Faculty and Staff
Collaboration for InterProfessional Health Education Research & Scholarship (CIPHERS)
CIPHERS is in initiative to facilitate interprofessional collaboration in the Health Sciences and beyond. CIPHERS aspires to become a space where scholars can learn, share ideas, expand collegial networks, and collaborate on projects. Our programming and consult services support faculty as they develop their skills in educational research and scholarship, facilitating their ability to develop and disseminate educational innovations through presentations and publication.
CIPHERS was founded in 2020 with the support of Dr. Tomkowiak, the College of Medicine’s founding Dean, and Dr. John Roll, Professor and Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Initiatives at WSU Health Sciences. Dr. Dawn DeWitt, the founding Director, is a Professor and Senior Associate Dean in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES
CIPHERS aims to build capacity within the College of Medicine and across WSU to foster a connected, productive, and engaged community of health education scholars.
Contact Us
CIPHERS Education Scholars Program 2023–2024
APPLY NOW!
Applications Due: Friday, June 9, 2023.
Course dates: Monthly sessions from October 2023 – May 2024.
Call for Applicants: The Education Scholars Program (ESP) is a longitudinal faculty development program aimed at WSU health professions faculty who want to develop their skills in education scholarship.
Get Engaged
CIPHERS offers one-on-one meetings and consultations to help faculty advance their scholarship aspirations. These 1-hour consultations provide an opportunity to meet with Drs. Dawn DeWitt, CIPHERS Director, and Erin Griffin, Scholarly Associate Professor and Director of Evaluation, and ask questions related to health professions research and scholarship, brainstorm projects in mind, solicit advice regarding next steps, etc.
Participants are asked to submit a paragraph summary of their project idea (if applicable) or supporting materials prior to the meeting to maximize the value of this time.
Following the consultation, participants receive a tailored ‘consult report’ that provides an overview of the Discussion, Additional Notes, Recommendations, Action Items, and Next Steps. Additionally, participants may opt to:
- Schedule a follow-up meeting(s)
- Receive brief check-in emails regarding Action Item progress
- Request support to develop and adhere to a timeline
Purpose and Confidentiality:
- Consultations are designed to provide expert advice regarding the tools, methods, data, and editorial support you might need to successfully complete and disseminate your work.
- Consultations are confidential (with respect to ideas and intellectual property) and do not entitle internal consultants to authorship.
Dr. Dawn DeWitt has been a “shoe-string” researcher in medical education for over 25 years – aided by mentors and a Certificate in Medical Education. In addition to authoring and editing book chapters and books, she has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers on a variety of subjects. One of her first research mentors told her it was important to “focus on one area in order to be successful.” Always curious, she admits that she never really mastered that “focus” advice, but hopes her breadth of experience might be of use to others. After mentoring many student and faculty members on projects and papers over the years, she acknowledges that research, writing, and publishing is “hard work,” but is looking forward to collaborating and helping forward the CIPHERS mission.
Dr. Erin Griffin is an innovative researcher with background in medical education, epidemiology, and data science. She has over 2 decades of applied experience developing, conducting, and publishing outcomes-based research in medical education. Dr. Griffin is a passionate coach and collaborator with a mission to advancing research competency and scholarly productivity. Dr. Griffin is a self-confessed ‘nerd with a heart’ with a signature style of bringing the rigors of science and analytics to life through the arts of communication and connection. For more information about Dr. Griffin’s professional background and expertise, please visit her LinkedIn Profile.
Request a Consultation
Please send an email to Jennifer Anderson to schedule a consultation.
Resources
CIPHERS has developed materials that support interprofessional education (IPE) research, scholarship, and professional development (see below), all of which are available on CIPHERS SharePoint page. If you would like permission to access the page, please contact Jennifer Anderson.
- Funding sources
- Publication venues
- A Reference Library
- Resources for Scholars
- Calendar of upcoming meetings and conferences, including registration and abstract submission deadlines
- An archive of slides from the Visiting Professor series
More information about WSU Health Sciences’ interprofessional education efforts can be found here.
Scholarly Activity Publications
Wilson, M., Bray, B.S., Remsberg, C.M., Kobayashi, R., Richardson, B.A. (2021) Interprofessional education on opioid use and pain identifies team-based learning needs. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. Epub ahead of print January 12, 2021
Funding Opportunities
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Implementation (RCORP-Implementation)—March 12.
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will be making approximately 78 awards of $1 million each to rural communities to enhance substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), service delivery. Over the course of a three-year period of performance, grant recipients will implement a set of core prevention, treatment, and recovery activities that align with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Five-Point Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis.
Our Team
Dawn Elise DeWitt, MD, MSC, MACP, FRACP, Cert Med Ed
Professor and Senior Associate Dean, Director for Collaboration for InterProfessional Health Education Research & Scholarship (CIPHERS)
dawn.dewitt@wsu.edu
509-368-6841 | PROFILE
Jennifer Anderson
Coordinator, Collaboration for InterProfessional Health Education Research & Scholarship (CIPHERS)
jennifer.c.anderson@wsu.edu
509-368-6933
CIPHERS Members
Brenda S. Bray, BPharm, MPH
Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation
bbray@wsu.edu
509-368-6919 | PROFILE
Tracy Klein, PhD, MSN, BSN
Associate Professor, Nursing
taklein@wsu.edu
360-546-9142 | PROFILE
Connie Remsberg, PhD, PharmD
Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
cremsberg@wsu.edu
509-358-7752 | PROFILE
Barbara Richardson, PhD, MN, BSN
Director, Interprofessional Education & Research
barichardson@wsu.edu
509-324-7230 | PROFILE
Marian Wilson, PhD
Associate Professor, Nursing
marian.wilson@wsu.edu
509-324-7443 | PROFILE