Jefferson Humanities & Health

Tuesday, September 2, 12-1PM, Jefferson Alumni Hall Room 207. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

This talk will revisit the 5 books that gave physicians their professional identity, the first three of which are actually linked to the old medical school of Padua: 1)Vesalius' Fabrica; 2) Harvey's De Motu Cordis; 3)Morgagni's De Sedibus; 4) Laennec's Auscultation Médiate; 5) and Virchow's Cell Pathology. These 5 books not only provided physicans with anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, physical exam, and pathology – i.e. the foundations of the first three years of medical education in Europe -- but also taught physicians skepticism, the scientific method, clinico-pathologic correlation, bedside diagnosis, and the need to always challenge authority and remain both culturally eclectic and socially active.

Presenter:

SALVATORE MANGIONE, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the SKMC of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he also directs the Humanities and History of Medicine courses.

Questions? Email Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Wednesday, September 3, 5-7PM, BLSB 105. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '2028, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture is a "crash course" on communicating with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States. You will learn about Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other relevant laws, communication tips and strategies (including how you can use the technology you already have at your fingertips to better communicate), and how to work with a sign language interpreter.

Presenters: Tanya Sturgis (Director of Community Programs & Advocacy, DHCC), Karen Kennedy (Education Manager, DHCC), and Janie Stephan (Director of Interpreting Services, DHCC)

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the JMD 153 or JMD 252 Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Email Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Monday, September 15, BLSB 107, 5-6:30PM. Light dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students.

In the first workshop of this series, we will focus on grounding and centering skills. The group will utilize art, music and movement and each participant will leave with a set of tools and skills that can be applied as needed throughout the school year.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Tuesday, September 16, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Open to Jefferson students. Lunch provided.

Join us for a discussion of "Igniting our Power by Reclaiming Our Intimacy" by Ashley Volion and Akemi Nishida from Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire, edited by Alice Wong.

What is intimacy? More than sex, more than romantic love, the pieces in this anthology offer broader and more inclusive definitions of what it can mean to be intimate with another person. Explorations of caregiving, community, access, and friendship offer us alternative ways of thinking about the connections we form with others—a vital reimagining in an era when forced physical distance is at times a necessary norm.

Access the reading here. Copies of Disability Intimacy will be available for students after the discussion.

Facilitator:

Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session. To access the reading, participants must visit the Health Humanities Reading Group module in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Canvas. Most Asano students are already users in the Humanities & Health Canvas course. If that is not the case, participants may email Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Tuesday, September 16, 5-6:30PM, JAH 207. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff. Light refreshments provided.

Every person has a story. In this candid conversation series, we’ll talk with community members about their real experiences at the intersection of healthcare, wellbeing and identity. Each guest brings unique insights and expertise into problems of health that span social and clinical dimensions, and engage questions of access, equity and justice. Sessions will be led by an interprofessional team of Jefferson student moderators and include interactive Q&A with attendees.

Special guest: Eddie Dunn

In 2014, while experiencing homelessness and using drugs in Philadelphia, Eddie Dunn met artist Willie Baronet and was featured in Baronet’s documentary film, Signs of Humanity. Months later, while in recovery, Dunn reconnected with Baronet and shared how his life had changed, ultimately joining Baronet for a series of public events geared toward fighting stigma around homelessness and opioid use disorder. In 2017, the pair teamed up with Jefferson professor of Population Health Rosie Frasso and have worked together on several arts-informed projects designed to shed light on the challenges faced by people in need. 

Community Voices is presented by the Jefferson College of Population Health, the Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education, and Jefferson Humanities & Health.

Questions? Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs.

Wednesday, September 17, 5-6PM, Online via Zoom. Free and open to all. This Zoom webinar will be ASL interpreted, and CART captioned.

Join us for a moderated conversation with Alice Wong, editor of Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire, exploring how trust shapes our most meaningful connections. Through discussions of caregiving, community, access, friendship and sexuality, this dialogue will reimagine intimacy as part of this year's Jefferson Humanities Forum theme of Trust, offering inclusive perspectives on the bonds we form with others.

Alice Wong (she/her) is a disabled activist, writer, media maker, and consultant. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. Alice is the editor of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, an anthology of essays by disabled people and Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories for Today, an adapted version for young adults. Her debut memoir, Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life is available now from Vintage Books. Disability Intimacy is her most recent anthology.

