Indiana University South Bend - Health Sciences

🎬 TOP 5 HORROR MOVIES OF SUMMER SEMESTER (with a little help from Titus).

1. 📚 Wait, It’s Week 4 Already?
2. ⏰ The Assignment Due Sunday
3. 😱 The Forgotten Discussion Post
4. 📝 The Midterm Is Tomorrow
5. 💻 Canvas After Midnight

What “summer semester horror movie” would you add to the list? 🎬👇 Sequels and Prequels welcome too…

💙 Friday Faculty Feature 💙

Meet Dr. Jennifer Hatfield!

Hobbies:

When I’m not teaching or working, I enjoy reading, antiquing and exploring estate sales, trying to get back into golf (I’ve golfed since I was 7), cooking and baking, and spending time with my best friend, Maizy 🐾.

Why Healthcare?

I originally planned to become a high school biology teacher and began my undergraduate studies at Valparaiso University with that goal in mind. However, something didn’t quite feel right. At my sister’s suggestion, I observed a speech-language pathology session at the Valparaiso University Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic. From the minute the session started, I could see myself being a speech-language pathologist and immediately changed my major. It was the perfect blend of science and heart! 💜 ❤️

Today, I continue to love the profession and still practice clinically through my private practice several times each month.

Summer Activities:
☀️ Adding plants and interesting architecture to my rock garden
⛳ Golfing
🏺 Hunting for treasures at estate sales
📚 Reading

Favorite class to teach: I love to teach H101: Intro to Health Sciences because it’s exciting to see students realize that there are many more careers to explore/consider in healthcare. I also love teaching P323: Articulation and Phonological Disorders because students begin to think like clinicians!

What Students Should Know:
Every summer, I rewatch Gilmore Girls. It helps me transition from the stress of the academic year to the slower days of summer. I ❤️ licorice (especially black).

I love being a part of the HSC faculty and IU South Bend!❤️🤍

💙 Alumni Spotlight💙

Meet Delaney Schavey, one of our outstanding alumni!

Current Position/Workplace:

Delaney is an award-winning Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO) with Hanger Clinic in Billings, Montana. In addition to her clinical work, she is also a published researcher in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.

What She Does:

As a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist, Delaney specializes in the evaluation, design, fabrication, fitting, and adjustment of custom prosthetic and orthotic devices.

With her prosthetics certification, she works with individuals who are missing a limb, creating artificial limbs that restore mobility, function, and independence. Through her orthotics certification, she designs and fits custom braces that improve stability, alignment, and movement for patients with musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.

Delaney collaborates closely with physicians, therapists, and patients to develop individualized treatment plans, provide education and training on device use, and even build many of the devices herself.

Advice for Current Students:

“My biggest advice is to stay open-minded throughout your education! IUSB provided me with amazing opportunities to explore different career options and really set me up for success to enter the healthcare field as a well-rounded candidate. I was encouraged by professors, mentors, and even my advisor to be open-minded to the opportunities that lay before me—and that encouragement is what led me to find a very niche field that I have absolutely fallen in love with.

Believe in yourself, trust your support system at IUSB, and stay diligent. Your hard work now will absolutely pay off!”

We are proud of Delaney’s accomplishments and grateful to see her making a difference in the lives of patients while advancing the field through research. Congratulations, Delaney! 🎉

Want to follow in Delaney’s footsteps? Get your BS in Health Sciences with a concentration in Rehabilitation Science, then earn a Master’s Degree-Delaney earned hers at the Baylor College of Medicine.

🔙 Throwback to Student Legislative Day!

Last year, our students had the opportunity to advocate for issues impacting the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology while meeting with legislators and learning more about the policymaking process.

Experiences like Student Legislative Day help students develop leadership skills, engage in professional advocacy, and make their voices heard on issues that impact the clients and communities they will serve.

We’re proud of our SLP concentration students for representing our program and profession so well! 💙

Have you participated in Student Legislative Day or advocating through letter writing or other means? Let us know how/for what in the comments!

🌟 Faculty Feature Friday 🌟

Meet Dr. Andrew Doyle!

