Elected leaders joined founding donors to celebrate the pavilion’s opening on ±«°äąó’s at Lake Nona. They gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and toured the pavilion, which will help to address Florida’s critical nursing shortage. Fittingly for Florida’s Premier Engineering and Technology University, the pavilion also features the latest in immersive modeling and simulation technologies.

“This facility will help strengthen Florida’s nursing talent pipeline in ways that make communities across our state healthier.” — Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ President Alexander N. Cartwright

“The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion is a powerful example of what is possible when vision, community and partnership come together. Built with the generous support of state leaders, donors and health care champions, this facility will help strengthen Florida’s nursing talent pipeline in ways that make communities across our state healthier,” says Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ President Alexander N. Cartwright. “Together, we are fueling hands-on learning, enabling new research and discovery, and preparing generations of Knight Nurses who will have a lasting impact on the lives of those they serve.”

With the opening, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ will increase access to its accredited and nationally ranked nursing degree programs and graduate an additional 150 newly licensed nurses annually. These graduates will have a direct impact on the state. Of the 17,000 Knight nurse alumni, 85% live and work in Florida, and nearly 60% remain in Central Florida.

Located next to the College of Medicine and in Lake Nona’s Medical City, a nationally recognized hub of healthcare innovation, the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion will bolster interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare providers to thrive in the workforce and deploy cutting-edge research to solve the industry’s greatest challenges and ensure a healthier future for all.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson played a vital role as Senate President in securing about $43 million in state funding for the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, as well as additional funding for state university and state college nursing initiatives throughout Florida.

“We worked very hard to secure the funding,” he says. “When you think about state-of the-art nursing, when you think about doubling the capacity of nursing, this couldn’t come at a better time. Florida is growing 400,000 people a year still. We’re going to continue to grow.”

“Thanks to the leadership of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, the state continues to invest in key academic programs that set an example nationwide,” says State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues. “The new Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is no exception — by providing innovative educational opportunities for nursing students now, Florida is ensuring a promising future of skilled nurses that will care for our communities.”

The Power of Partnerships

The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, which came to fruition through $43 million from the State of Florida and over $29 million from private donors, will directly impact the community that created it and will be a longstanding symbol of what can be achieved through the power of community partnerships — unleashing potential for generations to come.

“We are honored to be part of this transformative moment for Central Florida,” says Kenneth Robinson, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Inc. and the Dr. Phillips Foundation. “This investment will help address the nursing shortage, strengthen our healthcare system, and expand access to exceptional education and career opportunities. By supporting this project, we’re helping to graduate more Knight nurses who will make a lasting impact. We’re proud to stand with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and our community partners to shape a healthier, brighter future.”

Founding donors of the facility also include the Helene Fuld Health Trust; Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Pegasus Partners AdventHealth, Orlando Health, Nemours Children’s Health and Addition Financial; Zaby and Suree Vyas; and many others.

“Today we are witnessing the power of partnerships,” says Professor Emerita Mary Lou Sole, who, as the previous College of Nursing dean, led the efforts to advocate and raise funds for the new building. “The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion is the result of the collective efforts of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and this community to come together to solve one of our greatest healthcare challenges. We are incredibly grateful for the support, which will have an immeasurable impact for generations to come.”

Inside the Future of Nursing

Every aspect of the 90,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility was thoughtfully designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and student success and well-being.

“The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion will serve as a catalyst for ensuring a brighter, healthier future,” says new College of Nursing Dean Sharon Tucker. “In this space, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ will strengthen and empower future nurses and nurse leaders to advance healthcare innovation and collaboration to improve evidence-based patient care and outcomes.”

On the second and third floors is a hub of healthcare innovation, the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling (STIM) Center. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is Florida’s first simulation center to earn three international accolades in the field and the new, expanded space will build upon its global leadership to innovate healthcare education using the latest immersive technologies to prepare nurses for practice as compassionate, skilled providers.

The second floor also features the Dr. Colleen Conway Welch Virtual Reality Learning Studio, a makerspace design studio to accelerate nurse-led innovations, a home health apartment to meet growing demand for home-based healthcare, and the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation Healthy Aging Research Lab for interdisciplinary research and innovations led by renowned aging expert Ladda Thiamwong.

