So what’s our story? We are Dr. Bessie DiDomenica and Dr. Patricia Mason, lifelong learners, social entrepreneurs, and two stubborn people who never gave up on our dream to be a doctor. We believe that long-delayed dreams can still come true…
We struggled with setbacks and lost family members along the way. But we never quit. Today we are Dr. DiDomenica and Dr. Mason. We will share our stories of success and failures, strategies and tools to help doctoral students find academic and professional success.
Dr. Bessie DiDomenica is a talented academic writer and educator, independent policy researcher, public speaker, innovator, social entrepreneur, and author. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Policy from Walden University. Bessie had three specialties in public policy: policy analysis, sustainable communities, and public management and leadership.
Her dissertation, Food Policy: Urban Farming as a Supplemental Food Source, explored food policy and the challenges of feeding large populations in urban communities. Bessie maintained a strong academic record in graduate school and is a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, and the American Society for Public Administration. She is also a mentor in the Walden Alumni Ambassador program.
Bessie’s activities include a plans for a 2018 conference presentation for the Urban Food Systems Symposium this summer, and a panel facilitator for the Urban Farming Conference in March. Other activities included two webinars on Our Global Food System: Interconnecting Water, Land and Human Survival at Walden University in 2016 and a presentation at the Just Food? Forum on Land Use, Rights and Ecology, A Conference Exploring Land and the Food System: How Land Affects What We Eat, Who We Are, and the Environment We Live in at Harvard Law School.
Her other activities include a workshop for Food Day in October 2016. Bessie was a panelist in the Kraft Open Classroom series on The Food System: Sustainability, Health and Equity at Northeastern University in April 2017. Her topic was on the Possibilities and Limits of Urban Agriculture. She is also working on a project to present at the Community Food Systems Conference in December 2017.
Bessie is currently working on several books, designing a new business venture, and transitioning in a new direction for 2019. Bessie is an Associate Editor for Common Ground Publisher and reviews scholarly books and articles.
Dr. Patricia Mason is a seasoned business leader, certified Reiki master/teacher, author, life coach, communicator, positive thinker, networker, innovator, blogger, and lifelong learner. She earned her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) specializing in leadership and social change from Walden University and serves as an Alumni Ambassador to guide and mentor students. Patti has three other business degrees and a certified medical assistant degree.
Her dissertation was titled, Diffusion of Electronic Medical Records at Rural Primary Care Clinics. She also published an article, Overcoming Barriers to Implementing Electronic Health Records in Rural Primary Care Clinics in the TQR journal in 2017. Patti also presented her study at the Total Quality Report (TQR) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) conventions in 2016. She won Honor roll awards, was on the Dean’s list, and graduated Suma Cum Laude. Patti is a member of Sigma Iota Epsilon, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and the National Allied Health Registry for Certified Medical Assistants. She is a published and award-winning poet.
Patti is a social entrepreneur, consultant and CEO of a nonprofit, Beautiful You. Her organization supplies pillows, hats, scarves and gloves to cancer patients in Patti’s community. She is also writing a book, is a Relay for Life Committee Member, and a Girl Scout volunteer. Patti has worked in the medical field for over 20 years, and she is a keen advocate for the elderly and people in need.
Her activities for 2018 include writing a book and publishing scholarly articles on implementing electronic health records in rural health clinics for the TQR and AHIMA journals. Patti was invited to present her research at the TQR and AHIMA conventions in 2018.
Doctor Tales 