Tech student’s project targets human trafficking.
Dustin Genereux ’10 was one of 38 School of Technology students exhibiting work at the Student Technology & Design Conference in Providence, R.I., in May. Genereux presented three different projects, but the standout was his Work Abroad Campaign. In it he detailed a view of the human trafficking trade across the globe through thought-provoking graphics, stories and photos of young adults and children. Included were interactive maps with statistics and facts and ways to “Join the Cause.” Genereux’s goal was “to increase awareness and prevention of human trafficking through a massive street campaign, online content, live events and partnerships with other anti-trafficking organizations.”

TECH and Health Care Make for a Good Match
If you want a job that’s safe even in bad economic times, it’s smart to acquire skills that are rare and in demand in an industry that’s likely to be around for a long time. That is what Kadian Smith ’03 got when he was trained in application integration by Care New England in Providence, R.I., where he worked for three years. He took his experience to Children’s Hospital Boston in 2006, and is now an application development specialist.

Smith manages and integrates health information systems to share patients’ health records in real time. “If a patient is seen in the E.D. [emergency department], that patient’s records can also be accessed in the pharmacy, radiology and cardiology departments simultaneously,” he says.

His skills mesh neatly with the changes taking place in the healthcare information industry to digitize medical records. Massachusetts already has a statewide initiative in the works to link all hospitals and outpatient care facilities. Similar plans are taking shape nationally, Smith notes. “I think one of the propositions of the Obama administration is to make patients’ medical records electronically available [across states].”

Access would save time and effort for hospitals and other healthcare providers. With nationwide digital access to patients’ records, providers could gain approval for services faster and treat patients sooner. Reimbursements from insurance companies would also take less time. “The turnaround would be quicker because everything would be electronic instead of [through] paper trails and phone calls,” says Smith.

Though his job requires specific training, programming courses such as C++, Java and the engineering courses Smith took at JWU gave him a solid base for his work.