Upon entering the pavilion, students, faculty, staff and visitors are greeted with the inspiring “” public art commissioned by Florida’s Art in State Building program. The first floor also includes three large high-tech learning studios, the Zaby and Suree Vyas Collaboration Concourse, the Martin Andersen-Gracia Andersen Foundation Study Cafe and a student success suite.

The opening comes a little over a year and a half after the groundbreaking in January 2024. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ built the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion in conjunction with HuntonBrady Architects, Ayers Saint Gross and DPR Construction.

±«°äąó’s Industry Partners Highlight Transformational Impact

AdventHealth

“At AdventHealth, we’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary caliber of nurses who graduate from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. They bring clinical excellence, compassion and an unwavering commitment to their patients — values that perfectly align with our mission to provide whole-person care. As the demand for skilled nurses continues to grow, we’re happy to support this exciting new chapter for the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ College of Nursing. And as a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ alum, I’m excited to welcome even more outstanding Knight nurses to AdventHealth.”

-Cathy Stankiewicz, (MSN’11), chief nursing officer, Central Florida Division

Helene Fuld Health Trust

“The Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling Center at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ exemplifies our mission to support the education of nursing students. Simulation is a critical component [of] nursing education and will continue to be in the future, and we’re proud to make this investment to strengthen nursing skills and improve the welfare of our communities.”

-Robert Campbell, vice president of Trust & Fiduciary Services at HSBC, who oversees the trust

Nemours Children’s Health

“Growing and solidifying the nursing workforce is critical to care delivery across the healthcare sector. Through our longtime relationship with the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ College of Nursing, we have seen firsthand the benefits of hiring their well-trained, work-ready graduates. The new nursing pavilion will be a tremendous asset in our continued collaboration, partnership, and investment to support the education, development, and maturation of emerging nurses.”

-Nicole Johnson, (DNP’17), senior vice president and chief nursing and patient operations officer  

Orlando Health

“It is an honor and privilege to be associated with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, and we are thankful for our partnership with the university, nursing professors, and students.”

-David Strong, president and CEO

She is among 47 experts from across the U.S. named to the 2025 class for outstanding contributions to the field. The newest fellows will be formally recognized during the organization’s 2025 annual scientific meeting in mid-November in Boston.

For more than 20 years, Thiamwong has dedicated her clinical practice and research on promoting healthy aging and preventing falls — the second leading cause of unintentional injuries and deaths worldwide.

Her research findings have been presented at more than 100 national and international conferences and published in more than 100 peer-reviewed journals. She has been awarded more than $7 million in funding to date.

In her native Thailand she developed the healthy aging instrument to assess processes involved in healthy aging. The instrument is available in seven languages and used in nine research institutions around the world.

She is currently leading an interdisciplinary team of experts at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ to develop a technology- and community-based approach to fall prevention. The innovative intervention is being piloted through a $2.3 million grant and partnership with the City of Orlando.

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, where she’s been on faculty since 2016, Thiamwong leads a healthy aging lab, which seeks to empower older adults to cultivate their capacity to cope with challenges.

Thiamwong has also been honored as a fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and National Academies of Practice and recognized as a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence.

In addition to her faculty appointment, Thiamwong shares her expertise as an appointed member of the City of Orlando Mayor’s Committee on Livability and Healthy Aging and a section editor for Aging Matters in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services.

The Luminary Awards — established in 2017 — are designed to recognize some of ±«°äąó’s brightest stars who shine a positive light on the university and in their respective fields, as well as illuminate a path of discovery for those who will come after them.

Honorees were selected based on nominations by deans, chairs and directors from across the university. The event was attended by the recipients, their close family and friends, as well as former awardees and special guests from the community.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ President Alexander N. Cartwright, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Johnson, Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld and Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence Joel Cramer were on hand to recognize each winner.

