Three SECD students awarded grants from Center for Transformative Teaching

29 Mar 2022     By Kelcey Buck

Karissa Boesiger, Bailey Jones and Claire Kubicek were among the nine Husker students who were awarded Undergraduate Experiential Learning Projects Grant funding offered by the Center for Transformative Teaching. 

Boesiger (Lincoln, Nebraska), Jones (Bennington, Nebraska) and Kubicek (Friend, Nebraska) are all seniors majoring in communication sciences and disorders. They will use the grant funding to cover travel and lodging for the Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders (GFPD) Family and Scientific Conference June 15-19 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Funds that were previously reserved to cover those costs will now be used toward conference planning and activities for the Warrior Camp participants. 

“I have been involved with the Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders since my sophomore year and I have learned so much about the rare disease community,” Jones said. “We recruit passionate students to provide care for individuals with peroxisomal disorders at our conference. We aim to provide students with a rich hands-on learning experience directly related to the fields of speech-language pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other professions.” 

Peroxisomal disorders are rare, genetic, terminal conditions that affect all major organ systems of the body. The GFPD aims to improve the lives of individuals with peroxisomal disorders by funding research, championing scientific collaboration, and empowering families and professionals through educational programs and support services. The biennial Family and Scientific Conferences bring together families and professionals from around the world to meet and collaborate on ways to improve the lives of patients with peroxisomal disorders. 

The grant from the Center for Transformative Teaching was created and offered for the first time this year with funds up to $1,000 awarded to support students in exploring experiential learning activities where knowledge and skills learned in the classroom are transferred into real-world problem-solving contexts and career readiness.