A BOLD VISION: BUILDING IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES P10
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A BOLD VISION: BUILDING IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES P10
SPRING 2021 • Volume 37 Issue 1
Message from the President
Gratitude and Hope Abound
A
s you receive this edition of Creighton magazine,
there is a sense of expectancy that life is returning
somewhat to “normal,” thanks to progress against
the COVID-19 virus.
I am thankful that COVID-19 cases on campus
have remained low, and I am optimistic that trend
will continue. We will offer in-person and online
classes, per usual, for the summer term, and return to in-person learning
again in the fall. We will continue to be vigilant with our precautions and
pivot to more stringent restrictions if necessary.
Since early February, we have been partnering with the Douglas County
Health Department to host a community COVID-19 vaccine clinic at our
Rasmussen Center. Student, faculty, staff, and alumni volunteers have
been vaccinating several thousand people each Saturday. The professional
experience and sense of mission this opportunity provides, especially to
our health sciences students, is incalculable.
CREIGHTON ATHLETICS
In light of progress made mitigating the virus within the Creighton community, we decided Follow me:
to hold limited in-person commencement, baccalaureate Mass, and professional school hood-
@CreightonPres
ing ceremonies May 13-15. I was pleased to announce Richard Frank as our commencement
CreightonPresident
speaker, who has a distinguished career in international finance, including serving as managing
director of the World Bank Group and CFO of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Our men’s basketball team’s thrilling run to the Sweet 16 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament,
our women’s team’s upset win over Bowling Green in the WNIT, and volleyball’s sixth
BIG EAST Tournament title in the last seven years were all impressive. Congratulations to
our student-athletes and coaches.
Our cover story highlights the new CL Werner Center for Health Sciences Education,
expected to open in fall 2023. Announced earlier this year, the CL Werner Center will be the
new home of the School of Medicine and will include shared spaces for each of the University’s
health sciences schools and colleges to further Creighton’s interdisciplinary approach to
health professions education.
News of the CL Werner Center follows other exciting developments in the health sciences,
including the $25 million anonymous foundation gift to establish the Arrupe Global Scholars
and Partnerships Program; our on-target plans to open our nearly $100 million health sciences
campus in Phoenix in the fall; and the largest NIH grant ever awarded to Creighton, granted
to our research center dedicated to preserving or restoring hearing loss.
Importantly, we continue to move forward in our work on diversity and inclusion. I am
pleased that Sarah Walker, PhD, associate professor in the Heider College of Business, has
agreed to serve as interim vice provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion as we begin
a national search to replace Christopher Whitt, PhD, who accepted a position at another
Above, Creighton university. We are planning a comprehensive climate survey in the fall to assess our campus
senior Denzel and ensure we foster a community that respects individual needs, abilities, and potential. We
Mahoney goes up
for a shot during are pursuing multiple other ways to develop into an anti-racist institution, including work-
the Men’s NCAA ing with Black Creighton alumni groups, the Jesuit Descendants Truth and Reconciliation
Tournament game vs.
Ohio University. The Foundation, and the President’s Inclusive Excellence Council, as well as starting a program
Bluejays won the game for campus leaders through the Racial Equity Institute. We are deeply committed to truly
72-58, advancing to the
Sweet 16. Below, the being a welcoming and nurturing environment for all.
Creighton volleyball May God’s blessings be with you and yours, and best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer.
STEVE BRANSCOMBE
team celebrates after
winning its sixth
BIG EAST Tournament
title in the last seven
Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD
years. President
1
CREIGHTON SPRING 2021 Volume 37 Issue 1
Contents
PUBLISHER
Creighton magazine is published
in the spring, summer and
fall by Creighton University,
2500 California Plaza, Omaha,
NE 68178-0001.
PRESIDENT
Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
AND MARKETING
Heidi Grunkemeyer
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF
COMMUNICATIONS
Sam Achelpohl
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Rick Davis
ASSOC. DIRECTORS OF COMMUNICATIONS
Cindy Murphy McMahon
Sheila Swanson
WRITERS
Kevin Coffey
Eugene Curtin
Micah Mertes
Blake Ursch
ILLUSTRATION
Stephanie Dalton Cowan
20 24
Nathalia Dion
Gary Neill
Jing Jing Tsong
CONTACT
Address all mail to University
Communications and Marketing,
10
MICROAGGRESSIONS NO SMALL ISSUE THE HEIDER MINDSET Attn: Creighton Magazine, 780480
California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178-0480.
Offensive actions, assumptions and expressions The Heider College of Business has introduced Postmaster: Send change of address
to Creighton Magazine, P.O. Box 3266,
directed at marginal populations occur on many the Heider Mindset Curriculum, a holistic Omaha, NE 68103-0078.
16
levels in everyday life. Creighton community approach that has reframed how the college Send alumni news (births, weddings,
members discuss how rooting them out takes teaches business and prepares students for a promotions, etc.) to alumninews@
vigilance, awareness and more. lifetime of leadership. creighton.edu.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter — @Creighton
A DOSE OF HOPE BEYOND THE GAME Facebook — Creighton University
Instagram — @Creighton1878
Since early February, Creighton students, The global sports industry is big business, and CREIGHTON MAGAZINE’S PURPOSE
faculty and staff have volunteered at the Creighton is addressing its many facets across Creighton magazine, like the University
Douglas County COVID-19 community many academic disciplines. itself, is committed to excellence and
dedicated to the pursuit of truth in
vaccination clinic at Creighton’s Rasmussen all its forms. The magazine will be
Center, and have administered nearly 30,000 comprehensive in nature. It will support
the University’s mission of education
doses of the vaccine in the first two months. through thoughtful and compelling
feature articles on a variety of topics.
It will feature the brightest, the most
on the cover stimulating, the most inspirational
BUILDING IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS 4 C
reighton thinking that Creighton offers. The
magazine also will promote Creighton,
Connections
IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES
and its Jesuit, Catholic identity, to
a broad public and serve as a vital
link between the University and its
35 Alumni Notes constituents. The magazine will be
As Creighton will soon be the largest Catholic guided by the core values of Creighton:
the inalienable worth of each individual,
health professions educator in the nation and 40 Creighton respect for all of God’s creation, a special
concern for the poor and the promotion
30
continues to expand its reach in Phoenix and Conversations of justice.
New provost says the University’s
globally, the cutting-edge CL Werner Center for distinctive excellence drew her
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
Creighton University is committed to
Health Sciences Education will serve as a modern to Creighton.
providing a safe and nondiscriminatory
educational and employment
connection between the health sciences on the environment. To view the University’s
nondiscrimination statement, please
Omaha campus. visit creighton.edu/nds.
