Alumna Finds Fulfillment Working with "Intrepid" VA Amputees

Vanlandingham working with a patient at the Center for the Intrepid.

One graduate of BW's School of Health, Physical Education and Sport Sciences is putting her education to work for "intrepid" amputees who are determined to resume a robust, active lifestyle.

Alumna Alicia White Vanlandingham '04 currently works as a physical therapist for active duty service members and veterans with amputations at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas.

Before their injuries, Vanlandingham's patients were in the best physical conditions of their lives. At the Center for the Intrepid, they push themselves beyond day-to-day functionality, beyond just walking with a prosthesis. By using a sports medicine approach, Vanlandingham tells us she is able to help patients participate in rigorous activities again like "hiking, biking, running, swimming, and jumping out of planes!"

"Because of the guidance and education I received during my time at BW, I am able to confidently help these service members as they recover from life altering injuries," Vanlandingham tells us.

At BW, Vanlandingham earned her undergraduate degree with a double major in Athletic Training and Pre Physical Therapy. Reflecting upon her BW education, she says, "The staff at BW led by example and my classmates became a supportive team. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of the foundation which they provided."

Vanlandingham went on from BW to earn a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Miami and has worked as an adjunct professor at Baylor University and Texas State.

Sport Management Prof Featured in Ranking of Best Fan Cities

Dr. Charles Campisi (center) interviewed earlier this year about a BW sport
management majors trip to work the Super Bowl.

Cleveland is a home for die-hard sports fans from the Cavaliers "all in" believers to the Browns' Dawg Pound. So, when a new survey by WalletHub ranked Cleveland 19th overall best city for sports fans, and highest ranked city in Ohio, the site turned to BW Sport Management professor Charles Campisi to get inside the city's fan culture.

"Being completely irrational is what makes a good sports fan, or at least a loyal one," Campisi told WalletHub.

Campisi also weighed in on the rankings in a follow-up interview with The Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com, noting that a team’s performance does not always correlate with passion from the fan base, especially in the case of the Cleveland Browns. Although the Browns have not always performed on the field, the long-suffering fans remain loyal.

Campisi says his BW sport management majors benefit from living and going to school in top-20 city for sport fans, with access to high profile games, internship opportunities, and a network of industry professionals.

Pre-Physical Therapy Major has High-Flying Internship Overseas

Levin (bottom) skydiving over the coast of Israel. 

As college students, many of us spend our summers building our resumes through internships and volunteer opportunities. Jon Levin '17 is spending his summer doing just that, but with a major plot twist. Levin's internship is in Bnei Brak, Israel.

The pre-physical therapy and exercise science major is interning as an assistant to the physical therapists at Ateret Rimonim, a retirement home, located in Bnei Brak. The eight week internship has included working with patients on motor functions, occupational therapy activities and daily exercises. Although he is not licensed to lead physical therapy by himself, Levin is able to assist with small physical therapy exercises and activities under supervision.

Representing Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity at The Kotel in Jerusalem

Levin and his fellow interns use their days off to travel around Israel. He's had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem and the City of David, repel down a 164-foot cliff in Tel Aviv and, his favorite experience: skydiving over the coast of Israel (see photo!). At 11,000 feet above the coast, he was able to see some incredible views of both Israel and Lebanon.

The Olmsted Falls native tells us that his time in Israel has exceeded his expectations. "I am loving being in Israel for the summer and the experiences that I have had are ones that cannot be replicated in the States."

Levin heard about this opportunity through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, and competed to land the internship in an extensive interview process. The effort, he says,  has proved to be completely worth it!

Alumnus Joins WNBA Coaching Staff

Photo courtesy of the LA Sparks' Facebook page. 

Two time WNBA champions, the Los Angeles Sparks have added Baldwin Wallace alumnus Curt Miller '90 to the coaching staff as professional women's basketball sees action for a the 2015 season which runs through September.

Miller, a 2015 Alumni Merit Award Winner, earned his BA in health and physical education and business administration. Early in his coaching career, he coached collegiate women's basketball teams at Colorado State, Cleveland State and Syracuse. Miller spent 11 seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green State University and most recently spent two years as head coach at Indiana University. 

Off of the court, Miller has served on the Women's Basketball Coach's Association Board of Directors, the NCAA Women's Basketball National Rules Committee and was chair of the Women's Basketball Coach's Association Russell National Coach of the Year committee. During his time at BGSU, Miller lead his team to eight Mid-American Conference titles and was named MAC Coach of the Year six times. 

Miller joins the WNBA's winningest head coach, Brian Agler, in leading the Sparks.

BW Alum, Student Capture Top Spots in Pitch Contest

Pitch winners included Tessa Louche (right) and Shanina Knighton (middle)

A BW graduate and current student were holding the "big check" at the end of the night as the first and second place winners of Blackstone LaunchPad and Bad Girl Ventures inaugural Pitch Night for Female Collegiate Entrepreneurs. Tessa Louche ‘17, a marketing major from Parma, finished second, while the contest winner was BW sports medicine alum Shanina Knighton ’06, now a graduate student at Case Western Reserve University and co-founder of healthcare startup RKN.

