Dr. Jennifer Arnold, medical director for the Simulation Center at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, and television personality on The Learning Channel’s docu-drama “The Little Couple” will headline the 2018 installment of the Archie McDonald Speaker Series at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Arnold, who is board certified in neonatal medicine, earned her medical degree in 2000 from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and later attended a Pediatric Residency Program at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
She has been involved in simulation education, patient safety and research endeavors for the past 10 years. Her simulation areas of interest include use of simulation for evaluating new clinical spaces, team training, improving quality and patient safety, advancing home care and skills for primary caregivers of medically complex children, and developing educational curricula for various departments throughout the hospital.
The speaker series event is free and scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on the SFA campus. A private reception for 100 guests will be held prior to the main event. Private reception tickets can be purchased by contacting April Smith, SFA associate director of development, at (936) 468-5406.
“Dr. Arnold has spoken nationally and internationally on healthcare simulation and has been a speaker on topics about overcoming obstacles,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, SFA provost and vice president for academic affairs. “She is a dedicated physician who has trained and worked in prominent and highly ranked U.S. healthcare institutions. We are pleased to welcome her to campus and join us for our 2018 Archie McDonald Speaker Series.”
Arnold serves on the executive boards for the Center for Medical Simulation in Boston, the International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research and Education, and OpHeart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving care of children with complex congenital heart disease. She is a national ambassador for Speak Now for Kids through the Children’s Hospital Association. In addition, she is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the International Pediatric Simulation Society.
Arnold has a rare type of dwarfism, Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, Strudwick type, which has resulted in more than 30 surgeries. She is a four-year cancer survivor.
Along with her husband Bill, and their children, Will and Zoey, Arnold is featured on The Learning Channel’s docu-drama, “The Little Couple,” which follows the family’s personal and professional lives.
The Archie McDonald Speaker Series was created in 2010 by SFA’s College of Liberal and Applied Arts. Dr. Brian Murphy, dean of the college, designed the event to honor and preserve the legacy of Dr. Archie McDonald as a distinguished scholar, educator and community commentator. In the tradition of McDonald’s writings and oral presentations, a prominent national figure is hosted annually at SFA to discuss contemporary cultural issues.
McDonald taught history at SFA for 48 years and served as director of the East Texas Historical Association and editor of the association’s journal for 37 years. He was a past president of the Texas State Historical Association, past vice chair of the Texas Historical Commission and author/editor of more than 20 books on historical topics. Along with teaching, he was a commentator on Red River Radio in Shreveport and wrote a weekly column for area newspapers. He passed away Aug. 16, 2012.
McDonald participated in the first three events in the speaker series, interviewing former heavyweight champion boxer and iconic businessman George Foreman, Apollo 12 astronaut and professional artist Alan Bean, and 61st U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III. Additional guests have included former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Grammy award-winning singer, composer and actor Lyle Lovett, Olympic All-Around Gold Medal winner in gymnastics Mary Lou Retton, legendary head football coach Gene Stallings, and noted presidential historian Douglas Brinkley.
SFA’s Student Government Association sponsors the speaker series, which is open to the public. Passes may be obtained at the Involvement Center on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus or at the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 200 East Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-5406.
Submitted by Donna Parish, assistant director for creative services at Stephen F. Austin State University.