Copyright © 2021 by
Creighton University
2 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 COVER ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE DALTON COWAN creighton.edu 3
Creighton Connections
UNIVERSITY
NEWS treatments, in the face of evidence that and see whether there is anything that
airways can develop resistance to tra- might lead us to say that this one or that
ditional therapies, that spurred the one could be useful in helping us address
National Institutes of Health and the these problems,’” he says. “That’s kind of
state of Nebraska, through its LB595 how this whole thing started.”
FIRST-GEN FORWARD
research program, to fund the study. DESIGNATION It helped, as the international osthole
Resistance to traditional bronchodi- The Center for First- research team was assembled, that Tu
lators has drawn the attention of other generation Student was already researching how cellular
research projects, such as a 2016 study Success recently signaling impacts asthma, and that Abel
announced the
by the Cleveland Clinic, that stated tra- inclusion of Creighton is an expert in integrative and organ sys-
ditional therapies are “ineffective for as University in its tems pharmacology with many years of
many as 40% of people with asthma.” 2021-2022 First-gen experience in drug development.
Forward cohort. The
Even if that number were a smaller First-gen Forward It also helped that Taotao Wei, PhD, a
fraction, Tu says, alternatives should designation recognizes professor at the Institute of Biophysics,
be sought. institutions of higher Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing,
education that have
“It’s a way to rescue these patients demonstrated a and his research group, stood ready to
who are potentially in a situation where commitment to help. That collaboration used crystal-
resistance means they have to be hos- improving experiences lography to demonstrate that osthole
and advancing
pitalized, or who, because of severe outcomes of first- could bind with the enzyme PDE4D and
bronchoconstriction, might face death,” generation college disrupt its activity in order to promote
he says. students. airway relaxation.
“It’s variable, of course. There are Now that the effectiveness of the ost-
people who respond and people who hole molecule has been demonstrated,
don’t respond. What is happening is that what’s next?
the more people take these bronchodi- “We will now take osthole as our
NATHALIA DION
lators, and in higher dosages, the more foundation and engineer it to be a better
resistance develops. So, it’s an issue.” agent, to be the kind of thing that might
Abel and Tu’s participation in the interest a pharmaceutical company,”
study emerged about five years ago Abel says. “We have a medicinal chemist
when co-researchers in an earlier study in our department, so the engineering is
New Hope T
wo Creighton professors are forg- featured in Science Signaling, a peer- of smoking-related diseases described something that we can do here. Once we
ing a new front in the war on an reviewed scientific journal published a pressing need for therapies to treat have that better molecule, we can start
ONLINE PROGRAMS
inflammatory disease so old it weekly by the 172-year-old American asthmatics for whom common bron- EARN RANKINGS talking to a pharmaceutical company
in a Traditional
was remarked upon in ancient Egypt, Association for the Advancement of chodilators proved ineffective. Seven Creighton or a biotech company.
and so persistent that the World Health Science (AAAS), and referenced in Happily, this coincided with discus- University online “That is the pathway for us.”
Organization estimates that 339 million Science, also published by the AAAS. sions Tu was having with Zhengyu Cao, programs earned
rankings in the 2021
people worldwide suffer from it today. The question posed was simple PhD, who is now a professor with the U.S. News & World
Chinese Therapy
Asthma, a chronic inflammatory enough: Could a chemical compound Department of Pharmacology in the Report Best Online Creighton Nursing Program
Programs: No. 7 in
disease of the airways to the lungs, has found in a plant used in traditional School of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Best Online Education Relocates from Hastings to
drawn the attention of Yaping Tu, PhD, Chinese healing, with claims to address at China Pharmaceutical University in Master’s; No. 35 Grand Island
and Peter Abel, PhD, both professors everything from low libido to cancer, Nanjing, China, but who was then an in Best Online MBA;
BY EUGENE CURTIN No. 16 in Best Online
in the Creighton School of Medicine’s actually relieve airway constriction in assistant professor at Creighton. The College of Nursing moved its cen-
Business Analytics
Department of Pharmacology and asthmatic patients? Cao had amassed a library of com- MBA; No. 19 in Best tral Nebraska campus from Hastings
Could a chemical compound found in Neuroscience.
Tu and Abel are among a team of par-
The answer, the study found, was yes.
Titled “Airway Relaxation Mech-
pounds derived from Chinese herbal
medicines, several of which were identi-
Online Finance MBA;
No. 21 in Best Online
to Grand Island in January, a move that
is expected to boost the University’s
this flowering plant, known commonly as ticipants drawn from multiple national anisms and Structural Basis of Osthole fied, after using mouse lungs as models,
General Management
MBA; No. 30 in Best decades-long mission of recruiting and
Monnier’s snowparsley or She Chuang Zi in and international research groups
charged with investigating the possi-
to Improve Lung Function in Asthma,”
the study found that osthole “fully
as effective asthma treatments.
Tu and Cao had discussed the poten-
Online MBA programs
for Veterans; and No.
educating nurses throughout the state.
For 34 years, the College of Nursing
Chinese, help asthmatics breathe easier? bility that a new method of relieving relaxed” airways that proved resistant tial of Chinese herbal medicines to pro-
24 in Online Graduate
Business Programs has maintained a campus in Hastings at
asthmatic attacks might be obtained by to the standard inhalers — or broncho- vide new treatment options, and, Abel (Excluding MBA). Mary Lanning Healthcare. During those
using osthole, a derivative of the tradi- dilators — that for decades have been the says, that collaboration began the process. years, more than 900 Creighton students
tional Chinese medicine She Chuang Zi. primary response to asthmatic attacks. “They got together and said, ‘OK, let earned nursing degrees, many of them
The result of that investigation was It was the search for such alternative us look at some of these herbal products building careers at Mary Lanning.
4 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 5
CREIGHTON CONNECTIONS
University News
The College of Nursing offers one of offer scholarships and guaranteed that we were able to identify a drug
the nation’s most successful and longest job placements to five students every Study Identifies Repurposed that was effective in protecting against
running accelerated Bachelor of Science year. Drug with Potential to noise- and cisplatin-induced hearing
in Nursing programs. The program, the Given that nursing graduates typ- Protect Hearing loss.”
second in the nation, began in 1975 on ically choose to work in the com- FDA-approved dabrafenib could be “What makes dabrafenib a partic-
Creighton’s Omaha campus and in 1986 munities where they live and where developed on significantly shorter ularly promising candidate is that it
expanded to Hastings. they studied, proximity of education timeline at lower cost can be taken orally — the least invasive
The relocation to Grand Island will becomes an important factor govern- and most cost-effective mode of treat-
see Creighton bring that proud record ing the supply of nurses. Demand for According to the World Health ment,” according to Matthew Ingersoll,
of recruitment and education to CHI nurses in central Nebraska remains Organization, some 466 million people PhD, the first author of the paper and
Health St. Francis Hospital, which strong, and the move to Grand Island have disabling hearing loss, a number a postdoctoral fellow. “Existing sur-
today serves as a regional referral cen- will ensure that a 12-month Accelerated projected to double by 2050 to affect 1 in gical treatments for hearing loss like
ter with more than 100 physicians and Bachelor of Science in Nursing contin- 10 worldwide. However, a groundbreak- cochlear implants are highly invasive
more than 1,100 employees. ues to be within easy reach. ing School of Medicine study has iden- and expensive.”
