The program began with an introduction from Robert Nithman, program director of physical therapy education, followed by a message from Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Rebecca Kohn. She refreshed the student’s memory on �þ���’s mission statement in connection to the mission and duties of a physical therapy career.

“�þ��� embraces its founder’s vision of an academic community that transforms mind, body and spirit,” said Kohn. “It encourages freedom of thought and liberty of conscience. As I reflected on your ceremony, it was apparent that for physical therapists, through the holistic care you provide your patients, you are actively transforming minds, bodies and spirits. To achieve this, you must rely heavily on the core values of caring, compassion, inclusion and social responsibility.”

The ceremony, held in Lakeside, symbolized the students next steps in committing to a career that demands humility, resiliency and empathy.

“You’re stepping into a role where people trust you with their pain, their fears and their hopes,” said Nithman. “You will earn that trust through your actions every day. Through your work, you will give many the chance to reclaim parts of their lives that they feared were lost.”

Srikant Vallabhajosula, professor of physical therapy education, and Alys Giordano, assistant professor of physical therapy education, serve as the cohort advisors for the DPT class of 2028, and they began the introduction of the signees. �þ��� posed while writing their signature, along with taking a headshot photo after they completed their walk.

Before starting the Physical Therapy Pledge, class leaders Marisa Santamauro G’28 and Chimeri Anazia G’28 were invited to the podium to lead their peers in reciting the pledge. After the pledge concluded, Nithman finished the ceremony with some closing remarks.

“�þ���, on behalf of our faculty, staff and administration, we are very proud of you. We are honored to guide you, and we look forward to watching you grow into the clinicians and leaders that our communities desperately need,” Nithman said.

�����Dz�’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program emphasizes a patient-centered approach to the profession. The program includes science, research and 48 weeks of hands-on clinical practicums to reinforce what students learn in the classrooms to everyday life.

“Dr. Moore shared that she was working with the Dream Center and wanted to host the event, and she asked if I’d be interested in leading it,” Ishman explained. “Nutrition education and community advocacy are both things I’m deeply passionate about.”

To prepare for the presentation, Ishman read over research papers and broke down the science of diabetes prevention and nutrition to present to attendees. He gathered a team of fellow Elon PA students to assign different roles, including a student interpreter who translated the presentation for non-English speakers at the event.

“Had it been 10 of the same students from the same city and culture, I don’t think the impact would have been the same,” Ishman said. “Our diversity, with students who are African American, Hispanic, and international backgrounds, allowed us to come together and answer questions not only from an academic perspective, but a cultural perspective as well.”

The students cooked recipes developed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a national nonprofit organization of physicians and health professionals dedicated to preventive medicine and clinical nutrition research. The team split up into groups to cook different plant-based meals to present and discuss their nutrients and benefits.

“Elon and our professors consistently emphasize the epidemiology and pathology behind conditions like diabetes,” Ishman said. “We have the knowledge and skill set to explain what’s happening, and more importantly, how to prevent disease upstream before patients require medication or long-term management of chronic disease.”

The grant allowed the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Committee in the School of Health Sciences to purchase the simulation game titled “Friday Night at the ER” to promote the power of collaboration and increase students’ innovative thinking.

“The flow of the hospital can be stressful,” said Rachel Keslar, assistant professor of nursing. “So, I thought this was a very fun and interactive game to promote thinking outside the box and engaging with other student disciplines.”

Prior to the game, Keslar and Bethany Fearnow, simulation coordinator for the Interprofessional Simulation Center, completed online facilitator training provided by the “Friday Night at the ER” manufacturer. This ensured the facilitators’ support throughout the simulation experience across the varying academic programs. On Oct. 29, 14 senior-level Nursing Fellows and four physical therapy students played the game in the Francis Center.

“Some of the challenges in the game included overcrowding, staffing management, bottlenecks in patient flow and other barriers to care that felt very real to me and some of the nursing students who also had experience working in an emergency department setting,” said Keslar.

In her grant application, Lori Hubbard, assistant professor of nursing and co-chair of the IPE Committee, emphasized the need for interdisciplinary education for students, noting that these games have been shown to promote the socialization and readiness of students to function in professional positions in the healthcare field.

