ECU’s Laupus Library celebrates more than 120 health sciences authors
More than 120 authors from across East Carolina University’s Health Sciences Campus were honored during Laupus Health Sciences Library’s 17th annual Health Sciences Author Recognition Awards on Nov. 8.
The event, which was held for second consecutive year in TowneBank Tower at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, celebrated the 265 peer-reviewed journal articles, 26 book chapters, and four editorially reviewed books that were authored by 124 ECU faculty and staff members between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. The authors hailed from ECU’s Brody School of Medicine, College of Allied Health Sciences, College of Nursing, School of Dental Medicine, Laupus Health Sciences Library and the College of Health and Human Performance.
Laupus Library Director Elizabeth Ketterman, left, presents medallions to book authors Dr. Hahan Elgendy from the ECU School of Dental Medicine, center, and Dr. Michael Waldrum, dean of ECU’s Brody School of Medicine and CEO of ECU Health. (Photos by Rob Spahr)
Work related to COVID-19 continued to have a strong showing in the author submissions, as approximately 12% of this year’s submissions addressed some aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those topics ranged from how that virus can be detected in air samples from HVAC systems to a study on vaccine hesitancy amongst Medicare recipients.
However, Laupus Library Director Elizabeth Ketterman said a prominent theme from the research published during the submission period continued to heavily reflect ECU’s service mission. Examples of these submissions included a literature review analyzing the gaps in health studies of seasonal farmworkers in the United States and an article out of the School of Dental Medicine on community/academic partnerships to improve the oral health of underserved schoolchildren in rural North Carolina.
“Our authors advance basic science research, clinical practice and theory, and pedagogy, and (advocate) for the common good of society in all of their fields through their dedication to scholarship,” Ketterman said. “As library director, an ECU health sciences employee, and a citizen of eastern North Carolina, I am so proud to work alongside our faculty researchers who are making such a positive contribution to the health and well-being of our community.”
During the ceremony, medallions were awarded to this year’s four book authors.
Dr. Hanan Elgendy, a clinical assistant professor in the School of Dental Medicine, wrote the book “How to Draw Teeth and Why It Matters” to help her students improve their clinical skills and creativity through drawing a lot of teeth.
“I was so honored to be recognized alongside my colleagues, especially after all of the hard work (to write the book),” Elgendy said. “My school is being very supportive to me, and they are very appreciative of the work we are doing here. So, I was very humbled and honored to be recognized here today.”
Dr. Michael Waldrum, the dean of the Brody School of Medicine and CEO of ECU Health, co-authored a second edition to the book “Operations Management in Healthcare: Strategy and Practice” about the strategic application of operations management principles to help make health care organizations successful.
“In health care, using operations management principles to improve the processes of health care is something that health care has been a bit behind in,” Waldrum said. “So, we felt there was a need (for this book), and the publisher did too, so we’re hopeful that people — primarily students who are learning about administration and operations in health care — can use it to further their knowledge.”
The Health Sciences Author Recognition Awards were created in 2005 to honor faculty and staff who have enriched the scholarly culture of the university and the reputation of ECU Health Sciences through publication of peer-reviewed works
“It is a great event because it is an opportunity for the academic community to come together to celebrate the achievements of all our faculty and staff in the different colleges and schools, the work they have put into their research and to recognize them and their accomplishments authoring articles, chapters or books,” Waldrum said. “It’s just really fun. And it’s important to them and it’s important to our colleges and schools.”
To view the complete lists of authors recognized this year, visit the library’s website.
Representatives from ECU’s College of Nursing and ECU Provost Dr. Robin Coger, far right, celebrate the college’s 26 authors who were honored during the 2022 Health Sciences Author Recognition Awards ceremony.