KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Three faculty members at A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) have been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor.

“A college or university is only as good as its faculty and staff,” said KCOM Dean Phil Slocum, D.O. “When faculty peers recognize a faculty member’s promotion, it is a very big deal. Each of these faculty members has contributed to advancing KCOM and ATSU’s mission. They are each appreciated for their achievements.”

Larry Ciesemier, D.O.

Larry Ciesemier, D.O., a 1997 graduate of KCOM, was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor in the Internal Medicine department. Dr. Ciesemier operates Kirksville Allergy and Asthma LLC, an allergy and asthma immunology private practice, and will graduate from the Missouri Sheriff Training Academy on December 3 when he will then serve as a reserve deputy officer with Adair County and the Kirksville Police Department.

“I am proud and honored to receive this promotion. As course director and chair of the department of internal medicine, I have and am striving to create a vibrant atmosphere of excellence for both students and faculty,” Dr. Ciesemier said.

Patricia Sexton, D.H.Ed., M.S.

Patricia Sexton, D.H.Ed., M.S., was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of Family Medicine, Community Medicine, Preventative Medicine. Dr. Sexton is also director of research at ATSU’s School of Health Management (SHM), teaching classes at both SHM and KCOM. Dr. Sexton has been a faculty member at ATSU for 21 years.

“I feel fortunate to work in the osteopathic profession, with the best and brightest students and committed colleagues. I will work to continue making relevant contributions to KCOM and to medical education nationally,” Dr. Sexton said.

Kelly Halma, D.O.

Kelly Halma, D.O., was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor in the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine department. Dr. Halma has been with the University since 2005.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the leadership and faculty for my work at ATSU-KCOM,” Dr. Halma said. “Training future physicians is a tremendous responsibility and one I take very seriously, as does everyone at ATSU. I am proud to be part of this important mission and part of this organization.”

President Magruder and new board member Ron Winkler

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The A.T. Still University (ATSU) Board of Trustees met October 17 in Kirksville, Mo., during Founder’s Day weekend for its quarterly meeting and elected its newest member, Ronald Winkler of Kirksville. Winkler is president of Winkler Communication Services, a telephone and fiber cable installation and repair company that has served northeast Missouri since 1991. Winkler will serve a three-year term. The board now has 17 members.

The board also made a number of other personnel changes, including saying goodbye to former chair Peter Detweiler, CEO of Alliant Bank in Kirksville, whose term expired, and re-electing members Cynthia Byler, D.O., of St. Louis, Mo.; Carl Bynum, D.O., M.P.H., of Warson Woods, Mo.; Manuel Bedoya, D.M.D., of Tucson, Ariz.; Clyde Evans, Ph.D., of Needham, Mass.; and John Robinson, of Phoenix, Ariz.

New officers were also appointed: Dr. Bynum as chair; Kenneth Jones, D.O., of Clinton, Mo., as vice chair; Dr. Byler as secretary; Robert Uhl, of Phoenix, Ariz., as finance committee chair; and Dr. Evans as chair of the education/research committee.

The next board meeting is scheduled for February 2010 in Mesa, Ariz.

Horton family celebrates alumnus during ATSU Founder’s Day

Robert L. Horton, D.O., '41

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. –  Robert L. Horton, D.O., a 1941 graduate of the Kirksville College of Osteopathy & Surgery (KCOS), now A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM), will always be remembered as a compassionate osteopathic physician, faithful husband, and loving father. His loved ones continue to honor his legacy with memorial gifts that can be found on ATSU’s Kirksville, Mo., campus.

Celebrating his legacy

On October 17, during ATSU’s Founder’s Day week, members of the Horton family gathered on campus to remember Dr. Horton, who died in December 1942. The reunion was a long time dream of Dr. Horton’s wife, Nellie (Horton) McCoy, age 90, a resident of Twin Pines nursing home. Her son, born in 1942, Robert L. Horton, Ph.D., travelled from Oregon and his son, Robert A. Horton, Ph.D., travelled from Wisconsin for the gathering.

While on campus, the family visited the Medicinal Garden at the Still National Osteopathic Museum to view a tree that the family donated in Dr. Horton’s memory and also spent time in Centennial Park admiring a newly engraved granite capstone dedicated in Dr. Horton’s honor.

About Dr. Horton

Dr. Horton left his home state of Ohio to follow a dream of becoming a doctor, seeking a professional career as his family before him had, dating back to the 1830s and continuing to this day through the Horton descendants. That dream brought him to medical school in Kirksville where he would meet his wife, Nellie Robertson of nearby Brashear, Mo. While attending KCOS he became a personal assistant to Charles Still, D.O., son of the college’s founder, Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D.O.

Upon graduation from KCOS, the Horton’s made their way to Climax Springs in the Ozarks of Missouri. With no other doctor for many miles, Dr. Horton established a clinic in his home and relied on Nellie to provide nursing support. Dr. Horton planned to establish a much needed local hospital before his untimely death just one year following his graduation from medical school.

Students enjoy participating in the ATSU's annual 5K run/1 mile walk on October 17

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Faculty, staff, students, alumni, family, and friends joined in celebration of A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) annual Founder’s Day Celebration, held October 15-17.

Festivities included the inaugural Tinning Founder’s Day Osteopathy lecture presented by Edward G. Stiles, D.O. “I was overwhelmed when I was selected to give this lecture,” Dr. Stiles said. “I enjoy teaching and have had a ball in my career. I hope the same for these students.”

President Jack Magruder led the annual graveside ceremony honoring University founder A.T. Still, M.D., D.O. The first memorial ceremony took place December 2, 1919, and each year a wreath is placed on his grave. “(Still was) humble, intellectual, and spiritual in his thinking. He had an honest desire and the competence to treat people and alleviate pain and suffering,” Magruder said. “He gave all he had, all the time. And people loved him for it.”