Hubbard wrote that the education Elon students receive, specifically in the School of Health Sciences, focuses on becoming leaders in their field. The game helps expose them to the true management it takes to be a leading healthcare figure.

“�þ��� in the School of Health Sciences at �þ��� are educated not just to become excellent professionals, but also to become leaders in their field,” Hubbard said. “Especially for our Nursing Fellows, this will help them get comfortable problem-solving and increase their awareness about tensions between quality and cost efficiency of care in today’s healthcare environment.”

The game’s benefits for nursing students are also backed by research on effective healthcare teams.

“The research literature supports this contention that healthcare coordinated between disciplines through systems thinking can lead to better outcomes for patients,” Hubbard explained in her application.

The game is part of a larger effort by the Interprofessional Education Committee, in collaboration with the Interprofessional Simulation Center (IPSC), to expand collaborative educational opportunities for students. Located in the Francis Center, the IPSC was designed to provide healthcare students with a realistic clinical environment, bringing their medical textbooks to life without ever leaving campus.

“Though any group can play ‘Friday Night at the ER’, this simulation experience seemed to be a natural fit for bringing nursing, physical therapy and physician assistant students together to work collaboratively through scenarios realistically encountered in the US healthcare system,” Hubbard said.

Visit the game information.

Giampietro worked as a Flynn Oncology Fellow in summer 2025 at HopeHealth Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

“It was really such an amazing fellowship,” Giampietro said. “Doing all of the clinical work and actually talking and working (with) patients was great over the summer, and I’m still actively involved today.”

As Giampietro approaches graduation, pediatric oncology remains an area of interest for her after participating in the Flynn Fellowship. Following the fellowship graduation ceremony, she attended the National Conference for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nurses in Providence to learn from distinguished leaders in the field.

“I was able to fly home, attend this conference, and meet so many amazing nurses. Even though the actual internship itself was over, I’m still getting so many great opportunities in the field,” she said

Fred Flynn, founder of the Flynn Foundation, began the program after the passing of his wife, Susan, in 2013 from stage four ovarian cancer. Witnessing the compassion of the oncology nurses who cared for her, he became inspired to influence true change in the treatment of cancer patients.

“The nursing workforce is aging, and nursing students in most universities get little to no oncology clinical or academic exposure to oncology, because it’s perceived as a specialty,” said Flynn. “This fellowship program I created addresses an important training and learning gap for aspiring nurses and helps address the critical need for well-prepared nurses in the field of oncology.”

The fellowship is offered by 14 different hospitals across Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Though hospitals make the final selection for applicants, Flynn stresses the importance of specific characteristics for Flynn Fellows.

“We look for students who are accomplished academically and engaged with their school,” Flynn explained. “They should convey the value of compassion. We look for students who are highly motivated, and Maiah is a very good example of this. She was very passionate about getting exposure to the specialty field of palliative care, and this really impressed us.”

Giampietro’s coursework and experiences in �����Dz�’s School of Nursing played a significant part in inspiring her to apply for this fellowship. The close-knit relationships with professors in the department instilled in her the confidence to take initiative to search for new opportunities in the field.

“That’s something they really stress in Elon nursing; taking initiative,” she explained. “And the emphasis they place on building professor relationships really helped me because I knew I had people in my corner who knew me and were able to vouch for me, so that was a really big thing.”

�þ���’s Department of Physical Therapy hosted the American Physical Therapy Association North Carolina (APTA-NC) on Oct. 17-18 to highlight research,  network and award students for their achievements in the field.

Robert Nithman, physical therapy chair and program director, welcomed attendees to the Francis Center on Oct. 17 during the membership meeting.

Mary Kay Hannah, associate professor of physical therapy and president of APTA NC, presided over conference proceedings and was awarded the 2026 APTA NC Founder’s Lectureship Award.

“It was such an honor to welcome so many distinguished physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students from across the state to the beautiful Francis Center,” said Nithman. “By hosting the APTA NC Annual Conference, Elon helped the North Carolina APTA chapter save over $50,000; funds that will now be reallocated towards legislative advocacy efforts and student scholarships.”

