Terri Hernon
Join us as we welcome Terri Hernon as the new administrative assistant in Applied Health Sciences. Hernon started her new position this January. Before coming to Murray State University, she worked at the West Tennessee Healthcare Volunteer Hospital in Martin, Tennessee as an executive assistant, in human resources, and in contract administration. Hernon was named “employee of the quarter” during her time there. Hernon also has experience working as the office manager for Carey Counseling Center in Union City, Tennessee where she was named “employee of the year;” as a real estate title abstractor for Tri-County Abstract in La Plata, Maryland; and as a loan processor for First State Bank in Union City, Tennessee.
Hernon earned her Bachelor of Science degree in human services in 2016 at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and her Master of Science degree in human services in 2018 through Northeastern University. She is pursuing a second Master of Science degree in library sciences through the University of Kentucky and is on track to graduate in 2022.
“I’m so excited to have joined the School of Nursing and Health Professions family at Murray State,” Said Hernon. “The University holds a special place in my heart. My parents met here as undergraduates and were married for 60 years before my father’s passing. To be able to work in a place that was so special to them is an honor and a privilege.”
Hernon has three daughters: Alyssa (25), Alexis (24) and Elizabeth (18); and three fur daughters, Emmy, Nellie and Blue. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching true crime documentaries, calligraphy, exercising, cooking, music, learning, sports and playing her instrument. Hernon is an oboe player, but learned to play all instruments under the tutelage of her musician parents.
Dr. Kelly Taylor
Join us in welcoming Dr. Kelly Taylor as the new academic fieldwork coordinator and assistant professor in the occupational therapy program. This semester she will teach neurological assessments and interventions as well as clinical practicum II. Before coming to Murray State University Dr. Taylor worked at the nationally renowned Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia as an inpatient occupational therapist and certified brain injury specialist (CBIS) in the acquired brain injury (ABI) unit. While there she worked with adults and adolescents who had traumatic brain injuries and those who had suffered from strokes. She also served as a mentor for newly hired therapy technicians as well as several level II fieldwork students.
At Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri she served as a clinical research specialist for the occupational therapy program. While there she worked with adults with various physiological and cognitive disabilities resulting from neurological injury or illness. She also served as a mentor to second year students, providing them with assessment and treatment planning guidance in the student run stroke clinic.
“My passion for developing students’ learning began during my undergraduate tenure at Murray State when I received my first teaching assistantships,” said Dr. Taylor. “Since then, I have sought out various educator opportunities. I always wanted to be an educator, however I felt becoming a clinician first would afford me the knowledge and experience that textbooks cannot exclusively provide. Ultimately, I strive to be an inspirational and empowering leader rather than simply a reactive manager of students. Through proactively promoting an interdependent learning environment, I want to empower students to drive their learning experiences by using me as a knowledgeable resource.”
Dr. Taylor obtained her Clinical Doctorate of occupational therapy in 2016 from the Washington University School of Medicine, her Master of Science in exercise physiology in 2013 from the University of Kentucky, and her Bachelor of Science in exercise science at Murray State University in 2011. In 2020 she became a certified brain injury specialist with the Brain Injury Association of America. She also completed the American Occupational Therapy Association’s fieldwork educator certification program in July 2020, and has earned advanced competencies in serial casting, splinting, physical agent modalities and therapeutic taping.
Dr. Taylor’s favorite areas of research include: occupational performance and participation in neurological populations; community-based adaptive exercise and sports and recreation for people with disabilities; mobility, disability and exercise; spinal cord injury and health promotion; and technology and rehabilitation integration. Her doctoral research investigated the utility and usability of novel technology to assist with assessment and treatment of fine motor deficits in persons with acquired neurological injuries and was accepted and presented to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM).
After finishing her doctorate, she completed research on the impact of exercise programs on physiological, metabolic, occupational and psychosocial outcomes of adults with spinal cord injuries. And her study to determine the feasibility of using a marker-less motion capture system in inpatient rehabilitation with acquired brain injury populations with visual impairments to reliably assess posture and joint displacement was accepted and presented virtually to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine in 2020.