ATSU Board of Trustees Chair Pete Detweiler and President Magruder kicked off the all-campus meeting by discussing the University’s financial stability and growth during the economic downturn.

Associate Vice President of Admissions and Alumni Services Lori Haxton, M.A., recognized alumni from the classes of 1984 and 1959, awarding gold medallions and pins for 50th anniversary honorees.

School of Health Management (SHM) Interim Dean Kimberly O’Reilly, D.H.Ed., M.S.W., discussed SHM’s past, talked about the present, and outlined the future. She hopes to further develop SHM’s partnership with the A.T. Still Research Institute, is looking forward to other joint initiatives within the university, and moving each program within SHM toward further accreditation.

Closing out the meeting, Dean Philip Slocum, D.O., recognized Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) students and staff for their accomplishments, including the outstanding devotion KCOM students give towards community service. In the past year, students have given more than 1,000 volunteer hours to the City of Kirksville.

ATSU and the Still National Osteopathic Museum unveiled the Dr. Thomas Quinn, D.O., Reading Room, research center, and new artifact storage area. This marks the third museum move due to growth of the collection and helps to consolidate facilities for researchers and staff duties. Dr. Jamie Archer, Brit. Osteopath, of Ulna, England, signed over the first artifact to the museum’s new collection space— a hand built useable replica of Dr. Still’s treatment chair designed in the 1900s. Dr. Archer built two of the artifacts using Dr. Still’s notes, photographs, and references by significant D.O.s of the time. These are the only two devices known in existence. Dr. Archer later demonstrated the chairs use at the continuing medical education program on Saturday.

Friday night was filled with food and fun at Still-A-Bration 2009, where faculty, students, staff, family, and friends enjoyed games, food and dancing.

The annual 5K run/1 mile walk on Saturday capped the weekend’s festivities with more than 60 participants. Second-year KCOM student Tyler Hill took home the men’s 5K title with a time of 16:36. First-year student Cara Lucas led the women with a time of 23:48.

Two universities collaborate on inaugural research symposium

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – In an exciting new collaboration, the A.T. Still Research Institute (SRI) at A.T. Still University (ATSU) has partnered with Truman State University in Kirksville, MO., to host the first Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Symposium. The symposium, to be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., September 26, at ATSU’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM), will set the foundation for more interdisciplinary biomedical research between the ATSU and Truman campuses and beyond.

“The purpose of this event is to expand and support the research culture at both campuses,” said Neil Sargentini, Ph.D., microbiology/immunology chair at KCOM and chair of the symposium program committee. “Our goals are to identify new areas of biomedical research that potentially will lead to advances in total person healthcare and wellness and to identify local resources and opportunities for research.”

Symposium agenda

A full schedule of activities is slated for the symposium, including oral and poster presentations on research resources and accomplishments by ATSU and Truman faculty and students; panel discussions on human research, animal models, and student research opportunities; and a keynote presentation by President and CEO of Health Sciences South Carolina Jay Moskowitz, Ph.D.

Dr. Moskowitz will bring his vast experience in working through federal, state, and foundation systems to develop programs that facilitate research programs and careers of emerging basic science and physician investigators. He has served as a member of SRI’s External Board of Scientific Counselors since SRI’s inception in 2001.

“Because of his experience, Dr. Moskowitz will be able to present insightful information on how to link independent campus research and research groups into a collaborative research network,” said Brian Degenhardt, D.O., SRI director and assistant vice president for osteopathic research. “He will present the challenges and barriers that he has experienced in establishing research programs and what resolutions were developed to overcome these challenges.”

Biomedical research

Research topics to be covered at the symposium include a combination of observational, clinical, and mechanistic studies. These areas of focus were specifically chosen because they are strategic areas of research for SRI, are consistent with areas of research routinely supported at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and are fundamental to the scientific process.

“Observational studies, a subset of clinical studies, provide evidence to support broader, more rigorous and expensive prospective, randomized, and double blinded studies,” explained Dr. Degenhardt. “Clinical studies tend to have the greatest relevance for the practice of medicine although they can be more challenging to perform than research on animals. Mechanistic studies are necessary to advance the understanding of the physiologic mechanisms underlying the effects seen in clinical studies.”

Faculty and student researchers will present topics from these three areas at the symposium.

Importance of collaboration

Planning for the inaugural symposium began more than a year ago by a committee consisting of representatives from Truman, ATSU, and SRI. Facilitating a strong research environment is a priority at ATSU, particularly in areas that promote osteopathic principles, study the aging process, and that help people live healthier, longer lives.

“Both universities take this common goal seriously,” said Dr. Degenhardt. “This conference is intended to facilitate each campus’ research activity by identifying common areas of interest between professors with different yet complementary skill sets particularly in areas that have the potential of influencing future medical care.

“By partnering with other educational institutions such as Truman State University and providing a platform at a public event, we encourage researchers to present their research and to talk about research interests and resources,” he said.

The NIH has also recently made interdisciplinary research a priority. “Collaborative, interdisciplinary research expands the view of a single discipline to a broader, potentially more holistic view of the questions being asked within the scientific field,” said Dr. Sargentini. “Outcomes from this type of research should better support healthcare that is consistent with osteopathic principles.”

Looking to the future

The program committee anticipates establishing the symposium as an annual event to include both ATSU’s Missouri and Arizona campuses as well as Truman State University. So far, the committee has received interest from new and active faculty and student researchers.

“There is also the possibility, in a few years, of expanding the event to target a national researcher audience,” said Dr. Degenhardt. This means continuing to include other research institutions in the collaborative process.

To learn more about the symposium, visit www.atsu.edu/research/conferences_seminars.