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Mortuary Science - Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Wayne State University

News from the Wayne State Mortuary Science Program • Winter 2021


Letter from the Program Director 

Mark Evely

Something that both students and funeral service practitioners ask is whether mortuary school teaches you to pass the NBE or actually prepares you to be a funeral director. Along with that, I often receive questions about accreditation and how the American Board of Funeral Service Education, the NBE, and state and national associations fit into the picture of funeral service education.

Many believe that mortuary science and funeral service programs operate independently, develop their own curricula, have their own academic standards and make their own rules. Of course, curriculum, teaching methods, admissions standards and other policies may vary from program to program, but all accredited programs must adhere to a common standard. Here are the roles the various organizations play:

The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)

The ABFSE is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an institutional and programmatic accreditor. This is important for several reasons. First, students would not have access to federal financial aid in the form of grants and student loans if the institution they are attending is not accredited. Second, the licensing laws of most states require that an applicant graduate from an accredited program. Third, accreditation is an independent, reliable mechanism that indicates that a program has met quality standards through a review process.  

On a regular cycle, all ABFSE accredited programs must prepare a comprehensive self-study wherein they provide evidence to the ABFSE that they are in compliance with ABFSE Accreditation Standards. The ABFSE then sends a site visit team to the school to verify compliance and subsequently renders a decision on whether accreditation is granted and for how long.

The ABFSE also prescribes the basic curriculum that must be taught in every program. ABFSE curriculum outlines are provided to instructors, and while there is flexibility in how the content is delivered, the basic concepts and topics contained in the outline must be taught to students.

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB or The Conference)

The Conference represents funeral service licensing boards and also develops and administers the National Board Examination (NBE). Most states require that an applicant pass the NBE in order to become licensed. The NBE is not intended as a measure of how much a graduate has learned in mortuary school, but rather is a competency examination to determine whether an applicant is minimally competent to practice. The overarching purpose of the NBE is public protection – in other words, someone who is not minimally competent, as measured by the exam, could harm the public and should not be allowed to practice.  

The Conference develops the NBE through job task analysis, standard setting, item writing and item review processes and employs a nationally recognized company, Pearson Vue, to ensure that the NBE is fair and a valid measure of competency. Each question that appears on the NBE is referenced to one of the ABFSE curriculum outlines and to a textbook.

State/National Associations and Advisory Boards

Members of national associations, including NFDA, NFDMA and CANA participate and serve the committees of the ABFSE, including the Committee on Accreditation and the Curriculum Committee. Members of these associations also volunteer with The Conference to participate in writing and reviewing items on the NBE.

State association members sit on advisory committees of the mortuary science or funeral service programs in their states. If utilized properly, these members have an important role in program governance, curriculum development and strategic plans. 

Educating students so that they pass the NBE and preparing them for actual funeral service practice are not mutually exclusive. In order to be successful at both, students need the foundation, purpose, theory and critical thinking skills taught in the classroom, as well as the practical experience provided through hands-on work. At Wayne State, we are committed to ensuring that our students have both. On the funeral service practice side, we depend on the feedback received through our employer surveys as well as the expertise and recommendations of our advisory committee to maintain high levels of student success.

Thank you for your support of our program and always feel free to contact us with questions, comments or recommendations.

Mark T. Evely
Program Director, Mortuary Science
Chair, Applied Health Sciences
Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Wayne State University


Faculty Spotlight

Sharon Gee-Mascarello wraps up 24-year Wayne State University career
Sharon Gee-Mascarello with her Harley hearseBeloved faculty member Sharon Gee-Mascarello jokes that over the course of her teaching career, “approximately 1,000 students have endured my embalming courses.” But those students would use a different verb than enduredEnjoyed is the word that most frequently comes up when mortuary students and alumni reflect on their time in the classroom with Gee-Mascarello.

Other Faculty Contributions and Updates

Mark Evely in the Conversation: When someone dies, what happens to the body?