Originally from Murray, Kentucky, Dr. Taylor has lived outside of western Kentucky for the past decade. She married her high school sweetheart, Travis, while going to occupational therapy school. They have one precious cat, Marbles. In her spare time she enjoys reading, running, hiking, traveling and listening to podcasts. She is also avid fan of sci-fi, especially Star Wars and Harry Potter, and is a frequent flyer at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Keeping up with classes and making time to study can be demanding. Throw a pandemic or snowstorm into the mix and it can add stress to an already daunting schedule. We asked several students for their tips and advice regarding study habits and time management during a pandemic or similar situation. This is what they shared.
Emily Bell
“My first piece of advice would be to maintain your schedule. We all develop our schedule the first few weeks of the semester and when something happens to alter that, it is very easy to become too relaxed and fall behind. However, if you stick to your schedule, the only thing changing is your location. Wake up, brush your teeth, and get ready for the day like you would do if there wasn’t a global pandemic or snowstorm.
“My second piece of advice would be to keep a productivity mindset. It is easy to think we are on a break when classes are remote. There is still work that needs to be done. We need to remain productive, study for our exams and complete our assignments. Work during the same time frame you are used to working. If you have class in the morning and do homework right after, keep that up. You are used to that being your productivity time. If you try to work during your typical relaxation time it can be very difficult to find motivation. Stay on task and stay safe and you’ll get through it!”
Emily Bell
Exercise science senior
Haylee Shevlin
“Studying in nursing school is all about time management. I know that’s something that everyone says, but it really is true. To help myself study, I write out the days I will study so it’s like a homework assignment I have to do. I try to study at least two hours, or more, every day during the week before a test. I don’t try to spend all my days studying because I try to live my life and do other things that make me happy. I think balance is really important to help you do well in school.
“As far as notes go, I write down anything the professor indicates is important, such as when they tend to repeat the same thing a few times. I prefer to type my lecture and book notes, print those out about a week before the test, and start reviewing them along with charts in the book that are related to the topics. I then highlight and add sticky notes to my printed notes with new information I find from taking evolve quizzes or from reviewing chapter charts. It was difficult to keep up with this when we switched to online last Spring, but I made it work by writing out to-do lists every day. During the COVID shutdown, I would take the professor’s learning objectives and make my own study guides based off the textbook’s information. This helped me so much when I was at home. It seems like a lot of work, but it is so worth it.”
Haylee Shevlin
Nursing senior
Sydney Kessler
“Studying and maintaining productivity during a pandemic can be extremely difficult for many students. To add on to the stress of COVID-19, we are then faced with a snowstorm, and it seems that all motivation is lost. We are confined to a space, often a dorm room or place of residence, and sitting on a couch with our phones seems way too tempting. However, there are study patterns and habits that I have adopted that have tremendously helped my productivity.
“One of which is to plan out specific blocks of time for each of my classes. For instance, each night I plan out my day using Google calendar, and I designate certain hours for various tasks and classes. Within this schedule, I make it a priority to add in breaks and free time so I don’t overly exhaust myself and lose motivation. Lastly, I try to plan out my study locations and change them from time to time. I have found that sometimes a change of scenery was just what I needed to boost my motivation.
“Allow your schedule to be flexible and don’t become discouraged if you deviate from the plan. Allow for each day to be a new day, and take each day one step at a time!”
Sydney Kessler
Exercise science senior
Gina Piscatelle
“For me, having a planner is essential to staying organized, especially when unexpected events occur. It helps to ease some of the mental stress by giving me a visual layout of what I need to accomplish and when it is due. At the beginning of each semester I download the syllabi and schedules for each class and write the due dates of all assignments, exams, activities, and family and personal obligations into my planner. I use highlighters to mark each type of item with a specific color to keep things color coded. By doing this, I can immediately tell what is coming up for the day or week. Having a binder with the schedule for each specific class is helpful as well.
“At the beginning of each week, I make a list of what is due and organize it by priority of completion. This allows me to focus on the most pressing items and check them off first before moving on to items that I have more time to complete. I also specify beside each assignment for the week an approximate amount of time, and the date I have allotted for that activity, including time for exam preparation when needed. This helps me to budget my time and allows me to touch on everything that needs to be completed without spending too much time on one thing while neglecting others.
