PA Program Principal Faculty

As a PA educator at UNC, my primary aim is to help students develop into confident, compassionate clinicians who are ready to practice evidence-based whole person medicine here in North Carolina. I believe in fostering a learning environment that welcomes collaboration and inspires curiosity, and challenging my students to become lifelong learners who have a sincere appreciation for caring for others.

I am deeply committed to primary care and preventive medicine. In addition to patient care, this includes helping train and mentor the clinicians of tomorrow. For many years I have been a clinical practitioner and student preceptor in clinic, now I am transitioning to the classroom. I am optimistic that my 25+ years of experience in family medicine and community-based care, will be an asset to the landscape of didactic teaching and mentoring in the UNC PA program.

I am a Clinical Assistant Professor with the UNC Physician Assistant Program, where I support students throughout both the preclinical and clinical phases of their education. My primary focus is on teaching patient assessment, using interactive and student-centered learning strategies to help future PAs build strong clinical reasoning skills. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I serve as the Chair of Admissions, where I help guide the selection of the next generation of compassionate and capable healthcare professionals.

As the Director for Clinical Education for the UNC Physician Assistant Studies Program, I am responsible for scheduling and coordinating all clinical rotations, ensuring alignment with accreditation standards and program goals. I oversee the clinical curriculum, guiding its development and implementation to prepare students for real-world practice. My role includes the recruitment and retention of preceptors and clinical sites across diverse healthcare settings to support a broad and high-quality clinical education experience. In addition to my administrative responsibilities, I also teach in the preclinical year, contributing to the foundational education of our students and supporting their transition into clinical practice.

I am driven to train Physician Assistant students to prepare for the realities and challenges of providing care for all North Carolinians. I like to emphasize the joy that comes from successful partnerships with patients and the sense of accomplishment in giving back to the communities that raised us.

I strive to make my classroom an open and welcoming space where frank, multifaceted conversations lead to higher understanding of healthcare in North Carolina and beyond.

Performing the role of Director of Pre-Clinical education by supporting faculty and student education in the UNC Physician Assistant Program. Course director for Clinical Medicine and Fundamentals of Surgery. Focusing on improving access and education of Point of Care Ultrasound.