During 2025-2026, the Jefferson Humanities Forum hosts multidisciplinary scholars and thinkers to investigate the theme of Trust. This event is co-presented by Jefferson Humanities & Health and the Jefferson College of College of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Questions and accommodations requests? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Wednesday, September 17, 5-7PM, BLSB 105. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '28, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture will cover essential and helpful terms regarding using American Sign Language (ASL) in the medical setting. You will learn how to better communicate with Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in a medical setting, and other tools beyond ASL.

Presenters: Karen Kennedy (Education Program Manager, DHCC) and Emily Claveau, M.S.Ed, (Certified Deaf Interpreter)

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Friday, September 19, 12-1PM, BLSB 105. Open to Jefferson students.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '28, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

Facilitated by SKMC student liaison for DEAFMed Allie Capik, Class of 2028

Join us for an informal signing session. We will practice basic signs that you can use when communicating with DHH individuals in medical and non-medical settings.

DeafMed: Signing Time can only be counted once towards the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Thursday, September 25, 12-1PM, Eakins Lounge. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Sydelle Ross, MD, D.ABA is an anesthesiologist and pain specialist who currently practices hospice and palliative medicine. As a classical and jazz vocalist, she  incorporates music into her medical practice to provide comfort to patients and their loved ones in the context of  serious illness.  Dr. Ross also harnesses the power of music to mitigate the effects of burnout syndrome and promote resilience among healthcare workers.  

Dr. Ross has shared her work at the intersection of the arts and health at various conferences in the US and abroad.  Her work has also been featured in the acclaimed publication entitled Artists Remaking Medicine-The Practice of Imagination and the Power to Create a Better Healthcare Future. 

Dr. Ross serves on various arts in health committees and organizations, including the Music & Medicine Committee of the American Medical Women’s Association, and the International Association of Music and Medicine. 

Friday, September 26, 12-1PM, Hamilton 208/209. Open to Jefferson students.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '28, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

Facilitated by SKMC student liaison for DEAFMed Allie Capik, Class of 2028

Join us for an informal signing session. We will practice basic signs that you can use when communicating with DHH individuals in medical and non-medical settings.

DeafMed: Signing Time can only be counted once towards the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Monday, October 6, 12-1PM, JAH 407. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

A microaggression is an unintentional and unconscious action that can negatively affect our day-to-day human interactions. They cause real harm to individuals. There is a large amount of evidence that it can be a major factor in the creation of disparities in the healthcare environment that can ultimately lead to patient-care disparities.

In this session, we will define microaggressions, its documented effects in medicine, the concept of silent collusion, and the steps one can take to disarm the effects of microaggression.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Define microaggressions.

• Give two examples of how microaggressions affect the patient care environment.

• Define “silent collusion.”

• Name at least three techniques to address a witnessed microaggression.

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Monday, October 6, 5-6:30PM, BLSB 107. Light dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

In this in-person workshop, participants will use art, sound, movement, and mindfulness practices to anchor in our connection to the natural world. Participants are asked to please bring a photo of or an actual item from nature that you are drawn to or connect with, and paper/something with which to write. Weather permitting, we may do some of these exercises outdoors.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Tuesday, October 7, 12-1PM, Jefferson Alumni Hall Room 207. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff. Lunch provided.

Join us for Our Words Matter: A Guide to Reducing Stigma and Bias in Clinical Communication, facilitated by Dr. Megan Healy, MD, Professor, Clinical Emergency Medicine, Assistant Program Director, Emergency Medicine Residency, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Dr. Healy will review best practices in patient-centered languate to reduce stigma, improve the patient-physician alliance, and advance health equity.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Thuesday, October 9, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Bring your questions about how to write about the Humanities programs you plan to attend during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio.

We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you have been collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Shawn Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Director for Writing Services, Office of Academic & Career Success. 

Participants who have already attended the Asano Humanities Portfolio session on August 19 for Asano credit are not eligible to count this session for Asano credit.

Tuesday, October 14, 12-1PM. Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Join us for a discussion of an excerpt from Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery by Annie Liontas.

After suffering multiple concussions, Annie Liontas shares what it means to be one of the “walking wounded” in Sex with a Brain Injury. Liontas weaves history, philosophy, and personal accounts to interrogate and expand representations of mental health, ability, and disability—particularly in relation to women and the LGBT community. Liontas uncovers the surprising legacy of brain injury, examining its role in culture, the criminal justice system, and through historical figures like Henry VIII and Harriet Tubman. Facing fear, rage, physical suffering, and the effects of head trauma on their marriage and other relationships, Liontas reckons with their own queer mother’s battle with addiction and finds echoes in their pain. The hidden gift of injury, Liontas writes, is the ability to connect with others.

