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���ҹ�����'s College of Health Professions and Lienhard School of Nursing Clinical Associate Professor Maureen Cooney published, Assessment and Multimodal Management of Pain: An Integrative Approach, which she co-authored with Ann Quinlan-Colwell from NC. This book was recognized by the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) for the 2021 Book of the Year Awards for Med-Surgical Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing. CHP's Dr. Elsa Wuhrman also contributed her expertise and knowledge to the book by writing a chapter.

Through her full-time position at a major medical center as a Pain Management Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Cooney is aware of the knowledge gap that exists among many health care providers in pain care for people across their lifespan. She says, "There is not enough time in any basic professional educational program to provide the depth of content necessary to address patients' needs. There are many misconceptions held by patients and health care providers that interfere with appropriate pain care. The purpose of this book is to provide a resource for all health care providers to aid in filling the gap."

The writing process was a challenging yet rewarding journey for Dr. Cooney. She not only learned more about herself but also about the importance of an integrative approach to pain care. An unexpected obstacle for Dr. Cooney was working on her typing skills. "I never should have skipped that typing class in high school!" She also discovered having an interprofessional approach to pain care as professionals from other disciplines, including physical and occupational therapies and pharmacists, contributed to the book.

Dr. Cooney is hopeful that this book will inspire her current and future students. "Pain is far more than a number on a 0-10 numeric rating scale, and pain management is far more complex than simple medication administration."

"Pain is far more than a number on a 0-10 numeric rating scale, and pain management is far more complex than simple medication administration." - Dr. Cooney

Her dream is to motivate and influence others to learn more about pain management and recognize that this is a deep and rich area of specialization for health care providers. "I also hope that my current and future students would recognize that when they find their passion, spending time and energy exploring that area of passion is not work; it is an opportunity for personal and professional fulfillment," expressed Dr. Cooney.

Dr. Cooney is a three-time ���ҹ����� alum from the Lienhard School of Nursing, receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Additionally, she completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Cooney has been an adjunct faculty member in the Lienhard School of Nursing for 25 years, and for the past 20 years she has taught and supervised students in the FNP program. Dr. Cooney and Dr. Wuhrman are also Clinical Co-Coordinators for the FNP program.

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Dr. Cooney acknowledged that Dr. Wurhman was most instrumental in encouraging her to specialize in pain management. In her chapter, Dr. Wurhman focused on helping students to, "Understand that, as the American Society for Pain Management purports: every nurse is a pain management nurse." She hopes that this book exemplifies that principle by enabling nurses to gain confidence and apply their knowledge to all patients.

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Wellness Week is an annual initiative where ���ҹ����� students can join classes and utilize resources aimed at improving their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. From yoga and meditation classes, to relaxing artistic workshops, this year’s lineup of in-person and virtual offerings will empower you to take control of your wellness.

Self-Love and Body Positivity
Tuesday, February 22 | 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Join us for a beautiful, body positive experience. Learn to love your body through body affirming exercises, enjoy inspirational talks, and connect with other students. Light refreshments will be served.

Wake Up and Meditate with Greg Weil
Wednesday, February 23 | 10:00 a.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Open your mind and ground yourself with an early meditation experience, where you can learn strategies to practice mindfulness and self-care. Light refreshments will be served. Can’t make it in-person? Attend virtually via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 915 0441 1030
Passcode: mindful

Writing to Heal Workshop
Wednesday, February 23 | 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Unlock the power of writing to tap into deeper reflection, holistic healing, and richer self-expression. Light refreshments will be served. Can’t make it in-person? Attend virtually via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 995 2148 1046
Passcode: 587406

Glowing from the Inside Out: Nutrition for ���ҹ����� Wellness Week
Wednesday, February 23 | 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Two ���ҹ����� alumni from the NYC Campus, one a registered dietician and one a therapist, share simple steps to empower, motivate, and create self-sustaining, healthy eating patterns for those who have full schedules and a tight budget. Light refreshments will be served. Can’t make it in-person? Attend virtually via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 963 8502 5847
Passcode: GlowUp

Healing Through Creative Arts
Thursday, February 24 | 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Create cards of encouragement for others, de-stress with coloring and crafts, and practice guided gratitude exercises in this workshop geared toward healing. Light refreshments will be served.

Yoga Healing
Thursday, February 24 | 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Learn about benefits of yoga and foster a deeper mind-body connection. Can’t make it in-person? Attend virtually via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 954 8552 0549
Passcode: 946485

Yoga with Shannon Haick
Thursday, February 24 | 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
One ���ҹ����� Plaza, Student Center West
Relax with this engaging yoga and meditation class through deep breathing techniques and healing stretches. Yoga mats are provided for in person attendees, if needed. Can’t make it in-person? Attend virtually via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 954 8552 0549
Passcode: 946485

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PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Mr. and Mrs. Steven Rockefeller Jr., longtime residents of the Hudson Valley, philanthropists, and supporters of the arts, have donated a beautiful oil painting by a celebrated contemporary Chinese artist to ���ҹ�����.

The painting, entitled Sunflower by Huang Yue, will be on display in a secure location at ���ҹ�����’s Mortola Library. It was presented to President Marvin Krislov on Feb. 10, 2022 at The Choate Art Gallery on the Pleasantville campus.

“This fine contemporary Chinese oil painting is a wonderful addition to our collection,” said President Krislov. “We are grateful to Steven and Kimberly Rockefeller, appreciative of their philanthropic leadership throughout the region, and very ​pleased that our students will now have the chance to admire this fine artwork and learn about its significance.”

