Author Archives: mdilwort

Author Archives: mdilwort

Advances in Surgery

Advances in Surgery

On December 25, 1809 surgery took a pioneering step forward.  In December of that year, forty-seven-year-old Jane Crawford of Motley Glenn, Kentucky seemed to be pregnant, although she thought she was too old to have more children.  Her stomach grew and grew – and kept growing, beyond nine months.  At the recommendation of her local doctors, she called upon a physician named Ephraim McDowell, who lived sixty miles away, in Danville.  He came – a two or three day journey by horse – and diagnosed her as having an ovarian tumor rather than a baby.  Realizing that if it were left to grow, she faced a certain, slow, and agonizing death, she asked for it to be removed, and was … Continued
Study Abroad with Open Access (OA)

Study Abroad with Open Access (OA)

It’s important for IU East students to gain a global perspective and one of the best ways to do that is to participate in one of IU East’s many study abroad experiences. The IU East Campus Library provides access to many databases that focus on different cultures and places from around the world and at various points in time. However, we also want to contribute to a culture of open learning and research sharing by providing a list of open access resources inspired by the upcoming study abroad courses at IU East. Open access is an international movement that seeks to grant free and open online access to academic publications, allowing anyone to be able to download, read, and disseminate … Continued
Human Rights in an International World

Human Rights in an International World

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was signed by United Nations members on December 10, 1948 (a day that is now celebrated as Human Rights Day).  Eleanor Roosevelt, the chairwoman of the UN committee that drafted the document, referred to it as humanity’s Magna Carta.  In the wake of the atrocities committed in World War II, there was a strong need to formally define rights in a manner that all nations would understand them in the same way.  The document was based around four core freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want.  In 30 articles, the UDHR spells out individual rights and freedoms to dignity, liberty, and equality, including listing recommended remedies … Continued
Speaking Internationally

Speaking Internationally

IU East offers many study abroad opportunities in countries all over the world.  These can vary in duration – some for as little as a week – and are an excellent opportunity for any student to broaden their cultural horizons.  Scholarships are also available to ensure anyone who wants such an experience can benefit from one.  Countries that have a study abroad opportunity within the next few semesters include Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, England, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Scotland, South Korea, and Spain. In many of these places, English is not the dominant language, and participants might wish to acquire some basic language skills before embarking.  Apart from academic language classes, IU East has a number of do-it-yourself … Continued
Supporting OER in the Classroom

Supporting OER in the Classroom

The Campus Library and the Center for Faculty Development have collaborated to offer the Course Material Transformation Fellowship. The 2022-2023 school year is the first year this fellowship is being awarded at the IU East Campus. Modeled after the IUPUI and IU Bloomington’s Libraries program of the same name, this fellowship supports instructors in their efforts to adopt and create affordable course materials, including open educational resources (OER), library licensed content, and open access materials. This fellowship is being offered in response to the 2021-2023 IU East Campus Strategic Initiative encouraging the use of open educational resources and textbook alternatives under the Enrollment & Student Success focus area. The Fellowship Program aims to:  Lower the cost of college for students … Continued