Participants will be notified when the reading is available. Copies of Sex with a Brain Injury will be available for students after the discussion. 

Facilitator:

Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session. To access the reading, participants must visit the Health Humanities Reading Group module in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Canvas. Most Asano students are already users in the Humanities & Health Canvas course. If that is not the case, participants may email Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Tuesday, October 14, JAH 207. 5-6PM. Refreshments provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Every person has a story. In this candid conversation series, we’ll talk with community members about their real experiences at the intersection of healthcare, wellbeing and identity. Each guest brings unique insights and expertise into problems of health that span social and clinical dimensions, and engage questions of access, equity and justice. Sessions will be led by an interprofessional team of Jefferson student moderators and include interactive Q&A with attendees.

Special guest: Noor Fitria

Nurul (Noor) Fitria came to the United States from Indonesia in 2018 and soon found herself grappling with the challenges of adjusting to a new culture, unstable housing, and navigating legal and healthcare systems. Now working as a Community Health Worker at Jefferson, she uses her own experiences to connect with patients in a genuine and meaningful way. As a cancer survivor, Noor knows firsthand the importance of sharing one’s story—especially with those who need to hear it most. She believes there is power in our stories and sharing them can help us find strength and healing, both for ourselves and for the people we support.

Community Voices is presented by the Jefferson College of Population Health, the Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education, and Jefferson Humanities & Health.

Questions? Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Wednesday, October 15, BLSB 105, 5-7PM. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

This lecture will cover the critical milestones in Deaf history, from the 19th century to the present (plus a few tidbits going as far back as Ancient Greece). You will learn about how politics, education, community, and other factors contributed to the current state of Deaf culture and community in the United States. Additionally, you will learn more about Deaf people in the arts from the 20th century to the present. We will be covering various Deaf experiences as expressed through the arts.

Presenter: Sam Hawk, ASL Instructor

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Tuesday, October 21, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch and materials provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Take a creative pause in your day with artist Cassie Jones to learn the basics of embroidery. In this bite-sized, beginner-friendly workshop you’ll pick up essential stitches, spark your stitching confidence, and leave with a mini materials pack to keep the thread going at home. No experience needed—just bring your curiosity!

This workshop is 12-1PM but participants have the option of staying until 1:30PM if they are able.

Cassie Jones is traditionally trained in many types of arts and continues to search for more skillsets and experiences with visual arts. Cassie began her creative career working with leather under the brand CUSP by Cassie for many years before moving her sights into embroidery and embellishing. She is now continuing with the trend of fiber work while incorporating fired clay and mixing mediums into her practice. Cassie is currently building a new collection to show in galleries, instructing classes through The Craft Coven, Fleisher Art, and Black Hound Clay Studio, and facilitating learning opportunities with visiting artists and instructors.

Wednesday, October 22, BLSB 105, 5-7PM. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Dominic Finan, SKMC '27, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

In this session, attendees will have the opportunity to step into the shoes of DHH patients or clinicians serving DHH patients. This immersive event will provide a safe and supportive environment for participants to experience firsthand the challenges and triumphs of communication in the DHH community. Through engaging role play exercises, attendees will gain invaluable insights into Deaf culture, American Sign Language (ASL), and effective strategies for providing healthcare to Deaf individuals.

Presenters: Sam Hawk, Paul Thiergartner, and Karen Kennedy (experienced Deaf interpreters in medical settings)

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Thursday, October 23, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

We all have a soundtrack that marks the many chapters of our lives. Teaching artist Josh Robinson will facilitate a reflection through your musical past, your stories, and the role music has played throughout your life. The workshop uses music as a vehicle to help participants connect to others and reconnect to themselves. Participants will be guided to reflect on the meaning of various songs in their lives and how music has helped them through both positive and negative experiences.

About the facilitator

Josh Robinson is a professional percussionist, teaching artist, and drum facilitator. He has been a visiting instructor in the Humanities at Thomas Jefferson University for the past four years and is in his second year as the Humanities artist-in-residence. For the past 19 years, Josh has used his skills, expertise, and life experience to share drumming and the many gifts it brings with thousands of people each year around the country.

