. A new WHO global report shows the number of tobacco users has dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Since 2010, the number of people using tobacco has dropped by 120 million – a 27% drop in relative terms. Yet, tobacco still hooks one in five adults worldwide, fuelling millions of preventable deaths every year. “Millions of people are stopping, or not taking up, tobacco use thanks to tobacco control efforts by countries around the world,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “In response to this strong progress, the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco control policies.” For the first time, WHO has estimated global e-cigarette use – and the numbers are alarming: more than 100 million people worldwide are now vaping. This includes: Adults: at least 86 million users, mostly in high-income countries. Adolescents: at least 15 million children (13–15 years) already using e-cigarettes. In countries with data, children are on average nine times more likely than adults to vape. The tobacco industry is introducing an incessant chain of new products and technologies for its aim to market tobacco addiction with not just cigarettes but also e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products among others, which all harm people’s health, and more worryingly the health of new generations, youth and adolescents. “E-cigarettes are fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction,” said Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention Department. “They are marketed as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.” More women are quitting tobacco than men While there has been a steady decline in tobacco use for both men and women across all age-groups during 2000–2024, women have been leading the charge to quit tobacco. They hit the global reduction target for 2025 five years early, reaching the 30% milestone back in 2020. Prevalence of tobacco use among women dropped from 11% in 2010 to just 6.6% in 2024, with the number of female tobacco users falling from 277 million in 2010 to 206 million in 2024. By contrast, men are not expected to reach the goal until 2031. Today, more than four out of five tobacco users worldwide are men, with just under 1 billion men still using tobacco. While prevalence among men has fallen from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024, the pace of change is too slow. Regional picture South-East Asia: Once the world’s hotspot, prevalence among men nearly halved – from 70% in 2000 to 37% in 2024. The Region alone accounts for over half of the global decline. Africa: Prevalence is the lowest of all regions at 9.5% in 2024, and the Region is on track to meet the 30% target. However, because of population growth, the absolute number of tobacco users continues to rise. Americas: The Region has achieved a 36% relative reduction, with prevalence dropping to 14% in 2024, though some countries still lack sufficient data. Europe: This is now the highest-prevalence Region globally, with 24.1% of adults using tobacco in 2024, with women in Europe having the highest global prevalence at 17.4%. Eastern Mediterranean: Prevalence is 18%, with tobacco use continuing to rise in some countries. Western Pacific: With 22.9% of adults using tobacco in 2024, down from 25.8% in 2010, the progress in this Region is the slowest. While women have low prevalence at 2.5%, men have the highest prevalence of all regions at 43.3%. Actions needed WHO is urging governments everywhere to step up tobacco control. This means fully implementing and enforcing the MPOWER package and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, closing loopholes that allow the tobacco and nicotine industries to target children, and regulating new nicotine products like e-cigarettes. It also means raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising, and expanding cessation services so that millions more people can quit. “Nearly 20% of adults people still use tobacco and nicotine products. We cannot let up now,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. “The world has made gains, but stronger, faster action is the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.” Note to editors Findings of the new report titled, “WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030” are based on 2034 national surveys, covering 97% of the global population. The data underpin global reporting on SDG Target 3.a and the WHO NCD Global Action Plan, which aimed for a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use by 2025. Current progress: 27% reduction, falling short by 50 million users.