“Finding a quiet space for studying and assignments is challenging at times. If I am unable to find a quiet room, using ear plugs or headphones to block noise helps.”
Gina Piscatelle
Nursing senior
Wesley Belt
“Learning, and more specifically, studying, during a pandemic or a snowstorm is something everyone has had to figure out in the last year. Figuring out how to study during virtual learning is unfortunately going to be an extremely important skill to master for the foreseeable future. Hopefully I can share some tips and advice to help develop your study skills for virtual school. My first piece of advice is to keep a similar schedule to when you are learning in person. If you are normally in class from 9 am to 2 pm, and then spend three hours after working on homework, try to continue that schedule while virtual. Watch lectures from 9 to 2, then complete your assignments. Typically, while virtual, you can complete everything in less time than while in person, so it may not take you that long.
"Second, figure out the study technique that works best for you. I learn best through reading the textbook and taking notes. Maybe you learn best through concept maps or rewriting and consolidating your notes. Whatever it is, find out and consistently use that technique. This could also include a specific environment you learn best in. Lastly, and most importantly, don’t get discouraged. Most professors understand that these are difficult times and are more than willing to help you figure out how to succeed in their class. Utilize their help. Work your hardest and believe in yourself. Understand that you aren’t the only one trying to figure out how to do this ‘online school’ thing. I hope these tips help!"
Wesley Belt
Exercise science senior
Lili Lazaro
“When it comes to studying during a pandemic, or any situation where we are faced with a new ‘normal,’ I find it best to use a planner or some sort of organizer, depending on what you feel the most comfortable with. As far as time management goes, scheduling can be tedious, so I recommend figuring out the best times of the day when you can sit down and study a certain subject, even if it is only for 30 minutes in between classes. If you wait until the end of the day to start an assignment you might be too tired and won’t get as much accomplished. Figure out when you perform and focus the best during the day and plan out assignments and study times during your most active and energetic times. This is different for everyone.
“I also find it beneficial to do one type of assignment one day and a different type of assignment the next. By this, I mean working on smaller homework assignments one day, and then study in larger chunks for quizzes and exams the next day. This way you stay in the grind of doing assignments without losing momentum or getting bored doing the same thing. If you are a person who enjoys background music, I recommend looking up music playlists on YouTube to fit your mood. Sometimes instrumentals or other music without vocals can help you focus because it fills in silence and blocks out background noise without being distracting.”
Lili Lazaro
Nutrition and foods sophomore
Emily Weber
“My biggest tip for time management and studying while we do not have in person classes is to make a to do list, and then schedule specific items for the day. In my planner I create a master to-do list of all the things I need to get done during the week. This gives me a visual of everything I need to do. This also gives me the satisfaction of crossing something off when it is complete.
“I try to schedule a couple big things to do during each day, and once I finish what I need to do for the day, I give myself time to relax and do the things I enjoy. For example, one day last week I read a chapter for med-surg, practiced interview questions, and completed my clinical obligations. Once I had crossed them off my list, I didn’t make myself think about school for the rest of the day. I got to feel good about getting the work done, and I didn’t get burnt out. It’s all about not letting things stack up.”
Emily Weber
Nursing senior
Students and faculty volunteer at regional vaccination clinic
The CFSB Center on Murray State University’s campus was approved as a new regional COVID-19 vaccination site in Kentucky. Calloway County Health Department is leading the effort along with assistance from its partners such as Murray State University, including nursing faculty and students, Murray Calloway County Hospital, and Village Medical/Primary Care.
Murray State nursing students and faculty have been an integral part of the vaccination team. Thus far, they have worked at both of the clinics offered and will participate in future vaccination clinics. Nursing students have been involved with a variety of activities including assisting clients from the parking lot into the CFSB Center, taking temperatures at the door, administering vaccines and monitoring clients.
Pictured is a nursing student administering a vaccine at one of the clinics.
School of Nursing & Health Professions
Our school offers many different health careers that offer you the opportunity to influence the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Website: http://www.murraystate.edu/sonhp
Location: 120 Mason Hall, Murray, KY 42071
Phone: 270-809-2193
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Twitter: @MsuSonhp