“Huang Yue’s Sunflower has brought years of joy to our offices and then in our home,” said Steven Rockefeller. “Kimberly and I are delighted that it can now shed its good fortune on those passing through the distinguished halls of ���ҹ�����.”

Huang Yue is an artist of international renown, in part, because of ways in which he depicts Chinese bird and flower motifs while fusing the ancient Chinese brush form that was developed hundreds of years ago with oil painting techniques, and blends influences from artists of the West.

The artist was born in Beijing in 1960 and graduated from the Beijing Film academy in 1982 with a degree in fine arts. He subsequently had an opportunity to continue his art studies in the United States. A selection of his paintings was exhibited in 2017 at the Grand Palais in Paris, which has a long and storied history of exhibiting artists such as van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet.

“This inspirational painting bridging Asian and Western European art traditions could not come to ���ҹ����� at a more meaningful time,” said Professor Kim de Beaumont, curator of the ���ҹ����� permanent art collection. “The picture's vibrant colors emerging from a somber background suggest a world that is gradually returning to life and hope. ���ҹ����� students--and the entire ���ҹ����� community--will have a chance to reflect on the poetic possibilities every time they emerge from the Mortola Library into the natural surroundings of the Pleasantville campus.”

About ���ҹ�����

���ҹ����� has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. ���ҹ����� is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, ���ҹ����� has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. ���ҹ����� has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. or on the ���ҹ����� News website

In celebration of Black History Month, we asked Dyson professors, whose specialties or areas of interest include Black or African American history, art, or culture, to share their thoughts on poignant moments, figures, and initiatives.

Tiffany Henley, PhD

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Assistant Professor of Public Administration

What improvements would you like to see in public policy as we continue to battle COVID-19?

COVID-19 has shed a light on existing health and social inequities among people of color, veterans, low-income earners, people with disabilities, and adults older than 65. We can achieve health equity through public policy by focusing on the social determinants of health. More specifically, we can move toward a more equitable society by allocating resources to established programs to train low-wage earners in high demand careers, expanding Medicaid in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion, addressing barriers to health care services related to cost, access, and quality of care, investing in mental health services through benefits and infrastructure, creating opportunities for affordable housing and home ownership, and eliminating systemic racism and discrimination.

Kiku Huckle, PhD

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Assistant Professor of Political Science
Co-founder of the Black Excellence Initiative

Why is it important to celebrate Black excellence?

There are many reasons to celebrate Black excellence. From a practical perspective, such recognition benefits us, as a society. This country has long ignored the brilliance, inventiveness, and significant contributions of Black individuals, thereby minimizing their potential for positive impact. By making a concerted effort to course correct this blind spot, we are better positioned to learn from and advance the progress begun by these individuals. From a normative perspective, the honoring of Black excellence is a positive way to counter problems that result from implicit bias and racism. This does not negate the need for policy responses to problems such as police brutality, housing discrimination, and disparities in healthcare and education. Instead, it acknowledges that the root cause of these issues can be attributed to the systemic denial of Black humanity. The celebration of Black Excellence challenges that narrative and creates space for a joyful recognition of Black accomplishment.

S. Brian Jones

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Assistant Dean of Diversity and Equity in the Arts

Tell us about an artist who inspired your activism.

“Good, better, best, never let them rest, until your good is better, and your better is your best!”

It is on the shoulders of my ancestors, who are a part of history both Black and American, I stand in my new role as Assistant Dean of Diversity and Equity in the Arts here at Dyson. First, I want to acknowledge, my great-great-great-great grandmother, , who was a slave and ran to her freedom at the age of 30 years old. In turn, she became an abolitionist, contributed to the Underground Railroad, was a well-respected restaurant owner in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and became known to the world not only for her world-famous taffy, but for her son, my great-great-great uncle, T. Morris Chester, a soldier in the civil war, who went on to be the first African-American in history to write as a correspondent for a major American newspaper, The Philadelphia Press. And, my great aunt, Leona K. Baylor, also a direct descendant of Jane Chester, was a respected educator in the City of Philadelphia. She and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about civil rights on his only visit to Philadelphia as seen in the photo below.

I write and activate my art through activism because it is in my blood! American history is Black history!

Durahn Taylor, PhD

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Associate Professor of History

What do you think has been the most defining moment in US history for Black Americans?

The defining moment was when the decision was made, during colonial times, to adopt African slavery as a labor force for producing agricultural goods, such as tobacco and later cotton. Despite emancipation and the later civil rights laws, we have been grappling with the legacy of this colonial decision ever since, because it supported two notions: the racist notion that people of African descent were somehow less deserving of basic human rights, and the notion that economic profit was more important than human lives. The struggle against those notions has shaped the Black American experience up to this day.

Melvin Williams, PhD

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Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

Who in media and/or communications has been or is your inspiration?

Dr. Joan Morgan is my greatest inspiration as a Hip Hop feminist and communication culturist. She is an award-winning author and the “Mother of Hip Hop Feminism,” whose groundbreaking text, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip Hop Feminist Breaks It Down, birthed a generation of Hip Hop feminist scholars in and outside of the academy. Coined by Dr. Morgan, Hip Hop feminism is concerned with cultural and feminist inquiries that examine issues rooted in the aesthetics and politics of Hip Hop culture. As a result of Dr. Morgan’s scholarship, I gained a greater understanding of the complexities of the lived experience of Black women, and the gendered and racialized oppression they face as they try to survive and thrive in Hip Hop’s intersectional, yet misogynistic space. Furthermore, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost prompted my creation of the COS 296B: Hip Hop Feminism and the Media course in the Department of Communication Studies.