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  Bright Lights, Shining Stars Gala

SUPPORTING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS & RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY LEADERS 

Saturday, October 16th, in the Sahuaro Courtyard,  Midwestern University 

Photos By Ed and Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet - Ptrlim. Article Composited From MWU Materials

   2010 Comet Award

THE COMET AWARD: Midwestern University and the City of Glendale established the COMET Award (Community Outreach: Motivating Excellence for Tomorrow) in 1999 to recognize outstanding individuals who have shown exemplary commitment to community service.

Dr. Paul Steingard has dedicated his career to helping others. As a board certified osteopathic physician, he has provided medical care for thousands of Phoenix families and athletes since moving to Arizona in 1962. From 1968 to 1991, he served as the Team Physician for the

Phoenix Suns, where he brought lasting credibility to the world of sports medicine and formed relationships in the sports world that continue today in his role as Team Physician Emeritus.

In 1992, he founded the TOPS (Team of Physicians for Students) program to give back to the community. In partnership with the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA), Midwestern University,

the Arizona Heart Institute, and other community associations, TOPS now provide free sports screenings for over 3000 high school and college athletes each year, including free EKGs and echo cardiograms to detect potential heart problems. "If we save one life or help one child have a healthier future, we will have succeeded in our goal,"' says Dr. Steingard.

Throughout his medical career, Dr. Steingard has now performed more than 100,000 sports physicals. He has worked as team physician for the Phoenix Roadrunners Hockey Team, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix College, numerous Phoenix area high schools, and the Kenyan team in the 1984 Olympics.

In addition, Dr. Steingard has served on the Board of Trustees for Midwestern University since 1997, and has been a friend and supporter of the University since it opened in Glendale in 1996.

Dr. Steingard is a Fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine, and has received numerous accolades, including the Local Distinguished Arizonan Award from the Valley of the Sun Chapter of the National Football Foundation, the Hon Kachina award for volunteerism, the Irv Vennik Distinguished Service Award from the NBA Physicians Group, and the 2005 Physician of the Year Award from AOMA. He has published numerous scientific articles and authored 45 articles for a sports medicine column in the Arizona Republic.

Dr. Steingard completed his undergraduate work at Penn State University and attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.

Midwestern University and the City of Glendale are pleased to recognize Dr. Steingard as an outstanding example of service and leadership in the community.

PAUL M. STEINGARD, D.O. Steingard Medical Group, Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President& Chief Executive Officer, Midwestern University, and Glendale Vice Mayor Steve Frate. - Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet.

  2010 Shooting Star Award

Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President& Chief Executive Officer, Midwestern University, Shooting Star Award winner - Enid Blue Spear, Arts Commissioner, City of Glendale And Glendale Vice Mayor Steve Frate. - Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet.

The Spirit of Service scholarship program recognizes outstanding Midwestern University students based on community service, leadership abilities, academic standing, and financial need. Five scholarships were awarded for the 2010-2011 academic year to students representing three of the University's colleges.

Left to Right - 

PAMELA SIMMONS, a third-year student in the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, believes that "education is powerful ... and there are people just outside our doors that need our help,"' She also believes she can help answer those needs. Over the past two years, she has donated hundreds of hours for Habitat for Humanity, the American Lung Association, Maggie's Place, St. Mary's Food Bank, and the United Methodist Outreach Mission  (UMOM), which she says has forever changed her. A homeless shelter in downtown Phoenix, UMOM is one of three sites served by the Midwestern University Health Outreach through Medicine and Education program. Last year, Pamela served as the Health Education Coordinator for the program, and created a prenatal care class at UMOM. The class has evolved into a weekly support system for expectant mothers, and she has truly enjoyed serving these women and providing classes on nutrition, home safety, smoking cessation, and more. She says, "I feel that I have represented Midwestern University to the absolute best of my abilities, and one of my greatest accomplishments is creating a program that is of need and is sustainable."

