Fall 2020 - Welcome to The Pursuit, the newsletter for alumni of New York Chiropractic College. Each trimester, The Pursuit will share the latest NYCC news and initiatives, highlight great events, and tell the stories of outstanding NYCC students, faculty, staff, and alumni as they pursue academic excellence, leadership, and professional best practices.

President's Message | Articles | True Blue | Alumni Notes | NYCC News

President's Message

President Mike Mestan, D.C., Ed.D.

The past months have certainly been, for all of us, a challenging and uncertain time. As healthcare professionals, we have struggled to watch as a new, very serious threat to our world's wellness has emerged. As individuals, we have felt deep concern for our families and loved ones, and the communities in which we live. And as a College, we have experienced an unprecedented period of mandatory facilities shut-downs, unexpected shifts to remote learning, and numerous new protocols and requirements to navigate.

Today I write to you from my office on the Seneca Falls campus, where I am pleased to share that we have already begun the Fall trimester — on campus. Of course, this is a tri unlike any other! The NYCC faculty and staff have done incredible work finding innovative solutions to today's issues, and our students have returned to a campus that looks a bit different yet still delivers the outstanding healthcare education they need. As you'll read in this edition of "The Pursuit," changes include a move to a hybrid curriculum format, with students attending lectures online and hands-on practice on campus; creative use of campus spaces, like transforming the gymnasium into a full (and physically distanced) technique classroom; establishment of increased sanitation and disinfection procedures, and more. I could not be more proud of our College, and of our shared dedication to academic excellence, leadership, and professional best practices — even in the most unusual of circumstances.

The public health crisis is not over, and we know we likely still have challenges ahead. But I am grateful for the strength, smarts and resilience of our #NYCCBlue community. I am confident that together we will weather this storm and emerge to continue our important work: educating the outstanding healthcare professionals that our world clearly needs, now more than ever.

Best,
Dr. Michael Mestan
President, New York Chiropractic College

NYCC Transformed: Students Return for a Safe Fall Trimester

NYCC Summer Ceremonies Celebrate Students in New Ways

NYCC Makes a Difference: Erin & Frankie's Stories 

True Blue: The People of NYCC

Ashley Williams wearing her white coat

Hometown: Oklahoma City
Undergrad degree: Bachelor's degrees in engineering physics (Jacksonville University) and civil engineering (Columbia University)
About Ashley: As a professional "ninja-in-residence," Ashley Williams used to teach children to maneuver obstacle courses at the Brooklyn Zoo. She was, after all, a two-time competitor on "American Ninja Warrior," the popular, high-octane TV series. Today, she’s an NYCC student clerk at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Read more about Ashley's journey >>

Viet Nguyen headshot

Meet Viet Nguyen (D.C. '01)

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Words of Wisdom: "In our profession, every action we do, every action that I was taught to do as a chiropractor, is to improve the quality of our patients' lives so they can live better — from the treatments to the recommendations and the diagnosis to the follow-ups, and of course, the caring."
Read more about how Dr. Nguyen shifted to support vulnerable populations during the pandemic >>

Meet Dr. Lisa Bloom (D.C. '87)

Dr. Lisa Bloom (D.C. '87) with NYCC president Dr. Mike Mestan

Professor Emeritus, Chiropractic

Dr. Lisa Bloom (D.C. '87) holds a much-honored, and rare, title — professor emeritus. Only two people before Bloom have been bestowed with the honor at NYCC. Her exceptional work, most recently as assistant dean of preclinical chiropractic education, and her commitment to the entire NYCC community earned her the distinction.

Read more about Dr. Bloom's story >>