CHI St. Francis offers Creighton nurs- “Relocating our central Nebraska tified a drug with potential to protect “More studies need to be done, but
ing students a top-level clinical expe- campus to Grand Island allows against, or treat, hearing loss. we are very excited about continuing to
rience. St. Francis carries a “magnet Creighton to highlight our academic- The findings are significant because study this drug and understand more
COLIN CONCES
hospital” designation, which is awarded clinical partnership with CHI Health no such FDA-approved drug currently about its efficacy and how it works to
by the American Nurses’ Credentialing and contribute to alleviating the nursing exists, and the drug shown effective treat hearing loss,” Ingersoll said. “It is
Center and is considered the gold stan- shortage in Nebraska,” said Julie Manz, in protecting hearing in animal mod- incredibly promising research, and I
dard for nursing institutions where PhD, BSN’98, MS’05, professor of nursing
Joely Goodman, els in the study, dabrafenib, is FDA- am hopeful it can be used in the future
PhD, right,
“nurses are empowered not only to and assistant dean at the college. accelerated faculty approved for treating cancers in people. to improve the quality of life for people
take the lead on patient care, but to be Creighton will maintain a presence chair – Grand Repurposing FDA-approved drugs can affected by hearing loss.”
Island Campus, Sarah Walker, PhD, credentials and experience to the Office
the drivers of institutional health care in Hastings through its 3+1 partnership with nursing significantly reduce the development The study is a continuation of is a faculty member Walker Named Interim of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion,”
change and innovation.” with Hastings College. That partnership students Ahmad
Rasuli, Ciara Parker
timeline (by up to 5 to 8 years) and cost research Teitz conducted at St. Jude
in the Heider College
of Business and is Vice Provost for Institutional says Creighton President the Rev. Daniel
In addition to giving nurses the will allow Hastings College students to and Jayson Rosa (by up to 40%) compared to new chem- Children’s Research Hospital with Jian serving as interim Diversity and Inclusion S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD. “I look forward
vice provost for
possibility of working in the area’s study there for three years before earn- in a simulation lab ical compounds. Zuo, PhD, to develop studies on drug
at CHI Health St. Institutional Diversity to her leadership and expertise as we
only cancer center, CHI Health will ing their BSN at Creighton. Francis Hospital. Permanent hearing loss is a major therapy for hearing loss. Zuo is now a and Inclusion.
Sarah Walker, PhD, associate profes-
(Photo pre-COVID-19)
as a University build upon our recent
side effect cancer patients experience professor at Creighton and chair of the sor in the Heider College of Business, is advances in this important work, which
after undergoing cisplatin chemother- Department of Biomedical Sciences. now serving as interim vice provost for has intensified in the last year, and as we
apy, affecting 40% to 60% of people who Creighton and St. Jude worked collab- Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. continue to move purposefully forward
receive the treatment. In a paper pub- oratively on the study. She began her new role March 22. in becoming an anti-racist institution.”
lished by Science Advances, Creighton A Creighton graduate, Emma Malloy, “One of the things that I would really Walker’s research interests include
scientists and students involved in the BS’19 (now a Creighton medical student), like to do in this role is try to align all of examining the experiences of margin-
research found that dabrafenib can be and two undergraduate Creighton stu- the diversity and inclusion efforts that alized individuals at work with a spe-
repurposed to prevent cisplatin- and dents in Teitz’s lab — Lauryn Caster and we have across the University,” Walker cific focus on organizational-level and
noise-induced hearing loss in mice. Eva Holland — contributed research says. “There are things going on in the individual strategies for creating more
Since dabrafenib has already gone to the study through the University’s medical school, the law school, other equitable workplaces. She remains an
through cancer clinical trials in humans Center for Undergraduate Research parts of the University, and I’d like to active researcher and has published in
and its side effects are known and rela- and Scholarship (CURAS) program and find out what synergies we have and dis- a variety of journals throughout her
tively minimal, it is a good candidate to Summer Research program. Caster and cover ways that we can be most effective career, including the Journal of Business
advance through hearing clinical trials, Holland have also since been accepted and efficient with our resources.” and Psychology; Equity, Diversity, and
said Tal Teitz, PhD, assistant professor in to the School of Medicine. Walker, an associate professor of Inclusion; Industrial and Organizational
the Department of Pharmacology and The study was funded by research management, is filling the role left by Psychology Perspectives; and the Journal
Neuroscience, group leader and corre- grants from the National Institutes Christopher Whitt, PhD, who left the of Applied Psychology.
sponding author of the study. of Health, state of Nebraska, Bellucci University in March after accepting a Walker’s background in industrial-
“There are many types of hearing Translational Hearing Research position at the University of Denver. organizational psychology provides
loss that are caused by cisplatin treat- Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Creighton has launched a comprehen- her specific expertise in diversity,
ment, noise exposure, antibiotics and ALSAC, Dialysis Clinic Inc., Dr. and sive and thorough search for a perma- recruitment, selection, training, testing
aging. Our idea was that there could Mrs. R. Ferlic Research Undergraduate nent replacement and aims to have the and measurement. While earning her
be some common cellular pathways Fellowship and the American Hearing position filled by Jan. 1, 2022. PhD, Walker worked as a consultant for
between these different forms of hear- Research Foundation. “Dr. Walker brings exceptional Valtera Corporation (now Corporate
ing loss,” Teitz said. “It’s very exciting
6 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 7
CREIGHTON CONNECTIONS
University News
Executive Board) on projects related to DNA replication and the subsequent a great opportunity for students to Creighton faculty
members Jian Zuo,
personnel selection and training. packaging of DNA into the nucleus start their pre-health education at LMU, PhD, left, and Peter
Prior to joining Creighton in 2018, of cells. and, based upon satisfying the admis- Steyger, PhD, are
leading the research
Walker served as an associate profes- Creighton students will be heavily sions requirements, entering the School project.
sor in the Marilyn Davies College of involved in performing all experimen- of Pharmacy and Health Professions at
Business at the University of Houston tation, as the NSF grant will cover sti- Creighton,” Robinson said.