The 2024 Luminary Award recipients are:

Robertico Croes

Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

For over two decades, Croes has focused his academic career on the critical intersection of socially sustainable tourism, economic growth, and poverty alleviation. In recent years, he has made waves with pioneering research on travel health and infectious disease control. Leading the charge as principal investigator, Croes secured $4.5 million in funding to help mitigate the severe social and economic impacts of pandemics on the hospitality and tourism industry. His work emphasizes the survival of small businesses and the well-being of disabled people, aiming to protect the future of both.

One of the most notable outcomes of this funding is Rosen College’s first intellectual property: a personalized health-based travel app.

Croes’ expertise has also garnered global recognition, leading to his recent invitation by the president of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss sustainable development goals as they pertain to tourism’s role in alleviating poverty.

Croes’ contributions to sustainable tourism have had far-reaching impacts, benefiting Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, the Rosen College, and impacted populations both in the U.S. and internationally. His commitment to mentoring students and faculty has helped shape the future of the tourism industry while enhancing global economic sustainability.

Craig Crossley

Associate professor, Department of Management, College of Business

Crossley has earned global recognition for his impactful research and leadership, most notably through his prestigious role as the Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Helsinki, Finland. Each year, fewer than 30 scholars worldwide receive this distinction, the Fulbright Program’s highest honor designated for eminent figures across all academic disciplines. Despite the demanding nature of this position, Crossley has continued to fully serve Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ while fulfilling his Fulbright obligations over two consecutive summers.

Crossley’s research excellence is well-reflected in his citation count, with more than 6,000 citations, nearly half of which were garnered in the last three years alone. His work puts him in the top 3% of scholars in his field, demonstrating his growing influence in the management discipline. Over the past three years, he has given nine presentations at international conferences, serving as chair or keynote speaker for four of them.

Beyond academia, Crossley’s work has widespread societal impact. He has formed partnerships with organizations such as the Children’s Home Society of Florida and global entities like the Irish and U.K. governments, helping organizations with difficult business environments and business challenges, such as navigating Brexit.

Matt Marino and Eleazar Vasquez

Professors, School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

Marino and Vasquez, leaders of the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s School of Teacher Education, have earned national recognition for their impactful contributions to exceptional student research and education. Together, they have transformed the institute into a vital ecosystem serving regional, statewide, and national communities through innovative policy and practices.

As the institute’s director and former interim director, respectively, Vasquez and Marino have created strong collaborations with school districts and stakeholders like Orange County Public Schools, the nation’s eighth-largest district. Their partnerships benefit countless students, educators and families, and extend to supporting students with intellectual disabilities through the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities.

Vasquez’s leadership earned him a White House and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee invitation in May to discuss artificial intelligence and education, and he is part of a team securing several federal research awards, including a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Full Service Community Schools Programs to enhance community partnership schools in Florida.

Marino, likewise, has recently secured several awards, including $6.5 million over five years from the Office of Special Education Programs and a three-year grant from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities to expand the institute’s work. Their collective efforts have positively impacted 1.5 million scholars, 35,000 teachers, and hundreds of families. They consistently publish research studies in high-impact journals, present at key conferences, and have secured more than $82 million in grant funding since 2017. These achievements demonstrate excellence in education, research and societal impact.

Matt Dombrowski ’05 ’08MFA

Associate professor, School of Visual Arts and Design, College of Arts and Humanities

Dombrowski has demonstrated exceptional dedication to interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching, and impactful service. His contributions to the field of animation and visual art and his role as creative director at Limbitless Solutions have significantly advanced Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s mission of fostering creative and scholarly excellence.

His scholarly work encompasses varying fields, with peer-reviewed articles exploring groundbreaking technologies such as electromyographic video game controllers for improving prosthetic outcomes, innovative 3D printing strategies for prosthetic components and control schemes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. His publications often include undergraduate researchers, underscoring his dedication to both mentorship and innovation.

In his role at Limbitless Solutions, Dombrowski has overseen a total of over 500 interdisciplinary students comprised of seven Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ colleges. His leadership has forged partnerships with industry giants like Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft, securing significant support, including over a quarter of a million dollars in funding from companies like Adobe, Unity, Epic Unreal and Disney. His work also extends to impactful community projects like bionic arm delivery with Arnold Palmer, Orlando Health and Oregon Health & Science University along with Project Xavier, a hands-free wheelchair initiative with the Mayo Clinic.