Two second-year doctor of physical therapy students (DPT), Sixela Caballero and Naomi Lackamy, were honored as APTA-NC scholarship award winners. Caballero was this year’s Keskula Family Student Scholarship recipient and was also recognized for leadership in community service and engagement in Elon’s HOPE pro-bono Clinic as a winner of APTA NC’s Community Impact Challenge alongside Sadie Thompson. Lackamy received the Diversity Student Scholarship.

Additionally, two DPTE student projects had their research abstracts accepted for peer review. Addison Swofford presented her poster on “Guillain-Barré Syndrome and the Importance of Therapeutic Alliance in Pediatrics,” mentored by Bill Andrews, professor of physical therapy. Danielle Essex and Alannah Thomas presented their poster on “Fatigue, Fatiguability, and Gait Changes Following Large Amplitude and Treadmill Training in Advanced Parkinson’s Disease,” mentored by Crystal Ramsey, associate professor of physical therapy.

Read more about Elon’s physical therapy program. 

“It’s good to think about in a networking sense,” said Jeanmarie Koonts, assistant professor of nursing. “Because a nurse could have multiple different career changes and work in different areas, different hospitals and different settings.”

Koonts, who serves as the faculty advisor for NSNA, Club Nursing and the student affairs committee, brought a cohort of nursing students to the North Carolina Student Nurses Association and to the National Nursing Student Association in spring of 2025. There, they began to explore the idea of what the steps may look like to bring a chapter of NSNA onto campus.

“This has been an initiative of ours for the last year,” Koonts explained. “With the arrival of our third department chair, Dr. Cathy Quay, it was one of her goals to really get this up and running.”

In 2021, Elon launched both a traditional four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and a 16-month accelerated program for those who have already completed a bachelor’s degree.

Koonts chose Tori Whetstone ’26 to spearhead NSNA.

“I wanted to tap a student leader that I felt was exceptional in their leadership abilities and their commitment to nursing,” Koonts said. “Since she is a leadership fellow, I felt this really spoke to her two loves and passions of leadership and nursing. It was just a fluid process from there.”

Whetstone and other nursing students shared the knowledge they learned at the North Carolina Student Nurses Association convention through informational lunches in the spring of 2025. With around 30 students being receptive to the idea of a chapter, Whetstone then spent the summer drafting paperwork to register NSNA as a recognized student organization.

Funding for NSNA was given through the Hilaire Pickett Leadership grant. The money has assisted in acquiring materials, spaces and getting the ball rolling for the program.

So far, the group has already held elections, finalized bylaws, and began their first meetings. They are promoting the organization by going into Elon 1010 classes, ensuring incoming first-year students are aware of the professional practice and opportunities it brings.

“I really think we’ve got the momentum for it to grow and to keep it going,” Koonts said. “With National Nurses Week each year, they’ve been voted the most trusted profession for 25 years in a row. I really see NSNA being able to highlight nurse’s week, and the profession as a whole.”

In terms of personal growth, Whetstone says leading NSNA will not only enhance her own understanding and skillset of leadership and nursing, but her fellow students as well.

“It serves as a collective voice for nursing students across the United States,” Whetstone explained. “Their resources help �þ��� students thrive when they take the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) and continue in their professional careers. Nurses are so much more than just healthcare providers. They are advocates, therapists, leaders, policymakers, volunteers and so much more.”

“This will be an amazing opportunity, not only to push forward in developing leadership skills, but to be able to converse with lawmakers,” said Ishman.

Ishman attended the University of North Carolina Charlotte and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology before joining �����Dz�’s PA program. Since joining Elon, Ishman has taken in the stories and experiences that peers and professors have to offer.

“Throughout their �þ���, our professors share their personal stories, career paths, and unique experiences,” Ishman said. “It made me realize that my goal isn’t just to earn straight A’s or a perfect GPA, it’s to grow into a well-rounded clinician and advocate.”

Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies, Kim Stokes, noted Ishman’s potential for this fellowship following a presentation he did in class regarding leadership and advocacy in the profession.

“I knew after that presentation that he would be a person I would encourage to apply for this type of opportunity,” Stokes explained. “It seemed like something he was passionate about and took a natural interest in.”

Ishman will join his peers in the 2025-26 cohort to participate in a virtual workshop designed to expand his understanding of healthcare policy. On Sept. 10, the fellowship recipients will put their learning into practice by speaking directly with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

“Taking care of patients is the most important,” Ishman said. “But for me, it was also important to develop an overall understanding of the environment I’ll be working in, the policies enforced in and out of the hospital setting and being able to advocate for them both in and outside.”

