Previous InFocus Health and Justice Events

Medieval and Modern Pestilence with Moravian University President, Dr. Bryon Grigsby

To access a recording of the event (transcript included), click here.

Moravian University President Bryon Grigsby discussed  his book, Pestilence in Medieval and Early Modern English Literature and how it related to this year's InFocus theme, health and justice. 

Visibility to Disability Justice: Body Possibilities & Intersectionality

To access a recording of the event, click here.

To access a transcript of the event, click here.

Laurie Kahn, Moravian University   Assistant Professor of Education, is organizing a panel discussion on disability justice and intersectionality.  This panel will also include Yosung Song, Assistant Professor of Education; Franca Roibal Fernandez, Assistant Professor of Spanish; and Monica Kaniamattam, Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology.

No Body is Expendable: Ableism, the Pandemic, and Medical Rationing

To access a recording of the event, click here. 

Dana Dunn, Department Chair and Professor of Psychology at Moravaian University has put together a thoughtful presentation to address the implications of “ableism” especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ableism entails prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors directed at disabled persons by nondisabled individuals. Very often ableism is expressed as a way to “fix” a disability or to make a person with a disability “more normal” or “normal” – that is, similar to a nondisabled person. Covid-19 put some, but not all, disabled people at higher risk for infection and complications. This talk will discuss everyday ableism and its link to the pandemic, as well as reactions and recommendations from the disability community and allies aimed at combating medical rationing and biased treatment.

• *Co-sponsored by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

Leroy Moore Jr. and the Krip-Hop Nation: Performance, Archive, and Activism : Krip-Hop Nation is a global platform and campaign organization that seeks to disseminate the histories, experiences, and talents of the disabled community. This talk will explore the foundations of that vision, while exploring how krip-hop builds upon the experiences of the disabled to launch an interrogation into hip-hop’s shortcomings.

To access a recording of the event, click here.

To access a transcript of the event, click here.

Improving the Lives of Women Experiencing Breast Cancer Panel Discussion. Reeve’s Library Director and InFocus Liaison Janet Ohles is spearheading a panel of women to speak about their experiences with breast cancer and their work to support women living with breast cancer. 

To access a recording of the event, click here. 

• Dr. Dina K. Rooney is a retired hematologist/oncologist who specialized in the treatment of breastcancers. She continues to support breast cancer patients in her retirement serving on the Board of and being a volunteer for Aunt Susie’s Breast Wellness Center in Canton, OH. https://www.auntsusies.org/
• Jeanine Patten-Coble is the founder and executive director of Little Pink Houses of Hope. Little Pink gives breast cancer patients and their families free week-long retreats. The retreats provide a unique, supportive environment that helps cancer patients and their families focus on strengthening relationships. The community of support in meeting others going through the same journey provide Little Pink Families with lasting friendships. http://Littlepink.org
• Terry Lynn Arnold is the founder and executive director of The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation. Named one of Houston’s most influential women of 2017, Terry works to fund research for IBC, a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer where the incidence is high in women under age 40 and for Black women. In addition to funding research, the Foundation is an active network in providing education about IBC to both the general public and the medical community. https://theibcnetwork.org/

​​​​​​InFocus/FYWS Kickoff Event

To access a recording of the event, click here.

Thanks to our University Newspaper, The Comenian, for their coverage of the event. Click here to access their article.

Bethany Hamilton is the co-Director of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP) at the Milken Institute School of Public Health. Hamilton has spent her career working at the intersection of health equity and social justice. She most recently served as Deputy Director, State Affairs at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), where she led projects focused on expanding Medicaid, defending the Affordable Care Act, and strengthening the ability of community health centers to carry out their mission. Hamilton is dedicated to leveraging her knowledge, leadership, and savvy to accelerate opportunities to improve the systems and policies that most affect health and well-being.

"The Cancer Journals Revisited" 

To access a recording of the talkback, click here.

#LOVEweshall: Christina Galbiati, a Moravian University adjunct professor of Graphic and Interactive design will lead a mural creation event to visually depict our InFocus theme this year. 

These murals are located on Main Campus in the Haupert Union Building and the entranceway to Payne Gallery on South Campus  respectively—be sure to check out these evocative and powerful pieces. 

Visit the Audre Lorde Display in Reeves Library (August through the end of September 2021)

Stop by the first floor of Reeves Library to view the Audre Lorde display curated by archivist Cory Dieterly.  The display includes Lorde's illness narrative, some of her poems and essays, and her self-described biomythography. Cory has also created an Audre Lorde LibGuide that can be accessed using the QR code in the display. 

The Voices of Survivors Project: Join Dr. Heather Evans, LCSW as she shares stories of hope and resilience. The Voices of Survivors Project is a platform for survivors of human sex trafficking or other forms of violence to express their lived experiences as survivors through photography. This event is sponsored by Moravian University’s Public Health Program.

Conversations about caregiving: Santo Marabella, Moravian University Professor of Management, will lead a lunchtime conversation about caregiving and its impact on our university community, including Allison Blechschmidt, the Director of Moravian University Counseling Center; Rosemarie Williams, the Assistant Director of the Counseling Center; and Paulette Dorney, Associate Professor of Nursing.

InFocus & Pedagogy: Integrating Health & Health Care into Your Courses

InFocus co-directors Belinda Waller-Peterson and Kimberly Wynarczuk in collaboration with engaged Moravian faculty will discuss how faculty have integrated InFocus into their courses in the past and possible future opportunities. This session is scheduled on October 28, 11:45am - 12:45pm.

Pandemic, Moral Injury, and Nursing: A Two-Part Roundtable" Moderated by Kin Cheung

• Part 1: Moral Injury, Compassion Fatigue, Healing and Resilience
  • Kelly Denton-Borhaug, John Mikovits, Pamela Adamshick, and Karen Groller
• Part 2: Impact on the Lives of Nurses and Nursing Faculty--Two Recent Faculty Publications
  • Colleen Payton, Paulette Dorney, Lori Hoffman, and Janice Farber