DCHS Students Recognized at SLU's Digital Senior Legacy Symposium

The Doisy College of Health Sciences (DCHS) was represented by 19 students across eight academic programs at the 2020 Saint Louis University (SLU) Senior Legacy Symposium. The Senior Legacy Symposium is SLU’s annual celebration of undergraduate scholarly work. Since 2008, the event has provided a platform for distinguished students from all majors to share their culminating academic achievements with the community.

The 2020 Senior Legacy Symposium was originally scheduled for April 28; however, prior to that date, SLU canceled on-campus events as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the work of these seniors was still recognized, the SLU Honors Program (which organizes the event) created a digital version of the symposium.

View Digital SLU Senior Legacy Symposium

Radiation Therapy senior Sara Paulson presented her research project Using Radium 223 to Increase Survival of Patients with Bone Metastasis from Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer. Paulson was both excited and surprised to learn her research would be included in the symposium.

“I was completely shocked to be invited to participate in the symposium. I have known about the Senior Legacy Symposium since my sophomore year and reading the research conducted by previous seniors has been very impressive,” Paulson said. “Being chose from my class was an amazing honor and one of my greatest accomplishments of my college career.”

The students invited to the Senior Legacy Symposium have all worked diligently to create their projects. In addition, many of these students also had guidance from faculty mentors that helped them achieve their goals. Health Sciences senior Sydney Wade explained how one faculty member in particular helped her and her classmate Abigail Staunton complete their legacy project: Factors Associated with Non-Medical Adderall Use in College Students.

“Dr. Elaina Osterbur was incredibly helpful when it came to completing this project. She made sure we stayed on track and was constantly review our written work to make sure that it was the best that it could be. We could not have done it without her help,” Wade said.

DCHS Dean Mardell Wilson, Ed.D, RD, LDN, celebrated the students who were invited to participate in SLU’s Senior Legacy Symposium.

“I’m very proud of the impressive work demonstrated by DCHS students that is on display at the digital Senior Legacy Symposium. Only an exclusive number of students are chosen for this honor. Just being selected is a true testament to our students’ hard work and the dedicated support of their faculty advisors,” Dr. Wilson said.

Dr. Wilson went on to praise the efforts of individuals at the university who worked to ensure that they symposium could still happen after on-campus events were suspended.

“In addition, I would like to commend the University Honors Program for working to move this event online and ensure these impressive projects could still be recognized as we were required to close out the semester at a distance from each other. Congratulations to everyone for their tremendous efforts,” Dr. Wilson said.

DCHS Students Recognized

Athletic Training
·         Kate Perko

Communication Sciences and Disorders
·         Erin Losin
·         Natalie Seidl
·         Megan Ward

Health Sciences
·         Julia Griffin
·         Abigail Staunton
·         Sydney Wade

Investigative and Medical Sciences
·         Noah Gistover
·         Vishnu Kaverimanian

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
·         Dilinigeer Kurexi

Nuclear Medicine Technology
·  Susan Bjork
·  Aida Cesko
·  Anna Grubmuller

Nutrition and Dietetics
·         Lissane Kafie
·         Amy San
·         Karly Wilson

Radiation Therapy
·         Sara Paulson
·         Sharyl Payne
·         Melissa Struttman

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of nearly 13,000 students on two campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of more than 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.