Achievers: Metro Tech students win at conference; OU seed grants awarded

Staff reports
·2 min read

Metro Tech students bring home the gold

Metro Technology Centers students recently won several awards at the 2022 Future Health Professionals (HOSA) International Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Six students competed in three categories: nursing assisting, creative problem-solving and health care photography. All six students placed in their respective events.

Winners included:

  • Breanna Skyes, post-secondary practical nursing student, won bronze in the Nursing Assisting event.

  • Haley Payne, Keeli New, Kayla McNack and Jamey Wehrenberg, post-secondary practical nursing students, won gold in the Creative Problem-Solving event.

  • Melissa Rivera, post-secondary medical assistant student, won gold in the Health Care Photography event.

Also recognized was Samir Elneser, a graduate of the Metro Tech Radiologic Technology Program, as an Outstanding HOSA-Future Health Professionals Alumnus.

Tonja Truitt, Metro Tech Practical Nursing Instructor, said this accomplishment is nothing less than a reflection of the hard work of the students and the support received from the institution.

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center announces awardees for its seed grant program

The TSET Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center recently announced awardees for its seed grant program. Each grantee will receive up to $50,000 for their research project.

Winners included:

  • Dr. Amy Cohn, an associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and HPRC researcher, has been awarded a grant for her project titled “Time-Sensitive Drug Abuse Research: Evaluating the impact of medical marijuana legalization on cannabis attitudes, substance use behaviors, and health outcomes in Oklahomans.”

  • Dr. Jason Oliver, an assistant professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the OU College of Medicine and HPRC researcher, has been awarded a grant for his project titled “Translational research on beta-adrenergic medications as potential smoking cessation agents: A pilot efficacy study with mechanistic outcomes.”

  • Dr. Ashlea Braun, assistant professor in the department of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University, has been awarded a grant for her project titled “Examination of Implicit Drivers of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption According to Weight Status and Retail Exposure.”

For more information on the TSET Health Promotion Research Center, go to www.healthpromotionresearch.org.

Hearing aid winner announced

Hearing Loss Association of America Central Oklahoma Chapter has announced the 2022 winner of hearing aids.

Kelly Miles, who is a retired physician and lives in Oklahoma City, is the winner of ReSound Hearing Aids.

Dr. Pam Matthews, owner of Pro Hearing, donated the fitting fee, as well as consultations.

For more information, call Ana Covey, chair of the Hearing Loss Association of America Central Oklahoma Chapter, at 405-640-5152, or email okhearingloss@gmail.com.

To be considered for this column, please email achievement announcements and photos to DLindauer@Oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Metro Tech students win at conference; OU seed grants awarded