Wednesday, November 5, 12-1PM, Scott 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Wendy Elliott-Vandivier, an artist and long-time disability advocate, will present information on her experiences as an artist and disability activist. She will show examples of her cartoons that focus on disability awareness and some of the microaggressions that disabled people experience as they try to live their ordinary, “un-inspirational” lives. She also will conduct a hands-on cartoon making workshop where attendees can create their own art about microaggressions, ableism and other forms of discrimination.

Wendy Elliott-Vandivier is a certified SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) with a diverse background in government civil rights enforcement, managing human resources in private industry, and community advocacy. Elliott-Vandivier has been a leader in the disability civil rights community for over 30 years. In her professional work, she has successfully managed human resources, employee relations, EEO, Affirmative Action and Diversity issues for several large businesses.

Elliott-Vandivier has a BFA from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. Her paintings explore issues of family, memory and experiences as a disabled woman. Her autobiographical cartoons focus on attitudinal barriers and stereotypes regarding disabilities, and some of the micro-aggressions that disabled people experience while living normal, un-inspirational lives. She is also a photographer of micro-scale monuments in nature, and is often inspired by close-up images that people often do not notice in daily life – tree bark, dead leaves, flower anatomy, and water

Wednesday, November 5, BLSB 105, 5-7PM. Open to Jefferson students, facilty, and staff.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '28, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

During this session, you can further develop your communication skills with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, enhance your cultural competence, and refine your ability to collaborate with sign language interpreters. This skills reinforcement session aims to solidify attendees’ understanding and confidence in navigating healthcare interactions with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Presenters: Sam Hawk, Paul Thiergartner, and Karen Kennedy (experienced Deaf interpreters in medical settings)

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator

Monday, November 10, 12-1PM, BLSB 105. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) play a significant role in individual and population health outcomes. SDOH is affected by many factors. One factor is racism as it affects all aspects of SDOH. In this session, we’ll define racism, examine its history as it relates to the social determinants of health, and examine the city of Philadelphia’s health outcomes by neighborhood.

Objectives – at the end of the session, learners will be able to:

Define the institution of racism and its many forms, including structural racism

List 5 components of the Social Determinants of Health

Discuss the importance of structural competency

Discuss examples of structural racism’s effects as a barrier to health equity

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Monday, November 10, 12-1PM, Zoom. Open to Jefferson students.

Participants will be guided through a series of practices designed to bring peace and calm by connecting with the breath, body and creative spirit. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop will take place online and is open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Zoom link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Zoom link, please contact Kirsten Bowen. If you register and cannot attend, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to make room for another participant. Thank you!

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Friday, November 14, 12-1PM, BLSB 107. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Today, few people know that Africans, Arabs, and East Asians laid the foundation for modern immunizations during the early modern period. Unlike Western Europeans, Africans, Arabs, and East Asians had been practicing a rudimentary form of immunization for generations by the early eighteenth century. Indeed, generations of sub-Saharan West Africans were already familiar with smallpox inoculation, a precursor to the world’s first vaccines.

The rise of the transatlantic slave trade and American slavery had an indelible impact on the cultural significance of inoculation among eighteenth-century Europeans and Africans alike. In the early eighteenth century, European medical practitioners and slave owners learned of smallpox inoculation from West Africans and Arabs for the first time. They quickly appropriated the practice to control the spread of smallpox along Atlantic slave trading routes throughout Europe, West Africa, and the Americas. They used inoculation to protect their families, safeguard colonial settlements, and expand the slave trade and slavery.

Nevertheless, Africans and their descendants continued to perform inoculations in contexts where slavery and colonialism constantly threatened their social ties. In the process, people of African descent imbued inoculation with new significance as they struggled to maintain authority over the practice and protected and reaffirmed their communities’ intergenerational ties to place, ancestry, and kin.

Presenter: Dr. Elise A. Mitchell is a historian of the early modern Black Atlantic in the Department of History at Swarthmore College. She was previously an American Council of Learned Societies Fellow and a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the History Department at Princeton University. Broadly, her work examines the social and political histories of embodiment, healing, disease, race, and gender in the early modern Atlantic World, with a focus on the Caribbean region. Her book, Morbid Geographies: Enslavement, Epidemics, and Embodiment in the Early Modern Atlantic World, is under contract with the University of Pennsylvania Press.

Monday, December 1, 5-6PM, Zoom. Open to Jefferson students.

In order to effectively care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This virtual workshop will introduce you to a variety of art-based experiences designed to promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Facilitated by art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop will take place online and is open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Zoom link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Zoom link, please contact Kirsten Bowen. If you register and cannot attend, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to make room for another participant. Thank you!

