Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards

3 College of Health Care Sciences William Kohlhepp , D.H.Sc. , PA-C (’07), has been a physician assistant for more than 30 years. He is the dean of the School of Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, where he also serves as a tenured professor of physician assistant studies and as a member of the Center for Excellence Board and Deans Council. He has been active in relevant national professional organizations since serving as national student secretary in 1978. Currently, he serves as secretary and treasurer for the Physician Assistant Education Association Board of Directors, a peer reviewer for the Journal of American Academy of Physician Assistants , a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and an associate member of the Connecticut State Medical Society. Kohlhepp has a long history of honors and recognition from the medical and academic communities, including the President’s Award from the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants, the James Marshall Award for Outstanding Service to Quinnipiac University, Distinguished Fellow Member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Leadership Award from the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants. His contributions to the field of physician assistant studies include clinical, professional, and educational methods presentations and keynote addresses; notable texts, editorials, and peer-reviewed journal articles; and his 2005 testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, on behalf of the AAPA, regarding an act designed to improve access to workers’ compensation for injured federal workers. Beyond his work, Kohlhepp enjoys time with his family, playing golf and softball, and collecting first-day-of-issue U.S. postage stamps. He credits his NSU degree for the recent advances in his career in academic leadership. “I was able to meet the educational requirements for my past role as associate dean and my new role as dean. The D.H.Sc. made all the difference.” College of Nursing Jorge Montequin , B.S.N. (’12), is a critical care registered nurse in the U.S. Air Force. He currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia. Since graduating from NSU with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Montequin has developed skills in acute, critical, and post-anesthesia care; patient advocacy; and nursing education. As a critical care nurse, he is responsible for assessing patients’ clinical conditions, initiating and managing intravenous drips, ventilator maintenance, preparing patients pre-operatively for surgery, and many other duties. He serves as a patient and family advocate by updating patients and families about the plan of care, caring for patients per their wishes, and educating patients and families about daily changes in their health and care. Montequin also works in end-of-life care, helping to support patients and families in the transition to hospice facilities. Prior to joining the Air Force, Montequin was a registered nurse at Broward Health (post-anesthesia care unit) and a critical care nurse at Tenet Healthcare. Montequin’s hobbies include playing basketball and football, playing the drums at his church, attending sports events, competitive shooting, traveling, and volunteering in community activities. His future goals include becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist, traveling the world with his wife, and becoming a father.