DESTINO NAMED
– Downtown (UHD) for 10 years. While COTTRELL SCHOLAR pends for three undergraduate students Similarly, Robinson said, the agree- Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S.
at UHD, she co-authored two feder- Joel Destino, PhD, each summer. ment with Regis University reflects the Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, said the grant marks an
ally funded grants which resulted in assistant professor of In addition, six students from local impact of cooperation between Jesuit important milestone. “This grant award is a his-
chemistry, is among
$1.1 million awarded to the institu- 25 outstanding
high schools will participate in research educational institutions. toric moment for Creighton, and is yet another
tion. The federally funded grants were teacher-scholars in projects every summer in a collabora- “Our partnership with Regis data point in our long track record of excel-
designed to increase opportunities for chemistry, physics tion with the Haddix STEM Corridor University has been an example of how lence in the health sciences,” he said. “Dr. Zuo,
and astronomy
underrepresented minorities in gradu- named recipients
program. Students in the program will a collaboration between two institutions Dr. Steyger and their team are on the cutting
ate degree programs. of the $100,000 attend weekly scientific development can be enacted and focused on student edge of research on restoring hearing loss, and
With a background in business and Research Corporation workshops on campus and present success,” he said. importantly, I am convinced that their research
for Science
academia, Walker says she hopes to Advancement’s
research results to other scientists and in this area will improve the lives of children
take a data-driven approach to evalu- 2021 Cottrell the public. and adults who are impacted by hearing loss.”
Scholar Awards.
ating some of Creighton’s diversity and Phoenix Campus Receives Robert “Bo” Dunlay, MD’81, dean of the
inclusion initiatives, examining whether Honor for Design Excellence School of Medicine, said the grant will boost
certain initiatives result in individual New Agreements Expand the center’s reputation even higher.
reports of better overall experiences at Educational Opportunities The new Creighton University Health “The Creighton Translational Hearing
the University, among other metrics. Sciences – Phoenix Campus has been Center is internationally recognized for ground-
Newly inked agreements between recognized for education design excel- breaking research that has a simple goal: to
Creighton University, Loyola Marymount lence by a jury of the American Institute improve the lives of countless individuals who
DUNG HOAND
Dieckman Receives National University (LMU) in Los Angeles and of Architects. are facing hearing loss,” he said. “The COBRE is
Science Foundation Award Regis University in Denver demonstrate The project was recognized for an important step on this journey.”
how cooperation between Jesuit uni- “Outstanding Design” in the Work in In the grant application, Steyger said the
Biochemistry researcher and assis- versities expands educational oppor- Progress category and is featured in Translational Hearing Center will work to speed
tant professor Lynne Dieckman, PhD, tunities, said Evan Robinson, PhD, dean the November/December 2020 edition the translation of research to clinical trials and
LYNNE DIECKMAN
has been awarded a grant from the U.S. of Creighton’s School of Pharmacy and of the American School & University® from there into clinical practice.
Lynne Dieckman, PhD,
National Science Foundation (NSF).
The five-year, $680,500 NSF Faculty
assistant professor
of chemistry, was
Health Professions.
The agreements grant priority con-
2020 Architectural Portfolio magazine.
The Committee on Architecture for $10.8 Million Excellence (COBRE). The award will fund a
working partnership between the Translational
“Hearing loss in infants and children results
in delayed acquisition of listening and spoken
Early Career Development Program
(CAREER) award will be utilized to
awarded a five-year,
$680,500 National
sideration to Loyola Marymount stu-
dents for acceptance into Creighton’s
Education selected the project among
submissions from architectural firms,
NIH Grant Hearing Center, Boys Town National Research
Center and the University of Nebraska Medical
language skills critical for academic achieve-
ment and impairs career trajectories of affected
Milestone for
Science Foundation
gain a better understanding of how (NSF) grant and is the Doctor of Physical Therapy program schools and universities across the Center as the three institutions seek to trans- individuals,” he said. “In the aging population,
improper DNA replication and compac- first Creighton faculty beginning with the entering class of country. Projects were chosen based late basic hearing loss research into practical hearing loss without appropriate rehabilitation
tion can cause changes in gene expres-
member to receive
the highly competitive 2022, its Doctor of Pharmacy program on clarity of concept, innovation and Creighton therapies. accelerates aging and cognitive decline.”
Research
sion in offspring, which can play a role NSF CAREER award. beginning with the entering class of creativity in response to the specifics of Led by Jian Zuo, PhD, chair of the Department Future plans call for expansion into inves-
in the onset of diseases such as cancer, 2021, and its Doctor of Occupational programs, users, community and site as of Biomedical Sciences at Creighton, and Peter tigational new drug applications, safety and
cell death or developmental issues. In Therapy program beginning with the well as other factors. Steyger, PhD, professor of biomedical sciences efficacy studies and clinical trials.
addition, a major goal of the project is entering class of 2022. The annual competition honoring A research center dedicated and director of the Translational Hearing The Translational Hearing Center was cre-
to create a comprehensive learning envi- Applicants from Loyola Marymount education design excellence spotlights to preserving or restoring Center, the partnership will build a corps of ated in 2019 with a grant from the Bellucci
ronment for aspiring high school-aged will be guaranteed an interview in all projects representing today’s most academic researchers dedicated to battling DePaoli Family Foundation, which honors the
and undergraduate scientists who will three programs pending verification of effective learning environments.
hearing loss has been hearing loss resulting from numerous causes memory of Richard Bellucci, MD’42. After gradu-
have significant roles in the research. their credentials. The first classes at the $100 million, awarded the largest National in adults and children. ating from Creighton and returning to his native
An assistant professor with the The agreement with Regis University 180,000-square-foot building will begin Institutes of Health (NIH) “As the largest grant ever awarded to New York City, Bellucci made some of the 20th
Department of Chemistry in the College updates an earlier pact in order to guar- in August. The campus will have a full, the University, it will be transformative for century’s most important contributions to the
of Arts and Sciences, she is the first antee four places in each entering class four-year medical school and nurs-
grant in Creighton’s history. Creighton’s research,” said Laura Hansen, fields of otology and otolaryngology.
Creighton faculty member to receive the of Creighton’s Doctor of Occupational ing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, Creighton’s Translational Hearing Center, PhD, associate dean for research at the School Center director Steyger, a native of
highly competitive NSF CAREER award. Therapy program. physical therapy and physician assis- established in 2019, has been awarded a $10.8 of Medicine. “The center’s investigators will Manchester, England, lost his hearing to men-
Dieckman and her team of student “The development of these artic- tant programs. More than 900 students million grant, payable over five years and be supported by core facilities that will enrich ingitis as a 14-month-old and has since ded-
researchers will use program fund- ulation agreements with Loyola will eventually be enrolled in those competitively renewable up to 15 years, by the the research environment for all biomedical icated his career to preventing a similar fate
ing to examine protein interactions in Marymount University represents programs. NIH-affiliated Centers of Biomedical Research researchers at Creighton.” from befalling other children.
