Perspectives Inaugural Issue (Winter 2013)

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER/SPRING 2013 20 CHANCELLOR’S LIST Kirsten Bolendar Joshua Bridwell Stephanie Cotter Candice Eisenman Megan Finck Natasha Lee Shawn McLane Adam Mickey Kirsten Paris Heather Pridgen Brent Rentfro Liliana Torrealba Jarica Turner Courtney Waters Tyler Wipf DEAN’S LIST Courtney Barbato Stefanie Glider Vera Gray Lindsey Hollingsworth Angel Jurich Natarah Lee Evan Leonard Diana Medina Aliakandra Regan Nicholas Taylor Tiffani Witt On October 1, Kerry Whitaker, M.S.H.S., PA-C , joined the college as program director and department chair for the Physi- cian Assistant Pro- gram in Jacksonville. A native Floridian, Whitaker hails from Fort Myers, Florida, and completed X-ray school in 1986 before becoming an X-ray technologist. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, he completed his physi- cian assistant training at Kettering College of Medical Arts in Kettering, Ohio. Following graduation, Whitaker began working at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida as a physician assistant in gastroen- terology, hepatology, and nutrition. During this time, he also earned his master’s degree in Health Sciences from George Washington University before moving back to Fort Myers to work in a private practice doing gastroen- terology, hepatology, and nutrition. In 2006, with his desire to return to the ed- ucational realm rising, Whitaker accepted a faculty position at the University of Alabama, which entailed working in the vascular depart- ment and interventional radiology. However, when he became aware of a job opening at NSU’s Physician Assistant Program in Jack- sonville, he immediately pursued the opportu- nity because it was directly in line with his goal of becoming a program director. While Whitaker is a faculty member, he also maintains another role at NSU—as a stu- dent pursuing his doctorate in Health Science, with two years already completed. In fact, Whitaker admitted that one of his favorite NSU aspects is having the opportunity to experience life from both the faculty and student perspectives. Because he is extremely interested in medical simulation, which was evidenced dur- ing his time working at the University of Ala- bama, Whitaker’s primary goal in his new CHCS position is to ramp up simulation at the Jacksonville site as well as engage in faculty development to help establish simulation pro- grams at the college’s sister sites. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT • JACKSONVILLE HoiKee Ng, M.P.A.S. , assistant professor, and Hugh G. Rappa, M.D. , professor, associate department chair, and academic direc- tor, presented lectures at the Florida Academy of Physician Assis- tants Winter Symposium in Orlando in February. The Physician Assistant Program in Jacksonville (ARC-PA) received its three-year accreditation renewal from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant in March 2012. The ARC-PA currently accredits 170 entry-level PA programs nationwide. Stephanie Brighton, B.A. , clinical support coordinator, earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from NSU’s Center for Psy- chological Studies in May 2012. The PA Program’s second graduating class of 47 students at- tended the commencement ceremony on August 25 in Fort Laud- erdale. The college is extremely proud of these graduates who are receiving good jobs offers and will represent the university with distinction as they embark on their clinical practice careers. CLASS OF 2014 POINTS OF PRIDE White Coat Ceremony PA Program’s Challenge Bowl Team New Faculty Spotlight: Kerry Whitaker A White Coat Ceremony was held for the class of 2013 on July 6, 2012, at the Jacksonville Marriott hotel. Ricardo Morales, PA-C, president of the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants, was the keynote speaker for this wonderful event marking the end of the didactic portion of education for the students and entrance into the clinical phase of their education. The PA Program’s Challenge Bowl Team comprised of Kara Forinash, Whitney Boyd, and Tom Pieniazek and coached by Angela Dunaway, Pharm.D., PA-C, assistant professor, won the National Challenge Bowl held at the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ national meeting in Toronto, Canada, in May 2012. This marked the first time NSU-Jacksonville had a team in the competition and the first time an NSU team has won the competition.