Select Page
header image for ACRM Spinal Cord Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group

SCI-ISIG Call for Nominations is CLOSED

 

An Election Ballot was sent to each Spinal Cord Injury-ISIG member in good standing via Survey Monkey.

Chair-Elect Candidate

 

Gino Panza, PhD, CSCS Assistant Professor, Department of Health Care Sciences Program of Occupational Therapy, Wayne State University, Health Science Specialist, John D Dingell VA Medical Center

Gino Panza, PhD, CSCSBIO: Dr. Panza is an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University in the Department of Health Care Sciences Program of Occupational Therapy. Dr. Panza is also a Health Science Specialist at the John D Dingell VA Medical Center. Dr. Panza’s training is in exercise physiologist and his PhD is in Rehabilitation Science where he specialized in developing and implementing an overground locomotor training program for individuals with motor incomplete spinal cord injury. His focus was on the cardiorespiratory responses to continuous treadmill walking before and after overground locomotor training with a specific focus on the kinetic profile of breathing during exercise. As a Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Panza investigated the impact of mild intermittent hypoxia on blood pressure control and sleep quality in those with untreated sleep apnea and hypertension. He is now funded to determine the impact of mild intermittent hypoxia on autonomic dysreflexia and orthostatic hypotension in individuals with motor incomplete spinal cord injury and signs or symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. Dr. Panza also has an interest in exploring the impact of untreated sleep disordered breathing on rehabilitation related outcomes in neurological populations and has published the conceptual paper in Archives in 2022. Additionally, Dr. Panza is interested in investigating the utility of wearable devices to augment healthcare by improving our understanding of day-to-day autonomic function, as well as provide an avenue for individuals to be active in their healthcare plan. 

Your Contributions to ACRM and Your Group (ISIG, NG, Group)
Dr. Panza has been a member of ACRM since 2016, and a member of the SCI-ISIG since 2018. Dr. Panza has been chair of the SCI-ISIG Physical Function and Wellness Task Force since 2020.

Why you would like this position, strength you bring to position
If elected to this position, my goal is to increase the collaborative effort among the various task forces to produce peer-reviewed materials aimed at identifying weaknesses in the SCI literature and provide suggestions on how to improve these weaknesses from the perspectives of the various task forces.

 

Secretary Candidate

 

Keara McNair, MS, OTR/L, BCPR, ATP
Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program, Rutgers University/Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation

Keara McNair, MS, OTR/L, BCPR, ATPKeara McNair has practiced occupational therapy for over thirteen years, primarily working in the inpatient rehabilitation setting, with specialization in spinal cord injury, ventilator-dependent respiratory failure, and complex medical conditions. Ms. McNair is currently pursuing her PhD in Health Sciences with a concentration in health professions leadership. She currently holds dual positions as clinical faculty within the Rutgers University Occupational Therapy Doctorate program as well as a per diem occupational therapist advanced clinical specialist at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. McNair obtained Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation through the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) in 2017 and the advanced certification of Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) in 2019.

McNair has been an active member of the ACRM SCI-ISIG since 2019 and has served as the Non-Traumatic SCI Task Force chair since 2021. McNair has been an active member of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Education Committee and has served as the lead of the Non-Traumatic SCI Subcommittee since 2022.

She has presented alongside the ACRM SCI-ISIG members at the ACRM conference in 2020, 2021, 2022, and is scheduled to present two symposia in 2024. McNair’s current research focuses on development and implementation of community-based rehabilitation models for young adults with spinal cord injury to support the transition to adulthood. If elected to the office of secretary for the SCI-ISIG, McNair will expand her ongoing efforts to collaborate with experts in the field of SCI across ACRM and other national and international organizations to share resources, expand knowledge, and translate evidence into practice through collective education and research.

 

 

NOMINATION PROCEDURE – NOW CLOSED

All candidates must be or become an active ACRM member in good standing and current member of SCI-ISIG. All nominations should be emailed to Denise Fyffe, dfyffe@kesslerfoundation.org SCI-ISIG Past Chair and Nominating Committee Chair, to include the following:

  • The Officer position for which the candidate is nominated.
  • The name of the candidate, with credentials
  • Candidate’s title and affiliation
  • Candidate’s CV

 

Criteria for SCI-ISIG Executive Committee Members

  • Active ACRM member in good standing and member of SCI-ISIG
  • Knowledgeable about and supportive of the ACRM & SCI-ISIG mission and objectives
  • Demonstrate a special commitment to ACRM & SCI-ISIG through tenure of membership and participation in the organization.
  • Ability to accomplish tasks on schedule and to work effectively with other people
  • Understand and agree to the necessary commitment of time and community activities

The successful officers will assume their positions during the SCI-ISIG Business Meeting which occurs during the 101st ACRM Annual Fall Conference on 31 October – 3 November in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole, following notification and confirmation of acceptance.

 

2024 Elections are in Process for the following positions:

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Chair Elect 

Responsibilities:
The Chair-Elect shall act to obtain the greatest possible acquaintanceship with the affairs and membership of the SCI-ISIG so as to effectively and efficiently fulfill the office of Chair upon his/her succession. The Chair-Elect shall preside at general or business meetings in the absence of the Chair and shall succeed to the office of the Chair in the event of removal of the Chair for reasons stated within these Rules of Governance. The Chair-Elect will serve on the Nominating Committee.

Term:
The Chair-Elect holds office for two (2) years. At the end of his/her term, the Chair – Elect will automatically assume the Chair position for two years at the conclusion of the annual business meeting.

 

Secretary

Responsibilities:
The Secretary shall maintain a correct and permanent record of the meetings and transactions of the SCI-ISIG including minutes of all meetings, financial reports, correspondence by SCI-ISIG officers, budget, committee and task force reports, membership records and the like.

The Secretary will also assume responsibility for reviewing and preserving the SCI-ISIG Rules of Governance with regard to legality, integrity and consistency within itself and with the existing by-laws of the ACRM and preparing modifications in appropriate form for the membership’s input and approval.

Term:
The Secretary holds office for two (2) years. This position can be extended for two (2) optional two-year terms if agreed upon by the Secretary and Executive Board and voted upon by the general membership.

 

Skip to content