Polysomnography Student at Stony Brook University in New York Receives $2,500
McLean, VA – February 4, 2016 – The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) today announced that Yanyun Lin is the winner of the sixth Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship. Ms. Lin is a student enrolled in the respiratory care program, with the polysomnography specialty option, in the School of Health Technology and Management at Stony Brook University, in Stony Brook, NY.
“Each applicant had a unique background, journey and aspirations which drove them to pursue an education – and ultimately a career – in sleep technology,” said BRPT Scholarship Committee Chair Helen Driver, PhD, RPSGT, DABSM, Somnologist, CCSH. “Yanyun’s academic achievements, strong sense of community and professional integrity are impressive and
extraordinary.”
Yanyun’s interest in sleep started with a desire to better understand her father’s frequent drowsy driving challenges. She later found herself discussing the subject more and more in college with a roommate equally intrigued with REM sleep patterns and “sleep talking.” Her interest grew and she decided to dig deeper in the field through the PSG specialty option offered through the respiratory care program at Stony Brook. In addition, Yanyun is an active volunteer holding positions at the Stony Brook Hospital, the Childcare Center and most recently in Stony Brook’s Leadership Office as a student consultant. Yanyun has also worked as a cashier at China Garden restaurant for the past five years.
Said Yanyun Lin, “I’ve always been interested in sleep patterns and sleep issues as it’s both a specific and broad subject which interconnects with psychosocial, electrophysiological and pharmacological aspects of science. Winning this scholarship will greatly reduce my financial pressures allowing me to focus more on school work and furthering my education.”
Yanyun is expected to graduate in June 2016 after which she plans to take the RPSGT examination. She holds a student membership with the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST).
The Andrea Patterson Memorial Scholarship Program, named in honor of an early and highly regarded leader in the field of sleep technology, awards a $2,500 tuition grant to a promising student of polysomnography. Scholarship applicants must be enrolled in or accepted by a CAAHEP-accredited program in PSG or a CoARC-accredited program with a PSG add-on.
About Andrea Patterson
Andrea Patterson, RPSGT, R. EEG T., managed the Hennepin County Sleep Program in Minneapolis, Minnesota for almost 30 years and was a leader in early efforts to develop a standardized competency-based test for sleep technologists. Those efforts were instrumental in the development of the RPSGT credentialing program. She published extensively in scientific journals and served on the BRPT Exam Development Committee for over 20 years, until her death in 2007.
The BRPT is an independent, non-profit certification board that cultivates the highest professional and ethical standards for polysomnographic technologists. For more information, visit www.brpt.org.