Hobbies: Outside of the classroom, I stay busy coaching youth sports while my kids are still young and active. My family and I love spending time outdoors, so you can often find us camping, hiking, or riding our motorcycle. 🏕️🥾🏍️

Why I Entered Healthcare:
I really enjoyed anatomy and fitness in high school. I started my undergraduate career as a nursing major but quickly learned that it was not for me. I found athletic training again (more on that later!). Athletic training blended my love of athletics and healthcare for active individuals by leveraging my interests in anatomy, human performance enhancement, and helping others. Fun fact: I shadowed an athletic trainer for a day in high school and thought it was boring—I was wrong! I missed seeing all the hustle and excitement that happens before and during practices.

📚 Favorite Class to Teach
Research in Health Sciences

☀️ Summer Activities
Driving my boys to their clients’ homes as they run their small lawn-mowing business.

💡 One Thing Students Should Know:
“Student-centered learning puts the student in the driver’s seat. The student is in charge of their learning while the teacher facilitates learning experiences.”

We’re grateful to have faculty who are passionate about helping students learn, grow, and take ownership of their educational journey.

🌟 Alumni Feature 🌟

This week we are highlighting another amazing Health Sciences Program alumni who is making a difference in the lives of children and families through early intervention services!

Sara Rodriguez is a First Steps Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologist employed through Logan Center. She works with children ages 0–3 who have expressive and receptive language delays and supports families in helping their children communicate and thrive.

Although employed through Logan Center, much of her work takes place out in the community. Early intervention services occur in a child’s natural environment, which may include the home, daycare, library, park, or other community settings. During sessions, caregivers and families are actively involved as communication goals and strategies are discussed, modeled, and practiced together. This collaborative approach helps families feel empowered and confident using communication strategies during everyday routines throughout the week.

💬 Advice for current students:
“You are your best advocate. If you feel like you are not learning the entirety of a subject in a class, speak up. If you feel like you are not being supported by your employers, speak up. If you feel like your clients are not getting the services they deserve, speak up. If you don’t, likely no one will think twice about it.”

❤️ Another important reminder:
“Connection over compliance. Building a strong relationship and trust with your clients and their family will positively impact their progress.”

We are proud to see our alumni making meaningful impacts in their communities every day!

Interested in doing what Sara does? Major in Health Sciences with a concentration in Speech Language Pathology. Then, earn your Master’s degree in SLP. Sara earned hers at Northwestern University.

In Health Sciences, learning goes beyond the classroom.

Our students are challenged to think critically, lead ethically, serve compassionately, and advocate for healthier communities. Through evidence-based practice, service learning, collaboration, and a commitment to health equity, we prepare future professionals to make a meaningful impact at the local, regional, and global levels.

We believe healthcare is more than a profession — it is a responsibility grounded in empathy, lifelong learning, and service to others.

Together, our students and faculty are building a community committed to improving lives through knowledge, compassion, and action.

🌟 Friday Faculty Feature 🌟

This week we are featuring Professor Marlene Wenta.

🏃 Hobbies: Running (especially marathons), camping, traveling, and a guilty pleasure—fun nails!

❤️ Why healthcare?
“Growing up, I watched my father struggle with chronic illness due to an unhealthy lifestyle. That experience inspired a passion for helping individuals with chronic diseases live healthier, quality-filled lives. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, I worked as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist in diagnostic stress testing and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.”

📚 Favorite class to teach:
HSC-S420: Exercise for Special Populations
“I love this class because students learn new skills while working directly with special populations to develop and carry out exercise programs for volunteers.”

☀️ Favorite summer activities:
Camping, reading, and relaxing by the pool.

🎧 One thing students should know:
“I live two hours north of campus in a small community near Lake Michigan, and I love listening to true crime podcasts on my drive to campus—yes, I’m a true crime junkie!”

What do you have in common with Professor Wenta?

We’re proud to spotlight one of our alumni, Melany, and the incredible work she is doing as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)! 💙

Melany graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Promotion.

When asked what she is most proud of in her role, Melany shared:

“Clinical research can be overwhelming, so I take pride in building trust, ensuring participants fully understand their role, and making their experience as smooth as possible. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to contribute to advancements in science and medicine.”

We love seeing our alumni making an impact through patient-centered care, advocacy, and scientific integrity. Thank you, Melany, for representing our program in the Michiana Community so well!

Credit: photo and quote originally posted on South Bend Clinic Clinical Research page.

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember the brave individuals who gave their lives in service to our country.

As a Health Sciences community, we are reminded that service, compassion, and commitment to others are at the heart of what we do. Through learning, collaboration, and care for our communities, we strive to prepare future professionals who lead with empathy and purpose.

Today, we pause in gratitude for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.