Dominick Astorino gave lectures on restorative art or embalming at the Nebraska FDA, the Tennessee FDA and the NFDA Virtual Convention. He also gave a series of lectures on repatriation and handling the dead in Istanbul, Turkey, and Chicago.


Scholarship Recipient Highlight

Dominique JohnsonScholarships encourage and assist students in achieving their goals. In this issue, we are highlighting Dominique Johnson, class president, and his scholarship successes.

  • American Board of Funeral Service Scholarship – $2,500
  • Funeral Service Foundation Scholarship – $2,500
  • Newcomer Funeral Service Group Scholarship – $2,000
  • Michigan Mortuary Foundation Scholarship – $1,000

"I am very thankful for each scholarship awarded to me. Scholarships are one piece in the puzzle of what creates a strong foundation for supporting students in their success in life. Overall, scholarships play an important role in making college more accessible and affordable, and paving the way for students to be successful in both their pursuit and completion of their degree.

"Winston Churchill once said, 'Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.' And while I never define my obstacles as ‘failures,’ I mark my success by my repeated perseverance through adversity."

Congratulations, Dominique!

For more information about creating a scholarship fund, contact Jon Goldstein at jgoldstein@wayne.edu or 313-577-1095.

Thank you to all who offer many generous contributions that support student success. Your efforts make a difference.


Student Good News

Kory Batscke

Kory Batscke elected to Caro City Council
"I'm pleased to share news of the opportunity I have been provided with by the people of Caro. I was elected to the Caro City Council in the general election on November 3 and couldn't be happier to serve in my local government. Caro is the small city where I grew up, located in the heart of the Thumb of Michigan, and it is an honor to represent my neighbors in this endeavor." 

Briana Newsome and Brandon Kosinski welcomed their baby girl, Brooklyn Ewa Kosinski, on September 11, 2020.

Briana Newsome and family


Alumni in the News

In a WSU alumni event, Timothy Schramm '89 and Stephen Kemp Jr. '18 shared what it's like to navigate the funeral service profession, and how COVID-19 has affected their work and communities. They shared their expertise and fielded questions from attendees via Zoom. Watch the video here.

NPR: 1997 alumnus Ozie Pye IV on Detroit memorial honoring the city's COVID-19 victims
Ozie Pye IV is interviewed by NPR reporter Laura Herberg on Detroit's socially distant memorial service.

Burying the unclaimed dead shows the greatest respect for life
A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home and the Ira Kaufman Chapel, two Oakland County funeral operations, have been partnering since 2014 to ensure these unclaimed Wayne County bodies are given a dignified resting place.


Meet the Mortuary Science Advisory Board

Sherry Carter

Sherry Carter

Terry Desmond

Terrence B. Desmond

Phil Douma

Philip K. Douma

Bruce Dunn

Bruce B. Dunn

Donna Dodds Hamm

Donna Dodds Hamm

Allen R. Jensen

Allen R. Jensen

Ron Karelse

Ron Karelse

Graham MacLeod

Graham MacLeod

Kevin McCabe

Kevin McCabe

Wayne McWilliams

Wayne B. McWilliams

Vern Pixley

Vern A. Pixley

Janice Redden

Janice L. Redden

Bob Vandenbergh

Robert Vandenbergh

Rodney Wakeman

Rodney Wakeman

Wallace Williams

Wallace Williams


Practicum Site and Preceptor Praise

At the end of the spring/summer 2020 semester, students had the opportunity to nominate a practicum site and/or preceptor(s) who offered an exceptional experience during practicum. Here are the results of that survey.

Michael Withun and Desmond & Sons Funeral Home

"He always found things for you to do and was willing to help get any task we needed completed. You were able to see a variety of service types and get experience in many different areas. Also, they were always willing to teach!"

"Desmond has great funeral directors and associates who are beyond willing to teach you. They gave me the most experience out of all the funeral homes I attended practicum. The funeral directors are exceptional at teaching what they are doing and allowing the students to assist them. One thing I really appreciated was that the funeral directors would push me to do things on my own. This helped my learning tremendously."