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Thursday, January 8, 12-1PM, Hamilton 208/209. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Bring your questions about how to write about the Humanities programs you plan to attend during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio.

We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you have been collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Shawn Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Director for Writing Services, Office of Academic & Career Success.

Participants who have already attended the Asano Humanities Portfolio sessions on August 19 or October 9 for Asano credit are not eligible to count this session for Asano credit.

Monday, January 26, 5-6:30PM, BLSB 107. Light dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

Research has shown that our relationships with ourselves, others, and nature have a profound impact on physical health and psychological well-being. In this in-person workshop, we will use the arts to explore ways of building and maintaining this all-important sense of connection.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and art therapist Sondra Rosenberg. A light dinner will be served.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Monday, February 2, 12-1PM, BLSB 105. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

A microaggression is an unintentional and unconscious action that can negatively affect our day-to-day human interactions. They cause real harm to individuals. There is a large amount of evidence that it can be a major factor in the creation of disparities in the healthcare environment that can ultimately lead to patient-care disparities.

In this session, we will define microaggressions, its documented effects in medicine, the concept of silent collusion, and the steps one can take to disarm the effects of microaggression.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Define microaggressions.

• Give two examples of how microaggressions affect the patient care environment.

• Define “silent collusion.”

• Name at least three techniques to address a witnessed microaggression.

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Students who attended the session on October 6, 2025 for Asano credit are not eligible to count this session for Asano credit.

Thursday, February 5, 12-1PM, Ham 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff. 

We all have a soundtrack that marks the many chapters of our lives. Teaching artist Josh Robinson will facilitate a reflection through your musical past, your stories, and the role music has played throughout your life. The workshop uses music as a vehicle to help participants connect to others and reconnect to themselves. Participants will be guided to reflect on the meaning of various songs in their lives and how music has helped them through both positive and negative experiences.

About the facilitator

Josh Robinson is a professional percussionist, teaching artist, and drum facilitator. He has been a visiting instructor in the Humanities at Thomas Jefferson University for the past four years and is in his second year as the Humanities artist-in-residence. For the past 19 years, Josh has used his skills, expertise, and life experience to share drumming and the many gifts it brings with thousands of people each year around the country.

Students who attended the Soundtrack to Your Life session on October 23 for Asano credit are not eligible to count this session towards Asano.

Monday, February 9, 5-6:30PM, Ham 210/211. Light dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students.

It’s so easy to feel off-balance - to feel torn between polarities of work-rest, doing-being, dark-light, joy-sorrow…and to be knocked off-center by unexpected events or changes. In this workshop we will explore and engage in creative practices that promote an awareness of what balance/imbalance feels, sounds and looks like, and what helps us restore and return to a sense of balance.

Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC and art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is in-person and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Thursday, February 12, 12-1PM, Hamilton 208/209. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Everyone needs some down time but not the guilt that comes when we think we are not being productive. Why not relax and be productive by joining us for some yarn work? Spend some time with Dr. Elizabeth Spudich, Dr. Abigail Kay and Dr. Jenna Hagerty learning how to knit or crochet; or if you are already skilled come and share your talent.

Each student will get a kit including yarn, hooks or needles (depending on your chosen craft), some basic patterns, and other surprises!

Students will work on creating scarves that they can keep for themselves, gift to a loved one, or donate to JeffHope.

Facilitators:

Dr. Jenna Hagerty, Assistant Professor, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

Dr. Abigail Kay, MA, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs & Undergraduate Medical Education, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Dr. Elizabeth Spudich, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Anatomy Education Division, Department of Medical Education, JeffMD Anatomy Thread Director, JeffMD Cardiopulmonary Block Co-Director, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Questions? Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs.

Monday, March 9, 5-6PM, Zoom. Open to Jefferson students.

In this virtual, art-based workshop, participants will engage in a variety of practices designed to reduce stress. Learn how to identify the physical and emotional symptoms of stress and how to move through them to a more grounded and relaxed state. Facilitated by art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is virtual and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Zoom link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Zoom link, please contact Kirsten Bowen.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Monday, March 30, 5-6PM, Zoom. Open to Jefferson students.

In order to effectively care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This virtual workshop will introduce you to a variety of music-based experiences designed to promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is virtual and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Zoom link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Zoom link, please contact Kirsten Bowen.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)