The evening of female mentoring and networking, and first ever #GirlPower Pitch Night was a collaboration by all four Northeast Ohio Blackstone LaunchPad programs—Baldwin Wallace, Case Western, Kent State and Lorain County Community College—and Bad Girl Ventures (BGV).

"At BW’s Blackstone LaunchPad program, we promote female entrepreneurship because it’s good for our students – both in terms of education and opportunity,’ said Mike Nock, Director of BW’s Blackstone LaunchPad. ‘AND because Northeast Ohio would benefit tremendously from an increase in women in leadership roles, specifically running businesses and non-profits.”

The event took place at TOAST, a local restaurant founded by BGV alum, Jillian Davis, who also served as one of judges, and was one of several BW events marking Global Entrepreneurship Week.

An Innovation Summit at BW's Center for Innovation and Growth (CIG) was the highlight of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The event featured five Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winners or nominees.

BW Grad Kicks Career up a Notch with the Cleveland Browns

Corey Kinder '12

BW Sports Management alumnus, Corey Kinder '12, is tackling a new career as Coordinator of Fan Experience for our very own, Cleveland Browns. Kinder overseas the Browns Backers and assists with non-football gameday elements including the National Anthem, mascot preparation, banners, and half-time entertainment.

Kinder says his aspiration to pursue a career in the sports industry surprisingly developed from his role as a manager for the Donato's pizza chain, while he attended community college. Realizing that he had the potential to manage and market a business, Kinder volunteered at a Cleveland Cavaliers game to gain experience in the field he really desired. He was later invited to work for the "Cavs Crew," a promotional team providing entertainment during games, and enrolled at BW that same year, to pursue a degree in sport management.

Kinder (right) standing with Brown's Director of Fan Experience and
Special Events, Carlos Oseguera (left) during rehearsals

Kinder expressed gratitude for the mentoring he received from BW professors,  and also credits the Sports Management Club for shaping his career and helping him secure a 2011 internship with the Cleveland Gladiators which, in turn, helped him land his current job.

Kinder's professional development also included a stint with the Cleveland Indians as a costumed character, which, he says, taught him the value of fan entertainment.


Kinder's advice for students who also hope to work in the sports industry? "Network, network, network."

BW Professor Honored for Impact on the LGBT Community

Dr. Swagata Banik director of BW's public health program received recognition for "creating impactful, long-lasting change" in the LGBT community in the Cleveland area.

In celebration of National LGBT History Month, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Community Relations Board, and the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland honored Dr. Banik and three other leaders at the Sixth Annual Heritage Day at Cleveland City Hall this week. The event featured Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson and Councilman Joe Cimperman.

Dr. Banik was recognized for his contributions to the betterment of the LGBT community in the area of Education & Social Services. His current research focuses on individual and environmental factors related to HIV health disparity in the United States and in India. Dr. Banik is the principle investigator on a National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded research grant on "IV Stigma Reduction among Health Care Providers."

BW Senior Earns National Scholarship and Leadership Award

Recognition times two for Tianna Cobb ’15! The BW senior recently earned a UPS Foundation, Inc. Scholarship through the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE) and also received the Bobby Gunn Leadership Award from the National Athletic Training Association this summer.

The 2009 graduate of Jefferson County Christian School is double-majoring in pre-physical therapy and athletic training with a minor in biology.

Cobb is involved in many organizations on BW’s campus, including membership in the Pre-Physical Therapy and Exercise Science Student Organization and service on the student advisory board for BW's School of Health, Physical Education and Sports Sciences. She also serves as the secretary for the Collegiate Organization for Athletic Student Trainers (COAST) and is a Student Ambassador for the university.

After graduation, Cobb plans to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy with an ultimate career goal of becoming an athletic trainer for an NFL team.

Faculty-Student Research Delves into Affordable Care Act

According to the findings of a BW student-faculty research project, only about 40 percent of young people say they know anything at all about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (also known as "ObamaCare"). Senior Jesper Zuber partnered with Dr. Dr. Emilia Lombardi, assistant professor of Health & Physical Education, for her project, "Young Adults and their Beliefs about the Affordable Care Act, "as a part of BW’s Faculty-Student Collaboration Program.

As a part of their study, Jesper and Dr. Lombardi collected an internet-based convenience sample of nearly 100 young people between the ages of 18 and 32, asking about their current and future health insurance status, and their attitudes and opinions about the new health care law.

Based on their findings, the BW researchers recommend that greater resources and easy to understand information be made available to young people. Zuber presented the results of her study at Ovation.

Zuber said “The faculty-student collaboration has been a liberating experience for me. I gained a different perspective on myself as a student and a professional. It helped to enhanced my problem solving skills and gave me a greater ability to work under pressure."

BW Summer Camps Prepare Younger Students for Success

Every summer, BW hosts camps for students of all ages to help them find success in different areas.

For a traditional summer camp experience, students can try the Youth Adventure Sport Camp and enjoy a variety of activities, from kayaking and survival skills to yoga and ultimate frisbee.