Dombrowski’s advocacy for Limbitless has taken Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ undergraduates to prestigious venues such as the United Nations and the Smithsonian. His national recognition, including being named an Adobe Creator to Watch in 2023 by Adobe and Forbes magazine, reflects his transformative contributions to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and the broader community.

Mindy Shoss

Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Sciences

Shoss has been instrumental in building and maintaining Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ as a powerhouse of workplace psychology research, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, layoffs and the future of work. This includes helping Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ become selected as a site for a targeted research training program funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Her research has been featured in Harvard Business Review and in leading media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Shoss has also delivered high-profile presentations for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Safety Council. Her influence has extended to advising the APA, U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office on workplace mental health.

With over 100 published works, including 32 peer-reviewed articles since 2021, Shoss’ research is highly regarded. She has secured $3.8 million in external funding. Recognized as a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Shoss continues to shape the future of work and workplace well-being.

Mona Shattell

Professor, College of Nursing

Shattell, a distinguished scholar in psychiatric-mental health, has earned an international reputation for her groundbreaking research on the well-being of nurses and long-haul truck drivers. Her extensive work highlights her commitment to advancing mental health and well-being in often overlooked populations.

She has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services for the past seven years, curating impactful content and co-authoring multiple editorials, including one with a doctoral student. In addition to her editorial duties, she co-authored nine articles in high-impact journals, focusing on workplace mental health issues.

Shattell’s contributions extend beyond academia. She is the lead author of Social Media in Health Care: A Guide to Creating Your Professional Digital Presence, a practical guide that has become a key resource for healthcare professionals. Her strong social media presence, with nearly 9,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), amplifies her influence and thought leadership in the mental health field.

Her expertise is frequently sought by the media, having conducted multiple interviews and appearing as a guest on national podcasts, including a Sirius XM show about mental health in the trucking industry. She has also delivered keynote addresses at international conferences and received the prestigious Melva Jo Hendrix Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses in 2023.

With her national and international recognition, Shattell’s work continues to improve mental health care for populations in need, solidifying her impact on the field.

Ladda Thiamwong

Professor, College of Nursing

Thiamwong has earned international recognition for her innovative aging research and leadership, highlighting her significant contributions to the field. Over the past three years, Thiamwong has secured over $4 million in National Institutes of Health funding, with an additional $4 million pending, and has produced an impressive 76 scholarly works, including 62 peer-reviewed articles. Her research is collaborative and involves disciplines that span engineering, kinesiology, computer science, psychology, and statistics, helping to transform the field of geriatric nursing.

Thiamwong’s work has garnered widespread media attention, including a recent feature on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel. She has delivered 53 international presentations in the past three years, including a keynote address, and serves as an associate editor for Frontiers in Public Health. Her expertise is frequently sought locally as well, including as a member of the Orlando Mayor’s Committee on Livability and Healthy Aging.

Among her numerous accolades, Thiamwong was inducted as a fellow in both the American Academy of Nursing and the National Academies of Practice. She also received the Excellence in Geriatric Nursing Research Mid-Career Award and was recently named the Florida Blue Endowed Professor for Healthy Communities.

Her dedication to mentoring the next generation of scientists and her contributions to aging research are promoting significant progress and innovations that will have long-lasting impacts in the field.

Thomas Wahl

Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Wahl has established himself as a leader on the impact of sea level rise and storm surges on the built environment. His work integrates engineering with atmospheric and oceanographic sciences and influences policy at national and international levels.

Since joining Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2017, Wahl has attracted nearly $6 million in research funding, contributing to projects totaling over $55 million. His scholarly output is remarkable, with more than 100 peer-reviewed journal papers with over 5,000 Scopus citations. His research has been published in prestigious journals such as Nature, and his excellent ability to communicate the importance of his work to stakeholders and the media elevates ±«°äąó’s prominence nationally and globally.