After �þ��� many of his courses, Stokes has noted that Ishman’s interest in equitable healthcare is symbolic of the values �����Dz�’s PA program strives for students to acquire.

“His intellectual curiosity, compassion and desire to serve make him an ideal representative for the PA Education Association Health Policy Fellowship,” Stokes explained. “Enosh exemplifies the kind of leadership our profession needs—grounded in lived experience, driven by equity and fueled by a genuine desire to improve healthcare access.”

This fellowship experience is one of the many opportunities made possible through the education at �����Dz�’s Physician Assistant Program. By encouraging students to engage in and experience the real-world implications of the healthcare profession, they are equipped with the necessary tools to thrive in their chosen industry.

“I’ve been especially energized by �����Dz�’s collaborative culture and the momentum within the School of Health Sciences,” said Veronica Marciano, associate professor of physician assistant studies in Charlotte, who joined the faculty in 2025. “The emphasis on student-centered, innovative �þ��� and interprofessional learning aligns strongly with my approach, and I’ve appreciated how supportive colleagues are as we build a program designed to support and serve the community.”

New Faculty Members

Department of Physical Therapy Education

• Aidan Gallagher, assistant professor of physical therapy, earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Duke University. In spring 2026, Next semester, he will be assisting in a sport orthopedic elective in the DPT program.
• Gary Johnson, assistant professor of physical therapy education, earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a PhD in health education at William Carey University. He will be �þ��� Clinical Imaging, Psychological Aspects of Physical Therapy, and the Orthopedic Selective in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.
• Megan Kim, assistant professor of physical therapy education, earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Nova Southeastern University.
• Robert Nithman, program director of physical therapy and professor of physical therapy education, earned a Master of Physical Therapy at Duquesne University, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Chatham University, and a Ph.D from Nova Southeastern University.

Department of Physician Assistant Studies

• Ashley Fort, associate professor of physician assistant studies, earned her Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) in physician assistant studies at the University of Lynchburg, and will be lecturing in the PA program’s reproductive medicine courses in fall 2025.

Department of Physician Assistant Studies – Charlotte

�þ��� is developing a two-year physician assistant studies program in Charlotte, with a tentative launch date of January 2027. The new program is separate from an existing graduate program established in 2012 on the university’s main campus.

Though the two will eventually share common features – a commitment to experiential education, a holistic approach to preparing future healthcare professionals, and more – they will run independently of each other within the university’s School of Health Sciences.

• Dr. Tim Lietz, inaugural medical director for the Charlotte Physician Assistant Studies Program, earned a Doctor of Medicine n (MD) from The Ohio State University and completed his internship and residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School in emergency medicine. Lietz joined Elon in February 2025.
• Veronica Marciano, associate professor of physician assistant studies and founding chair/program director of the Physician Assistant Studies program in Charlotte, earned a Master of Science as a physician assistant from Stony Brook University, and a DMSc in physician assistant education and leadership from SIU School of Medicine. Marciano joined Elon in February 2025.
• Lavette Shirley, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, earned a Master of Science in physician assistant studies from Kettering College, and her Doctor of Science in physician assistant studies from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
• Robyn Wolfosky, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, earned a Master of Science in physician assistant studies at Duke University.

Department of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• Raychelle Lohmann, associate professor of human service studies, earned her Master of Science in counselor education from North Carolina State University, her education specialist degree (Ed.S) in school counselor and guidance services from the University of Alabama, and her PhD from North Carolina State University.

Department of Nursing

• Kristin Boddu, assistant professor of nursing, earned her Master of Nursing at Samford University and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at East Carolina University. She will be �þ��� �þ��� pharmacology and a health assessment lab.
• Tavondia Burdett, assistant professor of nursing, earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Art in health education and promotion from East Carolina University, a Master of Science in Nursing from University of North Carolina Wilmington, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Wake Forest University. She will be �þ��� nursing pathophysiology and pathways to practice this semester.