8 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 9
Building important
connections
in the health sciences
BY MICAH MERTES
L
ook at renderings for the CL Werner
Center for Health Sciences Education
— the cutting-edge facility and new
home to the School of Medicine
coming to Creighton in 2023 — and
you’ll notice a few things.
That it’s modern — a $75 million building that blends with campus
architecture yet pushes it in exciting new directions.
That it’s connected. The building’s skywalk crosses the street to the
Criss Complex, offering an actual bridge between disciplines.
That it’s a statement.
“The C L Werner Center is a beacon of our commitment to the
health sciences and interprofessional model we use to teach them,”
says Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD. “It is
one of multiple areas in which we are showing growth and progress in
Creighton’s health sciences enterprise, as we continue to form leaders
in the Jesuit tradition across all fields of health care.”
Creighton will soon be the largest Catholic health professions edu-
cator in the nation.
In 2021, as the University breaks ground on the CL Werner Center,
it will also open a $100 million health sciences facility in Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Creighton recently established the Arrupe Global Scholars
and Partnerships Program with a $25 million gift from an anonymous
foundation.
10 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE DALTON COWAN 11
These efforts announce a bold vision for the The students and faculty using those buildings The School of Medicine’s home will serve to push forward, says Catherine Todero, new clinic and expanded its interprofessional
FAST FACTS
health sciences. A vision inspired by that bed- will soon have a home in the CL Werner Center as a health sciences hub, with active-group PhD, BSN’72, vice provost of Health Sciences care model. Just about everything improved.
rock belief on which all of Creighton is built and Criss Complex. classrooms and a simulation center bringing Campuses and dean of the College of Nursing. Dramatically.
The CL Werner — cura personalis. The elimination of square footage is together medical, nursing, physician assistant, “We must continue to be bold. You see this A study of high-risk patients at the clinic,
Center for Health “This is a truly transformational moment in expected to save Creighton more than $700,000 occupational therapy, physical therapy, phar- boldness in our programs and partnerships and published in The Annals of Family Medicine,
our history,” Fr. Hendrickson says. “It will serve per year. But the cost savings is a secondary macy, behavioral health and other students. the ways we are preparing our students. You see found that team-based care led to a decrease in
Sciences Education as a symbol of the connections we are making at result, says Derek Scott, associate vice president “The CL Werner Center is going to facilitate it in the Phoenix campus and in this facility.” emergency room visits and hospitalizations, a
» Expected to open in fall Creighton — between our spaces, between our for Facilities Management. high-quality interprofessional education using You see it, she says, in Creighton’s commit- nearly 50% reduction in patient costs and more
2023; will break ground disciplines, between ourselves and the people “This project,” he says, “will provide a world- real-world scenarios,” says School of Medicine ment to team-based care. than $4 million in annual savings compared to
this summer we care for.” class educational environment for our health Dean Robert “Bo” Dunlay, MD’81. care without the expanded collaborative model.
» 115,000 square feet sciences students. Improving efficiency while One example he cited: Students from LOOKING FORWARD Interprofessional care has also led to greater
» $75 million cost (with COMMON GROUND doing that is just one of the many benefits.” various disciplines all in the same room, “People are complex,” says Amy McGaha, MD, employee engagement and job satisfaction,
additional $10 million One thing perhaps not immediately apparent The CL Werner Center isn’t about saving working through a cardiac arrest scenario as the Dr. Roland L. Kleeberger Endowed Chair which has proved instrumental in helping the
renovation in Criss about the new front door to Creighton’s west space. It’s about bringing people together. an interprofessional team. Taking turns with and professor and chair of family and com- clinic staff keep up hope and morale in the face
Complex) end? What’s not there. The facility is the brick-and-mortar embodi- each other’s roles. Understanding each other’s munity medicine at Creighton, and director of a pandemic.
About 240,000 square feet. ment of the health sciences education Creighton perspectives. of the Interprofessional Clinical Learning In daily practice, McGaha says, team-based
» About 5,900 students,
faculty and staff will use The CL Werner Center will be a major con- embraces, an interprofessional model that “In the process, they will come together to Environment in the Center for Interprofessional care means efficiently committing and coordi-
the building each year solidation of space, bringing all of campus east improves the lives of patients and practitioners give the patient the best care possible,” Dunlay Practice, Education and Research. nating multiple specialists and resources.
of U.S. Highway 75. alike. says. “That’s where you really get the value in “Our patients come to us with families and It means different professions meeting reg-
» Will reduce 240,000
The new facility will go in the area currently Interprofessional education embraces team- interprofessional education. That’s the value values and cultural practices and social deter- ularly to discuss patients with complex cases.
square feet in campus
space, for an annual occupied by the Military Science Building and based care, drawing on all disciplines to treat of this building. minants. If you want to effectively care for them, It means flattening hierarchy without sacri-
savings of more than the Center for Health Policy and Ethics. The the whole person. Systems are streamlined, “With the CL Werner Center and the health you have to be willing to deliver that care in a dif- ficing leadership. Often, it just means cutting
$700,000 solar panels now in the adjacent parking lot efforts integrated, silos squashed. The result is sciences campus in Phoenix, Creighton is ferent way. If you want to take care of the whole through red tape.
will be replaced with new panels on the roof lowered costs and better outcomes for patients. ensuring that we have world-class facilities person, you’re going to need the whole team.” Previously, the clinic’s electronic patient
» Will create 1,070 jobs
of the C L Werner Center. The CL Werner Center will support inter- to go with the world-class instruction our stu- McGaha works at the CHI Health Creighton records were siloed by profession. One patient
during construction,
with a $3.2 billion impact West of the highway, the University will sell professional education quite literally: bridg- dents receive.” University Medical Center – University Campus might have multiple sets of notes, but physicians
on taxes the property occupied by the Cardiac Center, the ing the distance between disciplines, creating For Creighton to remain a national leader family medicine clinic. A few years ago, the would see only physicians’ notes, nurses would
Boyne Building and the Bio-Information Center. common ground. in health sciences education, it must continue Family Medicine Department moved into the see only nurses’ notes, etc. The clinic combined
ABOUT THE DONORS
WITH A TRANSFORMATIONAL GIFT to the CL Werner Center for Health
Sciences Education, CL and Rachel Werner continue their family’s legacy
of supporting Creighton.
Over the years, the Werners have made gifts to the School of Law,
the Heider College of Business, Athletics and more. The family sees the
CL Werner Center as a game-changing investment in Creighton’s vision
for a different kind of health care.
“Creighton is a driving force for education in our community,” says
CL Werner, founder, board chairman and the former longtime CEO of
Werner Enterprises. “It is also a national leader in preparing students
for the future of health care, and the new facility will accelerate this
momentum.”