Wahl’s numerous accolades include the Huber Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers and early career investigator awards from both NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation. He is also a dedicated mentor, having guided students like Javed Ali, a recent Order of Pegasus awardee. His research has gained widespread media attention, appearing in The Washington Post, National Geographic and numerous state and local media outlets.

With his impressive achievements and significant contributions to addressing sea level rise, Wahl continues to push the boundaries of research and innovation.

Name: Ladda Thiamwong
Position: Florida Blue Endowed Professor for Healthy Communities

Why are you interested in this research?
I believe strongly in the human ability to change and grow. I love to see this and be able to measure and share information on how best to enhance our longevity and quality of life. Ultimately, I want to prevent falls and enhance healthy aging.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?
I have had numerous friends and family members who are older adults and they and their families were negatively impacted by falls.

How does Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ empower you to do your research?
Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ has provided and encouraged me with such a wonderful atmosphere of collaboration and support. I am grateful to be able to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues, a huge support team of staff and wonderful students. It’s such a blessing to be in the Central Florida area with all the resources and community partnerships that are available and focused on improving life for older adults.

Are you a faculty member or student conducting research at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝? We want to hear from you!

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
My work has earned recognition from several prestigious organizations. I am a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2023) and a distinguished fellow in the Nursing Academy of the National Academies of Practice (2024).

I, in collaboration with other researchers at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, have received National Institutes of Health grants to optimize a technology-based body and mind intervention to prevent falls and reduce [gaps in healthcare] in low-income populations. This interdisciplinary project includes Jeff Stout, founding director for the School of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences; Joon-Hyuk Park, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Rui Xie, associate professor of statistics and data science; Nichole Lighthall, associate professor of psychology; and Vicki Loerzel, the Beat M. and Jill L. Kahli Endowed Professor in Oncology. Our team has also won a Healthy Longevity Global Competition Award from the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

Why is conducting research important to you?
Working at an R1 research university in the U.S. is a great honor. As an immigrant, a first-generation college graduate who grew up in a rural area and relocated from Thailand, I have experienced extraordinary personal and professional challenges in achieving and maintaining academic and scientific success. I commit to teaching, sharing my experience and securing external funding to support students and sustain my research and mentorship.

To help address this critical issue and reduce disparities, a team of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers is partnering with the City of Orlando on a $2.3 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

The project seeks to address the public health problem and prevent falls with the optimization of technology that is low-cost and portable.

The work will help ensure older adults can “age in place,” and supports the City Beautiful Action Plan 2022-2025, which, as one of its primary goals, prioritizes the development of affordable housing options and services to help older residents safely stay in their homes.

“As the population of our city ages and residents are living healthier, more active and longer lives, it’s important we ensure Orlando is a well-designed, livable community that promotes health and sustains economic growth, creating happier and healthier residents of all ages,” says Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “We are excited to work with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ on this grant as it will play a significant part in understanding how we can improve the health and safety of our older adult population and better implement age-friendly initiatives, especially in underserved neighborhoods.”

Innovative Approach

With the new funding, , an associate professor at the College of Nursing and the project’s principal investigator, will work with an intradisciplinary team of experts to roll out a large-scale pilot in low-income, senior communities in Central Florida of an fall assessment intervention they’ve developed and tested.

“The primary goal is to prevent falls,” Thiamwong says. “With this real-world testing, we hope to be able to prove it works and is sustainable in order to scale up and prevent falls in more communities.”

The researchers’ Physio-Feedback and Exercise, or PEER, intervention program was successfully tested as part of an NIH-funded . Their work has also been published in Research in Gerontological Nursing.

The researchers showed that their intervention, which uses technology to help reduce people’s fear of falling and improve their balance, was feasible, safe, and improved balance, muscle strength and fall risk.

The technology resembles a small scale and links to a computer. It can be easily transported to rural or low-income communities to provide immediate physio-feedback.

The immediate part is important, Thiamwong says.

“Older adults trust the results more when it is immediate,” she says. “It begins a conversation and empowers them to do something about it, and with the technology able to show improvement over time, it is also encouraging.”

Perception versus Reality

For more than half of older adults, their perception of their fall risk and actual physical fall risk are not aligned, Thiamwong says.

She says a fear of falling is just as risky as poor balance as it may limit their physical activity.