- Global health agencies issue new recommendations to help end deaths from postpartum haemorrhageThrough landmark new guidelines released today, leading reproductive health agencies are calling for a major shift in how postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is prevented, diagnosed and treated. The recommendations highlight the urgent need for earlier detection and faster intervention – steps that could save the lives of tens of thousands of women each year. Defined as excessive bleeding after childbirth, PPH affects millions of women annually and causes nearly 45 000 deaths, making it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality globally. Even when not fatal, it can lead to lifelong physical and mental health impacts, from major organ damage to hysterectomies, anxiety and trauma. “Postpartum haemorrhage is the most dangerous childbirth complication since it can escalate with such alarming speed. While it is not always predictable, deaths are preventable with the right care,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. “These guidelines are designed to maximize impact where the burden is highest and resources are most limited – helping ensure more women survive childbirth and can return home safely to their families.” New diagnostic criteria for rapid action Published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the guidelines introduce new objective diagnostic criteria for detecting PPH, based on the largest study on the topic to date – also published today in The Lancet. Many PPH cases occur without identifiable risk factors, meaning early detection and rapid response is critical. Yet in many settings, especially where healthcare resources and labour wards are overstretched, delays in treatment result in devastating consequences. Typically, PPH has been diagnosed as a blood loss of 500 mL or more. Now, clinicians are also advised to act when the blood loss reaches 300 mL, and any abnormal vital signs have been observed. To diagnose PPH early, doctors and midwives are advised to monitor women closely after birth and use calibrated drapes – simple devices that collect and accurately quantify lost blood – so that they can act immediately when criteria are met. The guidelines recommend the immediate deployment of the MOTIVE bundle of actions once PPH has been diagnosed. This includes: Massage of the uterus; Oxytocic drugs to stimulate contractions; Tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce bleeding; Intravenous fluids; Vaginal and genital tract examination; and Escalation of care if bleeding persists. In rare cases where bleeding continues, the guidelines recommend effective interventions such as surgery or blood transfusion to safely stabilize a woman’s condition until further treatment becomes available. “Women affected by PPH need care that is fast, feasible, effective and drives progress towards eliminating PPH-related deaths,” said Professor Anne Beatrice Kihara, President of FIGO. “These guidelines take a proactive approach of readiness, recognition and response. They are designed to ensure real-world impact – empowering health workers to deliver the right care, at the right time, and in a wide range of contexts.” Reducing risks through effective prevention The guidelines emphasize the importance of good antenatal and postnatal care to mitigate critical risk factors such as anaemia, which is highly prevalent in low- and lower-middle income countries. Anaemia increases the likelihood of PPH and worsens outcomes if it occurs. Recommendations for anaemic mothers include daily oral iron and folate during pregnancy and intravenous iron transfusions when rapid correction is needed, including after PPH, or, if oral therapy fails. The publication also discourages unsafe practices such as routine episiotomies while promoting preventive techniques like perineal massage in late pregnancy, so as to reduce the likelihood of trauma and severe bleeding after birth. During the third stage of labour, the guidelines recommend administering a quality-assured uterotonic to support uterine contraction, preferably oxytocin or heat-stable carbetocin as an alternative. If intravenous options are not available and the cold chain is unreliable, misoprostol may be used as a last resort. “Midwives know first-hand how quickly postpartum haemorrhage can escalate and cost lives,” said Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE, ICM’s Chief Midwife. “These guidelines are a game-changer. But to end preventable deaths from PPH, we need more than evidence and protocols. We call on governments, health systems, donors, and partners to step up, adopt these recommendations, adopt them quickly, and invest in midwives and maternal care so that postpartum haemorrhage becomes a tragedy of the past.” The guidelines are accompanied by a suite of training and implementation resources, developed with partners including UNFPA. These tools consist of practical modules for frontline health workers, national-level guides for introducing new practices, and simulation-based training to strengthen emergency response. These consolidated guidelines – the first to uniquely focus on PPH – are being launched at the 2025 FIGO World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. They are a crucial step in the implementation of the Global roadmap to combat postpartum haemorrhage between 2023 and 2030. Notes for editors The guidelines contain 51 recommendations, drawing together existing and new evidence-based recommendations relevant to preventing, diagnosing and treating PPH. A new study from WHO and the UN Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP) on diagnostic accuracy of indicators of serious postpartum bleeding involving over 300 000 women across 23 countries was also published today in The Lancet: Gallos I, Williams CR, Price MJ, Tobias A, Devall A, Allotey J et al. Prognostic accuracy of clinical markers of postpartum bleeding in predicting maternal mortality or severe morbidity: a WHO individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet. 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01639-3). A commentary on the guidelines is also published today in the Lancet Global Health: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(25)00404-8/fulltext Funding for the guideline was provided through the Gates Foundation.