Skip to content

HARRISBURG, PA – Welcome to your January 2025 Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) Research Roundup! Our talented faculty and alumni have been busy presenting at conferences, publishing boundary-pushing research, and building fruitful partnerships with other schools, agencies, and organizations. It’s been a great month for research and recognition at HU, so let’s get to it!

1. Teray Johnson and Sameh Shamroukh Publish Healthcare Analytics Book

Two Harrisburg University Analytics professors, Teray Johnson, Ph.D., MS, MBA, and Sameh Shamroukh, Ph.D., have co-authored a healthcare analytics book entitled, Revolutionizing Healthcare: The Power of Data Analytics to Improve Outcomes and Cost Reduction. Dr. Johnson has the distinction of being not just an instructor of Analytics at Harrisburg University, but also an HU alumnus; she holds both a Master of Science in Analytics and a Doctor of Philosophy in Data Science.

“Dr. Shamroukh and I wrote this book together because we are inspired by the power of analytics to revolutionize healthcare,” Dr. Johnson explained. “Healthcare has an abundance of data, but we noticed that healthcare leaders often do not know where to start with using data, especially harnessing its power to improve patient care and employee satisfaction. To address this gap, the book focuses on using analytics, such as descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, in the context of healthcare organizations to drive decision-making and patient care.”

The book provides definitions and tangible examples so that even those who are new to analytics can understand these important terms. “We also write about emerging trends, such as generative AI, and the importance of security. The book concludes with several real-world examples and case studies to show leaders, both new and experienced in analytics, how to integrate data-driven care into their own organizations. The aim of the book is to equip healthcare professionals, leaders, and stakeholders with the knowledge to leverage data’s potential.”

Analytics is necessary, especially in today’s data-rich world, because of the vast number of critical decisions healthcare leaders and professionals make daily. Dr. Johnson added: “They rightly lean on previous experiences, but this book further strengthens their decision-making skills and equips them to foster a data-driven culture. By using analytics to understand what drives patient satisfaction and employee retention, and improves patient care, healthcare leaders and professionals can continue to provide high-quality services to all stakeholders involved in their organizations.”

2. Jacqueline Kopack Defends Dissertation, Earns Doctor of Education Degree

In Fall 2024, Jacqueline Klaczak Kopack, PT, DPT, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, successfully completed and defended her dissertation, Exploring Faculty Perceptions of Successes, Challenges, and Resources for Teaching Collaborative Skills in Doctor of Physical Therapy Intraprofessional Education, and earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in December 2024.

Dr. Kopack explained: “Throughout my career, I have witnessed the positive impact of respectful collaboration and deeply value the role of PTAs [Physical Therapist Assistants] within the physical therapy team. However, as a former PTA Program Director, I observed instances where teams were not adequately prepared to collaborate effectively.”

Collaboration is essential for effective healthcare delivery, and academic preparation is crucial in improving readiness for clinical practice. But limited research on intraprofessional DPT-PTA education highlights inconsistencies in preparing DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) students to collaborate with and oversee PTAs.

“My qualitative study examined DPT faculty perceptions of integrating intraprofessional education into their curriculum. Faculty reported that collaborative training enhanced students’ understanding of PTA roles, delegation, and supervision. Successful integration required faculty support, adequate resources, and proactive communication to address hierarchical conflicts. Challenges included logistical barriers, limited faculty resources, academic readiness, power dynamics, and reliance on clinical placements.”

The study emphasized the need for dedicated resources, faculty collaboration, support from professional organizations, and ongoing research to better prepare DPT students for collaboration and clinical practice. “I look forward to integrating this training into our developing* DPT program to enhance graduates’ clinical readiness and contribute to advancing this field!”

3. Anthony Ortega and Greg Loring-Albright Publish Original Tabletop RPG

Greg Loring-Albright, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Game Studies & Design, and Anthony Ortega, Instructor in HU’s Game Design and Interactive Media programs, co-authored a publication in a new open-access collection entitled, Roll for Learning: 51 Micro Tabletop Role-Playing Games to Use in the Classroom. The pair contributed an original role-playing game (RPG) called No Place Like Home, which seeks to engage players aged 15 and beyond in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts. Professors Loring-Albright and Ortega both teach in the Interactive Media and Game Design programs, and they co-teach the annual Tabletop Game Design Studio elective.

No Place Like Home is a worldbuilding game where players explore a fictional exoplanet to learn about geology, astronomy, and related disciplines. The game was playtested with Harrisburg University Environmental Science students, and their feedback was invaluable for ensuring the game teaches what it intends to teach.

Professor Ortega says the idea was to allow players to create their own planets while adhering to as much established science as possible. “It almost feels like character creation to me; scientists have found some truly crazy planets that defy imagination. And one of the challenging parts of being a scientist is explaining how something could work the way it does, using whatever knowledge and resources they have at their disposal.”

This concept paired perfectly with tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs), which tend to focus on storytelling and character development. “It made sense to give players an opportunity to not only create new worlds but to try and make sense of them using established science,” Professor Ortega said. From there, they had to fine-tune the system to fit within the requirements of the organizing body; all designs had to be “micro” TTRPGs, so the game rules themselves couldn’t be more than three pages.

“RPG design is something that’s been interesting to me as a board game designer,” said Dr. Loring-Albright. “Using game systems to fuel player storytelling is such a compelling overlap. It was a fun challenge to co-create No Place Like Home, where these procedurally generated story elements serve to fuel a discussion about real-world scientific practices and discoveries. Tony and I became friends through game design before I came to HU, playtesting each other’s designs at local board game meetups. It was a real joy to collaborate with him on this project.”

Professor Ortega concluded: “I was trying to provide an interesting way to have fun while improving critical thinking and research skills. I love going down research rabbit holes, and the students who have the most fun with this will be the ones who are also just naturally curious about how things work.”

4. Heather Tidwell Invited to Join Exclusive NAEH Homelessness Research Network

Heather Tidwell, Instructor of General Education at Harrisburg University and doctoral candidate in Prevention Science at Wilmington University, has been invited to join the Homelessness Research Network – an exclusive group of leading researchers and practitioners organized by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH).

“This exclusive invitation is a tremendous honor and a testament to the importance of research in homelessness prevention,” said Professor Tidwell. “I am excited to collaborate with this elite network to advance my research on the impact of high Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores on homelessness and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing client-focused case management.”

ACEs refer to traumatic events in childhood – such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction – that can have long-term negative effects on health, behavior, and socioeconomic stability. High ACE scores are often linked to increased risks of homelessness due to factors like mental health struggles, substance use, and difficulty maintaining stable employment. AI-driven tools could help social workers and service providers personalize their interventions, predict risks, and streamline support services, leading to more effective, client-centered care.

With fewer than 500 members nationwide, the NAEH Homelessness Research Network offers unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and influence in the field.

ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY

Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on XLinkedInInstagram, and Facebook.

*Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website. Harrisburg University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on May 1, 2025. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation. CAPTE accreditation site visit Summer 2028; inaugural cohort graduation December 2028; first licensure examination date available to graduates January 2029; and CAPTE accreditation decision expected in Fall 2028.