November 28, 2011
Arzu Ari, associate professor of respiratory therapy, recently received several awards for her research on methods of aerosol drug delivery, as well as quality improvement and standardization of respiratory care education.
Because respiratory care is a fairly new profession worldwide, expertise in the field is limited within a handful of countries. In much of Europe and the Middle East, respiratory care is provided by a combination of physical therapists and physicians. With her early healthcare background in physical therapy and public health, Ari understands the challenges of providing a high standard of care and is working help educators grow the field. Through the International Council for Respiratory Care, which serves 22 countries, Ari has conducted several studies on how to improve and standardize respiratory care education. She has served on this council since 1997 and conducted a variety of educational programs by collaborating with different universities and professional organizations in her native Turkey.
These efforts have culminated in a trio of awards this fall. Ari received the top poster presentation award among more than 350 presentations made at the annual Turkish Respiratory Society conference which approximately 1,500 physicians and health care professionals attended.
In addition, Ari and her graduate student, Maher AlQuaimi, received the prestigious Monaghan/Trudell Fellowship for Aerosol Technique Development for the American Respiratory Care Foundation. This award goes to the team that produces the most innovative aerosol research. Ari and her students have received the award three out of the past four years.
Ari's top recent achievement is to be selected as a Fellow in the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). This fellowship is bestowed on those individuals who have made a significant and sustainable contribution to the profession of respiratory therapy.
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