To address this, the researchers’ intervention includes a fall risk appraisal matrix that categorizes participants into quadrants looking at both their fear and balance.

The objective is to bring all participants to low fear and normal balance by the end of the eight-week intervention.

The program includes cognitive reframing to reduce fear and both a group- and home-based exercise program led by a trained peer coach to improve balance.

“Social support from peers is important to build connections and hopefully continue to keep the physical activity going even after the intervention,” Thiamwong says.

Critical Collaboration

The researchers say collaboration with an interdisciplinary team is critical to address older adults falling and other healthcare challenges.

Thiamwong  began her collaborations with the one of the  project’s co-investigators, , after seeing some of his publications on aging research shortly after she joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

Stout, who is director of the college’s , says the collaborations have developed into a research partnership that has been very successful.

“There is a great potential for collaboration between programs and faculty expertise in different colleges at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝,” Stout says. “Interdisciplinary collaboration is important because it allows different fields to share knowledge and ideas, which can lead to new breakthroughs.”

One of the ways Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ fosters interdisciplinary collaboration is through research clusters, such as the Disability, Aging and Technology cluster that Thiamwong and project co-investigator Joon-Hyuk Park, an assistant professor in the , are a part of. The team has been successful in conducting NIH- and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝-funded studies.

“The cluster is an excellent facilitator to promote interdisciplinary research,” Park says. “The most challenging questions we, as researchers and scientists, seek to address these days can’t be tackled from one discipline, especially when it comes to human science to understand human behavior and study instrumentations. We need expertise from various fields.”

, an assistant professor of and project co-investigator, says that many factors influence older adults’ fall risk, including physical health, socioeconomic status, as well as psychological motivations and feelings.

“In addition, if you want to launch a fall-risk intervention that involves technology, you have to consider factors like older adults’ ability to use the technology and cost effectiveness,” she says.

“It’s easy to see how problems like this require a team of experts that understand each factor and know how to conduct science across traditional disciplinary boundaries,” she says. “It’s a truly excellent team and an important problem we are trying to solve.”

Research Team

Thiamwong received her doctoral degree in nursing from Mahidol University in Thailand.

She joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2016. She’s an expert in healthy aging, fall prevention and gerontological nursing. She is leading a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ research team in implementing preventive interventions to transform practice, especially for older adults with limited resources.

Stout received his doctorate in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2012. He’s an expert in physical assessments, such as body composition, handgrip strength and physical activity in aging populations, and he has published several studies examining the relationship between psychological and physical variables and the risk of falling.

Park received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Columbia University. He joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2019. He’s an expert in engineering wearable sensors and assistive technologies. His role in the project is to apply his knowledge and experience in wearables-based physical activity monitoring and assessment.

Rui Xie is an assistant professor in the , which is in ±«°äąó’s . He received his doctorate in statistics from the University of Georgia. He joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2019.  Xie is an expert in designing study designs that are appropriate for collecting data, while minimizing the risk of bias and ensuring the validity of the results, as well as data analysis and result interpretation.

“I was inspired to join this research team because I was fascinated by the multidimensional and multidomain data the team plans to collect in the project,” Xie says. “I felt that my skills and experience in data analysis and modeling could be of great value to the research.”

Lighthall received her doctorate in gerontology from the University of Southern California. She joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2015. She’s an expert in cognition and emotion across the adult lifespan, with a specific focus on age-related changes to decision processing and behavior. She is helping to determine the cognitive and motivational factors that impact older adults’ fear of falling by guiding the team’s measurement of these psychological factors.

a Beat M. and Jill L. Kahli Endowed Professor in Oncology and an associate professor in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s College of Nursing, received her doctorate in nursing from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. She joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2005. She’s an expert in qualitative research and randomized clinical trials, aging populations, and health disparities, with experience in technology-based intervention development and testing.

“Interdisciplinary collaboration is important because one person cannot know it all or do it all,” she says. “You need the different perspectives and experiences from other disciplines to make your own work more complete and more relevant. Without the teamwork of experts from different disciplines, your work and ideas will get stale very quickly.”