JOELLE RADOSEVICH, a second-year student in the College of Pharmacy-Glendale, believes that "we all have a choice in life: to do the right thing or do the easy thing," She says that community service provides people with the tools to do the right thing, and she lives this philosophy by example. For nine years,　Joelle has spent Saturdays volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, building 12 homes for deserving families and serving as team leader. Now that she's in pharmacy school, she says Midwestern University has taught her that education isn't about retaining knowledge for her own use, but rather to help others. She is excited to be utilizing her new knowledge as a medical volunteer for the PF Chang Rock n' Roll Marathon, where she has progressed from assembling ice packs to triaging runners as part of an interdisciplinary team. She is also very enthusiastic about her volunteer work with Midwestern University's Health Outreach through Medical Education (HOME) project, through which she provides patient education and screenings at a local homeless shelter. All of these projects exemplify her passion for service and her desire for a deepened connection with the community.

ERIC HUISH, a third-year student in the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, has been actively involved not only in service activities but also in teaching, advocacy, research, publication, and leadership during his first two years at AZCOM. He has volunteered on campus with the TOPS free physicals program for high school students, the Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona Buddy Walk, and as Treasurer of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association, as well as teaching health lessons at a local elementary school. He also serves as a teaching assistant in the anatomy lab for both dental and physician assistant students. In addition, his great interest in surgery led him to found and serve as president of a new AZCOM chapter of the Student American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, which now boasts over 50 members and has received national recognition. Eric says he has always enjoyed helping others, and that each new service experience helps him develop stronger leadership and service attributes. He especially enjoys using the new knowledge he has gained as a medical student, and recently put these skills to use working with a medical team in Haiti, where he helped to triage patients, apply casts, treat infections, and even assist with life-saving surgeries.

KATHLEEN H. GOEPPINGER, Ph.D., President& Chief Executive Officer, Midwestern University,

TANYA LISKO, a second-year student in the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, discovered her passion for community service in middle school when she volunteered as a Taekwondo instructor to help teach lower-belt classes. Her excitement about volunteering continued throughout high school, when she served leadership roles in student council, a Medical Explorers program, and as a volunteer sailing instructor for kids. Later, her enthusiasm turned to healthcare, and she began volunteering as a Certified Nursing Assistant, as Secretary-Treasurer of the pre-medical club, and as a 500-hour assistant for a Stanford University study exploring the physiological and psychological effects of Turner Syndrome. Her time at Midwestern University has continued along the path of health care service. She has volunteered at numerous health fairs, fundraising walks, and community events such as the TOPS free physicals and the Walk for Diabetes; assisted at local clinics and provided free physicals for minor league baseball players; and served as Chair of the Cuts for Kids donor committee. She is the current American Medical Student Association Treasurer as well as the Cardiology Club President, and plans to coordinate even more service events this year and encourage fellow students to do the same. She has truly earned her reputation as an outstanding service leader.

BRENT WOODMANSEE, a third-year student in the College of Dental Medicine Arizona, realized when he started dental school that he could utilize his growing skills to impact his peers and the community. He has devoted many hours to organizing dental outreach projects and raising money for dental care for underprivileged kids. He was also one of the founders of the American Student Dental Association Midwestern Clinical Simulation Course, which has provided 259 college students an opportunity to explore careers in dentistry. Dental students have volunteered over 2300 hours for this project, and as the current President of the American Student Dental Association, Brent worked with his team to delegate $10,000 of the funds raised toward treating underprivileged patients in the coming year. They also donated $1,000 to provide two scholarships for Midwestern University dental students who have demonstrated leadership and service. In addition to his work with elementary and college students, Brent has volunteered for the TOPS free physicals program and Cuts for Kids. As a recognized leader, he was recently invited to speak to the incoming dental student class on leadership, service, ethics, and professionalism.

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Coming up -  The unveiling of the new Chapel....Exclusive Interviews with the Stained Glass Artists and others!