Jason Bates and Kaul Funeral Home St. Clair Shores

"Patience and being very attentive to the needs of his student. Sharing advice and ensuring that many examples of required tasks be experienced. Welcomed and encouraged participation in many forms. All directors were open to having a student and willing to teach. Each director was happy to share their style as a director and guided their student though, encouraging participation and attempting to perform various tasks while always being right there to ensure proper execution and education."

Tracy Spiess and Harry J. Will Funeral Home

"Always kept up on what areas I still needed more time in and improvement in and made sure that time was provided. Tracy Spiess was very good at teaching and explaining. She was approachable and very helpful. She always looked out for what us students needed to succeed."

Tim McGillen and Harry J. Will Funeral Home

"He has been nice to me throughout my experience at Harry J. Will. Always willing to answer questions and taught me more than anyone else. He is the best! It was great as a practicum site because they are willing to work with us students."

Mr. Monty Wulff and Charles Step Funeral Home

"He exhibited patience and professionalism while teaching me what it takes to become a fine funeral director. The entire staff at this funeral home showed professionalism and integrity when dealing with bereaved families and guests, in addition to the behind the scenes work of a funeral professional."

Gene Andrus and Lynch & Sons Funeral Home Clawson

"Gene was always willing to teach. He cared about my education and made sure I was getting a well-rounded experience. I definitely learned a lot while at Lynch & Sons."

Melanie Neddow and Lynch & Sons Funeral Home Clawson

"Melanie is not only kind and knowledgeable, but she's patient. It hasn't been long since she was a Wayne State student going through the same program as me, allowing her to understand exactly what I'm going through. She always makes time for the student in order to help them with whatever they need. Melanie allows the student to ask questions, and to participate in any activity whether it's in the prep room or not. Most importantly, she trusts that I can do a task without assistance or help. And allows me to ask for help if I feel like I need it. This makes her an excellent preceptor because as a student, others don't trust that you can do a good job on your own. Melanie is certainly my first choice when I think of a good funeral director. Lynch & Sons have made me feel at home when I worked there as a student. If I feel like that, then I know that every family feels like that too when the funeral home staff takes care of them. They've trained me in fields of funeral service that haven't necessarily been discussed in school or by other practicum sites that I was assigned to. This funeral home welcomed me in every week, ready for anything."

Charles Oliver and A.H. Peters Funeral Home

"He made me feel welcome, and showed me different techniques in the prep room. He was always open to questions and discussions of the why and how of techniques, and experiences that led to the system of practices in place. It was a unique experience during the pandemic. It was educational on how to operate safely while serving the community during an unprecedented time for funeral service."

William Sullivan & Son Funeral Directors Utica

"Sullivan & Son in Utica was the best preceptor that I have had while in this program. They understood what I needed to do in order to complete this program, and pushed me to be more confident in myself, and that has made me a better funeral professional."

Husband Family Funeral Home

"Although all my preceptors were good placements, Husband Family Funeral Home was by far my best. They helped to tie up all the loose ends for me. Working with Mr. Husband and Kimberly helped me to understand embalming better which was a big concern for me. They helped me apply what I had learned in theory/class to the prep room and help boost my confidence. Both made me feel comfortable asking questions and made themselves available for me. Even when I wasn't sure about something or made a mistake, they took the time to explain how to fix my error and didn't make me feel bad about it. Shaquita who works in the office assisted me with getting all my required forms together and helped complete my simulated first calls. Everyone there was encouraging to me and very knowledgeable in their jobs and didn't mind sharing tidbits on how to successful. When working with Kimberly in the prep room, once I showed a little more confidence in what I was doing she allowed me to work independently. She was there in the prep room with me but she would be working on one case and I would work on another and this was a HUGE confidence builder for me. I mentioned to Kimberly that I think she would make an excellent embalmer instructor because she is very compassionate about her work."


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