CL Werner was the recipient of an honorary degree from Creighton
University in 2018.
“I am profoundly thankful for the benevolence of CL, Rachel and the
Werner family,” says Fr. Hendrickson. “Their investment is a resounding
confirmation of our mission and an unwavering endorsement of our vision.”
Rachel and CL Werner’s gift will help
transform health sciences education at
Creighton, and the CL Werner Center
will be ideally suited for collaborative,
interprofessional teaching and learning.
12 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 13
EXTENDING OUR REACH
Creighton is making big moves in the
health sciences. Across the country
and around the world.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH CARE
Creighton has teamed with two organizations to transform health
care for underserved patients in Arizona’s Maricopa County.
Amy McGaha, MD, The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust is investing $10 million
at the CHI Health
Creighton University
in a long-term initiative led by Creighton and the Society of
Medical Center - St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix. The effort aims to reduce health
University Campus,
where the use of disparities disproportionately affecting low-income populations
interprofessional care
and people of color.
has led to dramatic
improvements in The effort will more deeply integrate the Virginia G. Piper
patient care. (Photo
pre-COVID-19) Medical Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul into the Creighton Health
Sciences – Phoenix Campus curriculum. It will also bring more
health sciences students and physician faculty to the clinic,
notes for the team. It did the same with consent “As a Jesuit, Catholic institution, we will expanding access to preventive and acute care.
forms, making just one universal form necessary bring into this facility the knowledge that it’s
BY THE NUMBERS The gift and initiative will create two new positions in the
for patients to see all types of clinicians. an incredible privilege to care for others and
This practice — of consolidation, simplifi- make a meaningful impact in someone’s life,”
Creighton School of Medicine — the Virginia G. Piper Chair in Medicine and
Chief Medical Officer and the Virginia G. Piper Fellowship in Health
cation, efficiency — streamlines care, leading says Evan Robinson, PhD, dean of the School of Health Sciences
Disparities.
3 in 5
to fewer appointments and lower costs for Pharmacy and Health Professions.
patients. “That’s what will make this the building
GLOBAL CARE
“You find out where the barriers are,” Creighton needs. That’s how this building will Creighton undergraduates are
A $25 million anonymous gift from a foundation has established
McGaha says. “Then you break through them.” help form the health care leaders our world health sciences majors
the Arrupe Global Scholars and Partnerships Program.
At University Campus, clinicians have needs.”
formed new methods while unlearning old
ones, she says.
Future leaders like Rasika Mukkamala, a
junior from Colorado.
23%
of first-year medical students
Named for the Rev. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, founder of the Jesuit
Refugee Service, the program seeks to improve the health of the
Now, every team member’s voice is heard Like nearly one-third of all Creighton under- international poor and educate servant-leader physicians. The gift
earned their undergraduate
and valued. Everybody teaches, everybody graduates, she chose pre-med studies for her degree at Creighton will support 10 cohorts of 12 students from Creighton’s medical
learns. To reach the full potential of everyone’s majors — biology and health administration programs in both Omaha and Phoenix over 10 years, beginning in
skillsets and experiences, the team embraces
mutual respect, positive intent and, above all,
and policy. She hopes to continue her studies
in the School of Medicine. She’s leaning toward 45%
of Creighton students enroll
the fall of 2022.
Under the new program, Arrupe Global Scholars will earn
empathy. OB-GYN. a medical degree while working alongside international health
in pre-professional programs,
At its core, interprofessional care is really Mukkamala is excited about the new with 40% pursuing health care workers and Creighton faculty on multiyear projects aimed
about talking and listening better. As anyone health sciences buildings coming to Omaha sciences degrees at addressing health challenges around the world. This program
who’s ever worked in any kind of office knows, and Phoenix. But what really draws her to
3,500
will bring quality care to those most in need while forming future
there are few things more difficult. Creighton’s School of Medicine is what drew her
leaders in the field.
It takes time for big ideas to take root. Small to Creighton in the first place — the University’s
everyday gestures reinforce a new mindset. A humanistic, innovative approach to education. Creighton students are enrolled
in professional health sciences
formal structure emerges. A culture of under- “More than anything, I value being able to
programs, more than any other
standing takes shape. care for someone physically, mentally and spir- Catholic university in the nation
It’s a headspace for which Creighton- itually,” Mukkamala says. “The more people I
educated health sciences graduates are already
well-suited. Teamwork and humility are baked
can learn from, the better I’ll be able to do that,
and the better physician I’ll be.” 11,300
health sciences graduates
Top: Allison Seats, BS’15, MD’20, with a patient
at the Virginia G. Piper Medical Clinic at St.
into the culture and curriculum. Graduates Now, as we near the end of a lonely period Vincent de Paul in Phoenix. Bottom: Sara Beste,
support more than 11,300 jobs
aren’t just ready to work, they’re ready to work defined by distance due to the pandemic, she MD’09, and Jason Beste, BS’03, MD’08, have
in Nebraska, and they help rank worked in Malawi, Mozambique and Liberia, and
together. can’t wait to once again work more closely with Omaha and Nebraska among exemplify the commitment to global health care
This is the foundation of the Creighton her future health care practitioners. the top cities and states in the
that is the focus of the Arrupe Global Scholars
program. (Photos pre-COVID-19)
health sciences that the CL Werner Center will All types of clinicians. All together. All under country for health care access
build upon. one new roof.
14 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 15
SNOW FALLS STEADILY OUTSIDE CREIGHTON’S Rasmussen Fitness and Sports
Center. Inside, there is great anticipation, a warmth. Among the mask-wearing, socially
distanced crowd on the field turf there is an invigorating, palpable sense of hope.
“This is going to help us, of course — we haven’t seen our children in almost a
year — but it’s going to help everybody,” said 75-year-old Anne Cognard of Omaha.
“The pandemic reminds us how precious and how difficult life can be.”
Cognard was one of more than 1,400 visitors to the clinic on its opening day
Feb. 6. The clinic has operated almost every Saturday since, with hundreds of Creighton
students, faculty and staff volunteering — providing nearly 30,000 doses of vaccine
in the first two months.
“A lot of people are in here getting their shots so they can see their new grandbabies
or go travel,” said Rachel Whipple, an accelerated nursing student who volunteered
as an inoculator. “It’s really uplifting.”
“I just can’t tell you how inspired I am to see this happening,” said Creighton President
the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD. “It’s such a traumatic time in our lives. For
Creighton to step up and embrace this moment and bring the community in, this is
really special.”
In the first two months of partnering with
Douglas County on a COVID-19 community
vaccination clinic on campus, Creighton volunteers
administered nearly 30,000 doses of vaccine.