To boost brainpower over the summer, the Gedanken Problem-Solving Institute is a week long camp that uses fun activities to encourage tweens and teens to get creative and develop critical thinking skills. The new Experience Honors Summer Camp is designed for high school students to help empower them during the college application process and allow them to sample different academic subjects.
 

Students that want to focus on one sport, there are plenty of options to choose from: Football Camp, Boys and Girls Basketball Camps, a Girl's College Prep Soccer Camp, and even more options for different sports interests and skill levels. 

BW has an extensive list of Conservatory programs. Camps range from piano to percussion, with a Musical Theater program for high school juniors preparing to audition for colleges, to an adult camp for Music Teaching and Learning.

A complete list of Baldwin Wallace Summer camps can be found here.

BW Sport Management Students Shatter Records

Top ticket seller Joseph Williamson '15

The 2014 Spring BW Sport Management Capstone class shattered the record for most tickets sold and revenue generated for the Cleveland Indians Collegiate Tickets Sales program in their first year of participation.

The Capstone class sold 1,225 tickets and generated $20,154 in revenue, more than doubling the previous record of 545 tickets sold. The class bettered eight other schools, raising twice as much as their nearest scholastic competitor, University of Findlay.

The four class leaders who sold the most tickets - Joseph Williamson '15, Kevin Moriarity-Napoli '14, Nick Ksenich '14, and Paul Liotta '14 - earned the opportunity to present their sales tactics to a panel of Indians front office executives and to attend Saturday's home game as guests of the team.

Williamson, the individual sales leader who sold 366 tickets and raised $6,584 in revenue by himself, had what he termed "the great honor" of pitching the first ball at Saturday's Indians game. Also, he will have the opportunity to interview for a position with the Cleveland Indians and will receive four club level seats to an Indians game of his choosing.

Athletic Training Alumnus featured in Apple iPad Campaign

BW Alumnus Jason Cruickshank '98 finds himself in the spotlight alongside local St. Edwards hockey player Mike Duffy in Apple's new "Your Verse" campaign for the iPad 2.

The two are quoted in an Apple testimonial highlighting The Cleveland Clinic's C3 Logix app which aids in measuring and detecting concussions in athletes. Cruikshank, a former Assistant Athletic Trainer for BW, shared his experience using the app in his current role as an Athletic Trainer for the Clinic. "In the past, evaluating a concussed athlete involved a lot of guesswork. iPad and the C3 Logix app have taken that subjectivity out of the process."

The Apple campaign that placed The Clinic and Northeast Ohio athletic programs on the technology map also resulted in a story on the front page of The Plain Dealer.

BW Alumnus Earns Event Planning Award

BW Sport Management alumnus Kevin Grissinger ’11 received the Corporate Event Planner Rising Star of the Year Award at Cleveland Business Connects 7th Annual Connectors’ Choice Awards.

Grissinger planned his first corporate event in 2013 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where he was an intern. From there, Grissinger leaped from function to function while representing organizations like the Cleveland Foodbank, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Every time I was introduced to someone,” Grissinger says, “they would tell me they were so glad the position was filled and that I was being thrown in the fire. That did not bother me at all because I believe that learning on the fly is the best way to learn.”

Alumni Keep Players Healthy for Return of America’s Pastime

As BW waves goodbye to winter and welcomes the long-awaited spring, we look forward to melting snow, rising temperatures and baseball.

With Opening Day fast approaching, did you know that that four graduates of BW's Athletic Training Program are hard at work keeping Major League Baseball players healthy and ready to chase a playoff spot? They are:

• George Poulis ’88, Head Athletic Trainer for the Toronto Blue Jays
•  Rick Jameyson ’92, Head Athletic Trainer for the Boston Red Sox
•  Nick Paperesta ’94, Head Athletic Trainer for the Oakland A’s
•  Brad Epstein ’05, Rehabilitation Coordinator for the Cincinnati Reds

We wish our alumni good luck with their respective teams...and add an enthusiastic, Go Tribe!

Professor Earns National Athletic Trainer Service Award

Dr. Jessica Emlich Jochum, a BW professor in the Athletic Training Education Program, will be honored with the 2014 Athletic Trainer Service Award by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) for her dedication to local and state athletic training associations.

With experience as an athletic trainer in colleges, schools, and hospitals, Dr. Jochum's service and commitment has gained her respect from peers, as well as this prestigious national award recognizing her years of service to NATA and athletic training profession. The award will be presented at the 2014 NATA Convention in Indianapolis in June.

Yellow Jackets Gain Super Experience

Students interviewed for WEWS-TV 5

Twenty-two BW students traveled to New Jersey to work Super Bowl XLVIII over the weekend. BW professors Charles Campisi and Alvy Styles lead the group of BW Sport Management majors to the Metlife Stadium and Izod Center to do paid hospitality and guest relations tasks for the NFL mega-event.

Before they left town, the students also were featured in news reports on Channel 5, 8 and 19. For the complete story, you can visit this BW news page.