Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014 - (Page 18)

Q&A Karen Gipson Q A & Professor of Physics by Michele Coffill Professor of physics Karen Gipson wears several hats on campus. She serves as chair of the faculty governance body and faculty director for a living center designed for women students who are science, mathematics or engineering majors, in addition to her roles as professor and mentor to students who collaborate with her on research projects. Gipson also wears the hat of stroke survivor. GVM: Four years ago, you suffered a stroke. Have you fully recovered? KG: I wasn't expected to fully recover. I had lost my speaking ability and all movement on the right side. I spent two months in the hospital and underwent 10 months of therapy. My hand is back to normal, my arm is almost back but I do not have full range of motion, and I walk with a 18 Summer '14 cane. I have some residual expressive aphasia (a disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain that control language) so the words don't always come as fast as I would like. I am so grateful for all the support I had during my recovery. I continue to visit stroke survivors who are staying at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014

Table of Contents
Campus News
Fall Arts Celebration
Athletics
Donor Impact
Sustainability
Research
Q&A Karen Gipson
A seat at the table
Students dig program
Deployment to enrollment
Seeing double
Off the path
Arts
Alumni News

Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014