Among Creighton volunteers, health
sciences students are helping prepare
and administer the COVID-19 vaccine,
including: nursing student Kristin
Reitz, top far left; nursing student
Andrew Nguyen, bottom far left;
pharmacy student Katie Sandquist,
left; and pharmacy student Lauren
Schorsch, above.
16 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WEAVER 17Some of the students who volunteered at the
community vaccine clinic at the Rasmussen
Center include: exercise science major Greta
Purcell, right; emergency medical services
“
student Tina Zhang, below; nursing student
Annie Carter greeting Fr. Hendrickson, far
right; and medical student Brett Boggust,
BSEMS’19, bottom right.
I’m a paramedic. And you don’t
get into this field unless you want
to care for people and give back to
your community. Doing this COVID
clinic is my part of giving back to
what Creighton and the Omaha
community have given me.”
TINA ZHANG
Senior, Emergency Medical Services
18 Creighton SPR IN G 2021
“ This is historic, and I
think it’s something that
my generation is going
to look back on as one of
the defining events of our
time. It’s such a simple
thing, to get the shots and
prevent illness.”
B R E T T B O G G U S T, B S E M S ’ 1 9
First Year, School of Medicine
19M
uch has been said recently about Sometimes, she says, they can be systemic and institutional,
“microaggressions,” those usually even though unintentional.
unconscious but offensive allusions,
expressions and actions that are NEED FOR ‘UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS’
more habitual than antagonistic and Chidi Ezeokoli, a third-year student at the Creighton School of
so ingrained in popular culture and Dentistry and a native of Nigeria, says she long ignored such
vocabulary that rooting them out will require patience, grace microaggressions as complimenting her excellent English
and a large dose of humility. (English is the official language of Nigeria), being described
One Creighton University professor compares them to as aggressive and angry for expressing contrary opinions,
paper cuts. Each one stings, she says, but it is in their accu- being referred to as a “homegirl,” and being described as a
mulation over time that the real damage is done, as a sense of “doppelgänger” for other Black students.
“otherness” imposes itself on populations with marginalized “For a long time, I used to let them roll off my back because
identities victimized by thoughtless actions, assumptions I didn’t want to be labeled as the ‘aggressive’ or ‘angry’ Black
and expressions. woman,” she said. “However, I realized that by failing to
Rooting out microaggressions takes vigilance, says Erika address these acts of racism (microaggressions), I was pro-
Microaggressions
Dakin Kirby, PhD, a professor of communication studies in tecting my non-Black counterparts that either did not care
the College of Arts and Sciences and the A.F. Jacobson Chair to see how this was impacting me or were simply clueless.
in Communication. “I was the one hurting, suffering in silence, and repeatedly
No Small Issue
“I try to make people in my orbit super aware of this prob- blaming myself for not speaking up. By choosing to address
lem,” she says. “Someone close to me recently said that they the microaggressions, I chose to be an advocate for myself
were the lowest on the totem pole, and I said, ‘You know, you and my Black brothers and sisters. There is a long road ahead
really probably shouldn’t say that. I know it’s part of common in combating racism, but I think one of those steps involves
Offensive actions, assumptions and vocabulary, but it uses ways-of-being of Indigenous people as having those ‘uncomfortable conversations’ about racism so
a way to describe hierarchy in ways that they wouldn’t want that white people can learn their roles in the situation and
expressions directed at marginal us to, so perhaps you shouldn’t say that anymore. for people of color to feel heard and seen.”
populations occur on many levels and “I do think that there are so many places where these These fears are real, says Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ, a native
in everyday life. Rooting them out takes things happen.” of Haiti and a Jesuit scholastic who is currently teaching at
Creighton. Saint-Jean is the author of a book The Crucible
The term “microaggression” is fairly longstanding, hav-
vigilance, awareness and more. ing been coined in 1970 by a Harvard University psychia- of Racism in America, soon to be published by Orbis Books.
trist who used it to describe casual disparagements visited He says microaggressions reflect the assumptions of
BY EUGENE CURTIN
upon African Americans by people of other races. It has since majority culture and are often dismissed by that culture as
become an umbrella term for verbal, nonverbal and envi- minor transgressions that should be forgiven. But the recip-
ronmental slights against any socially marginalized group ients of the microaggressions are not similarly complacent.
— whether related to race, sexual orientation, social class “The victim is already the victim,” Saint-Jean says. “It is
or ability. not for us to tell victims how they should feel when they are
Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, MD, MBA’05, has her eye on the ball suffering. Mercy is also about accountability, so sometimes
when it comes to microaggressions. A Nigerian-American, she the aggressor needs to be held accountable. We are all in this
is associate vice provost for Health Sciences and professor in together, and we are all called to take care of each other as
two Creighton medical departments. She is also, and has been one community of love, mercy and compassion.”
for more than 20 years, director of Creighton’s Department
of Health Sciences-Multicultural and Community Affairs. LIKE THOUSANDS OF PAPER CUTS
In that capacity she has extended Creighton’s embrace into The essential problem with microaggressions, Kirby says,
minority communities in North and South Omaha to the is their frequency.
point where the Douglas County Health Department recently Among her favorite analogies is the paper cut.
entrusted her with $500,000 in grants to promote COVID-19 “There is a tendency to minimize microaggressions
virus awareness and vaccines. (See sidebar on Page 23.) because they don’t seem like that big of a deal,” she says.
Kosoko-Lasaki says trust is hard won and easily lost, and “But the problem is that if the person on the receiving end
microaggressions can take forms other than personal slights. has had four other microaggressions that day they stack up
20 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 ILLUSTRATION BY JING JING TSONG 21on each other. I really like the metaphor of thousands of paper
cuts. One microaggression stings, but they add up until you
“My mantra is that I am your friend until you show me
that I shouldn’t be your friend.” Grant to Promote COVID-19
can’t stand the pain anymore.”
The unintentional nature of most microaggressions, as
Kosoko-Lasaki refers to the dictionary definition of micro-
aggression as “a statement, action or incident regarded Vaccinations Among Racial
with the totem pole remark, is part of the problem, Kirby
says. People deliberately insulting others on the basis of race
or some other group characteristic is easily countered. But
as an instance of indirect, subtle or unintentional discrim-
ination against members of a marginalized group such as
a racial or ethnic minority.” These are often unintentional,
Minority Populations
“I realized that by failing to address these acts TWENTY YEARS OF BUILDING CREDIBILITY in Omaha’s minority
of racism (microaggressions), I was protecting other offenses occur under the radar and that, Kirby says, is she says, but lack of intent does not mean that damage is
communities is paying off for Creighton’s Health Sciences-Multicultural and
my non-Black counterparts that either did not where the education needs to take place. not done.