About �����Dz�’s School of Health Sciences

Established in 2011, the School of Health Sciences offers an array of programs for students at the �þ��� and graduate level. With over 36 faculty and staff �þ��� and assisting 312 students, it maintains a close-knit learning community dedicated to innovation and new learning opportunities. They have successfully taught and developed their students from young learners to empathetic healthcare professionals.

The School of Health Sciences includes four different academic departments: the Department of Physical Therapy (DPTE), the Department of Physician Assistant Studies (DPAS), the Department of Nursing and the developing Department of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC).

Jenkins graduated with a bachelor’s in English and Italian from Wake Forest University in 2003 before receiving her master’s in �þ��� from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“I never thought I would go into nursing the first time around, I was fully an English major,” she explained. When she made the decision to undergo a career change, Jenkins decided �����Dz�’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program was naturally the best fit for her.

“I applied to other programs and was leaning toward a different one, but when I looked at Elon, I just felt comfortable,” she said. “When I walked in the building, it felt really welcoming. Once I spoke to other people involved with the program, I decided to go with Elon, and I’m so glad that I did.”

As an educator herself, Jenkins has a special appreciation for the professors in the program.

“I understand that �þ��� can be really challenging,” she said. All of our professors who have come from nursing, so they have that experience and that background, which is necessary, but just having the experience doesn’t mean that you’re going to be a good teacher. Being able to put those pieces together is really helpful for us as students, and I am grateful for each of the professors I’ve had.”

Since joining the program, Jenkins has applied for different scholarship opportunities. Through Meghan Renfroe, program assistant for �����Dz�’s department of nursing, Jenkins learned about the $1000 National Student Nurses Association scholarship.

“She sent out an email with several scholarships through this organization,” Jenkins explained. “And this particular scholarship, the Tina Filoromo Scholarship, was intended for people who are either taking care of elderly parents or children with medical issues, and I fit in that category, taking care of my children.”

Jenkins son is a type one diabetic; a journey she discussed in her application essay, in addition to sending letters of recommendation.

“I was so excited to receive that scholarship,” she said. “The money piece of it is certainly helpful. Every bit helps when you’re in school. But to get the recognition, encouragement, and just the honor of receiving a scholarship like that, really meant a lot to me. I appreciate the people who took the time to read my essay, look at my recommendation and my history, and chose me.”

As she begins to enter the home stretch of the program, Jenkins is most excited to begin working in the field, aiming towards a position in pediatrics. She is excited to become a source of support for her future patients.

“When I think of my son being diagnosed with type one (diabetes), and the times my daughter has had different health issues as well, the nurses made a huge difference to our family,” she said. “They were the ones who walked us through these difficult times. Having the chance to help another family when they’re walking through something challenging is something I’m especially looking forward to.”

All the students who attended are on the health science track at CTEC, and the high school faculty were also health science teachers, so the event helped showcase potential endeavors for these students at Elon.

“They could see the campus, departments, and labs and what they could look like,” said Srikant Vallabhajosula, professor of physical therapy education. “When we train our volunteers, we tell them to explain the purpose of the activity at their station, some applications based on what they learned in their class and in their clinical experiences, how they’re seeing it being used or where it could be used, or how you can use these tests from the stations to evaluate health. We try to give a comprehensive perspective on the applications of the activities at the stations.”

The students were divided into four groups to work on different stations related to biomechanics. They included movement activities like measuring jumping, balance, heel-to-toe walking and strength. The high school students also saw a live demonstration of state-of-the-art technology like how a marker-less motion capture system works in the biomechanics lab, which can be applied for health and sports science fields.

“It was something fun and educating for them,” said Vallabhajosula. “The beauty of it was we had faculty members from exercise science and physical therapy departments, DPT students and �þ��� students as volunteers. It was nice that the high school students could see them as role models. It was a good mix of both volunteers who were showing how to do the stations, and the students who attended.”

Exercise Science faculty members, Jacob Gdovin and Matt Wittstein, along with physical therapy education faculty members  Alys Giordano and Katy Bales, helped conduct the event.

“As health science educators, we value the opportunity to provide our students with hands-on learning opportunities. Our partnership with �þ��� does just this! What an enriching day Biomechanics Day was for our students, to learn from professors and students in state-of-the-art labs through simulations is an experience our students will long remember,” said Terri Andrews, CTEC health science educator, who attended the event with her students.