Community Affairs Department (HS-MACA) and the Center for Promoting
care to see how this was impacting me or Kirby has conducted workshops on microaggressions for “Most people who commit microaggressions mean no Health and Health Equity (CPHHE). To promote COVID-19 vaccinations, the
were simply clueless.” the Creighton College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Project; harm,” she says. “It’s just that their lack of knowledge per- Douglas County Health Department awarded a second $250,000 grant to
Chidi Ezeokoli for the Anti-Defamation League, where she serves as senior mits insensitivity and can cause bad blood. It could be race, the center, which is a community-academic partnership.
facilitator for the Great Plains chapter; and for The Minnesota it could be gender, it could be religion. It could be whatever. The grant will support CPHHE education and training of Community Health
Humanities Center, where she is a facilitator. You have to put yourself in the shoes of those experiencing Ambassadors/Advocates (CHAs) to help enhance vaccination rates among
A list of transgressions outlined during those workshops your action to really appreciate what’s going on.” Black, Latinx, Maya and Urban Native Americans. Overcoming vaccination
makes for useful reading. Professors might, for example, She cited an example in which a person compliments distrust remains a major challenge due to trust issues over the speedy
want to avoid assuming that students are expertly knowl- another on attaining a high level of education despite the development of the vaccines and a history of research abuses involving racial
edgeable about their ethnic cultures; or expecting students “disadvantage” of growing up in a poor country. To a person minorities.
to endorse views and opinions commonly attributed to their of mature years such a slight on one’s native land and culture Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, MD, MBA’05, professor in the School of Medicine and
director of HS-MACA, says that effective CHA education and training last fall,
identity groups; or being insensitive to religious holidays can be soothed by calling out the offender.
with the first $250,000 grant, was a key basis for the second grant award.
when making assignments; or drawing attention to particular “But if you say that to a young student, they internalize
The first grant, pre-vaccine, Kosoko-Lasaki says, was used to guide
students when discussing issues related to their social iden- it and they tend to think less of themselves,” Kosoko-Lasaki
CHAs in how to promote COVID-19 preventive measures. Similar behavior
“I really like the metaphor of thousands of paper tities. Complimenting Latinx Americans born in the United says. “This is why we must be very careful.” encouragement will accompany the new grant’s vaccination focus. Also,
cuts. One microaggression stings, but they add States on the quality of their English or invasively inquiring virtual “town hall” meetings will supplement education, training and
up until you can’t stand the pain anymore.” about the ethnicity of racially ambiguous people are other DISCERNMENT … AWARENESS … BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT information dissemination, sponsored by churches, the Omaha Housing
Erika Dakin Kirby, PhD common missteps, Kirby says. Saint-Jean believes Ignatian spirituality, which underlies Authority, social agencies and other institutions of influence in minority
And it doesn’t stop there. everything at Creighton University, shows the way forward. communities.
“Clearly, in 2021, we tend to go automatically to race, but I “Ignatian spirituality gives us three points to work with,” “The message needs to be very clear that they (community members) can
do think that microaggressions occur on many levels and in he says. “Number one is discernment, number two is aware- be confident that this is not an experimental thing,” Kosoko-Lasaki says. “Our
everyday life,” Kirby says. “If I overhear somebody saying, ‘Oh, ness, and number three is the benefit of the doubt. Speaking CHAs are well placed to do this. We are the only body in Omaha with such a
I’m so OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) today’ and I really as a Jesuit, and holding respect for all the other spiritualities large group of trained individuals who live in these communities, who have
have OCD, then that’s not cool. We throw around things like that are out there, Ignatian spirituality is the most substantial built trust in these communities and who can go back and say to them, ‘This
time, you can trust the system.’”
that, especially relating to mental health issues. But I think and important tool at this moment because it gives us what
“People do not forget the past,” Kosoko-Lasaki says. “The problem is
it’s getting better. I think the generation below me is getting we need to engage in the struggle.”
deeper than the vaccine. As the national literature documents, this pervasive
better about not saying things like that.” Discernment, he said, helps identify the best way forward
disparity goes back to the roots of discrimination, of institutional and
“Most people who commit microaggressions for both the aggrieved person and the aggressor. It involves structural racism. We need to address that problem.”
mean no harm. It’s just that their lack of IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY OFFERS A WAY FORWARD humility, reconciliation and an understanding that how one This historical trauma, Kosoko-Lasaki says, emerging from centuries of
knowledge permits insensitivity and can It is important, Kirby says, to note that microaggressions can says something is as important as what one says. abuse and punctuated by atrocities such as the United States Public Health
cause bad blood.” and do happen not only in relation to race but also in relation Awareness involves understanding on the part of mem- Service Tuskegee Syphilis Study and use of Henrietta Lacks’ cancer cells, has
Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, MD, MBA’05
to other social identities, such as ability, sexual orientation, bers of majority culture that they occupy a position of power generated profound distrust in the health care system that deters people of
gender identity, social class, national origin, religion, age, and privilege and that it is not their place to decide what color from seeking treatment, confiding in their providers and complying with
etc., and that groups with a targeted identity in one area can members of marginalized communities should think and health care recommendations.
still commit microaggressions against other groups, and so feel, Saint-Jean says. Given minority communities’ reasonable distrust, based in past abuses,
we all have work to do. It is a human problem, she says, and “We need grace and mercy,” he says. “But we must be Kosoko-Lasaki says she has no illusions about the difficulty of the task ahead.
one that could use an injection of Ignatian spirituality with aware that our position of power and privilege can betray us But, she says, she brings certain advantages to the situation.
“First, I am a Black woman, and, second, I have surrounded myself with
its call for contrition and grace. into thinking too little of microaggressions. We can counter
individuals who have earned each other’s trust over the years,” she says. “And I
“One of the core presumptions of Ignatian spirituality is that with a certain measure of kindness and humbleness.”
am not alone. Many of our community partners are people of color.”
the assumption of good intent,” Kirby says. “When someone Finally, Saint-Jean says, the benefit of the doubt should
Education, she says, is the key.
is confronted that they have committed a microaggression, be granted to the aggrieved person. “I believe in education,” she says. “When people are educated, then
I think we need to have space to allow people to circle back, “You do not dismiss the experience of the victim,” he says. they can reason on solid foundations and come to their own conclusions.
“Ignatian spirituality is the most substantial and to give grace, and to say, ‘I’m going to do better.’ Do we want “Give the mistreated the benefit of the doubt. Before we confer That is the process of education. Some people assume communities with
important tool at this moment because it gives one thing that someone says to totally frame the rest of their mercy and grace, let us give the benefit of the doubt to the disadvantage will not understand. No, such presumptions are racist. They will
us what we need to engage in the struggle.” life if they want to do better? person who feels aggrieved.” understand.”
Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ
22 Creighton SPR IN G 2021 23You can also read
