A.T. Still University Board of Trustees appoints officers, elects new trustees
Posted: August 26, 2025
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) has appointed two distinguished professionals to its Board of Trustees: Kari S. Bernard, PhD, PA-C, ’04, of Anchorage, Alaska, and Helen J. McBride, PhD, of Woodland Hills, California. Both bring extensive expertise in healthcare, research, education, and leadership. Their diverse accomplishments and commitment to advancing health and science will help support ATSU’s mission to prepare highly competent professionals to serve communities in need.
Dr. Bernard is the founding director of The College of Idaho’s Doctor of Medical Science program and a nationally recognized speaker on provider wellness, burnout prevention, and psychological safety in healthcare. An alumna of ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences, she earned her PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from Walden University. Her career spans leadership in physician assistant education, clinical practice in emergency medicine and psychiatry, and national service in clinician well-being initiatives. She has held key roles with the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Alaska Academy of Physician Assistants, and the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. Dr. Bernard is also a widely published scholar and frequent conference presenter on topics of burnout prevention, wellness, and leadership in healthcare.
Dr. McBride brings more than 25 years of experience in life sciences, biotechnology, and investment to the board. She is a partner at Bold Capital Partners, where she invests at the intersection of technology and life sciences to advance innovative solutions to improve human health span, and serves on multiple biotech and medical device boards. Her career includes senior leadership roles at TORL Biotherapeutics, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and Amgen, where she led and contributed to multiple therapeutic projects, a handful of which are now commercial products generating over $3 billion in revenue. Dr. McBride holds a PhD in oncological sciences from the University of Utah and a bachelor of science in microbiology from Texas A&M University. An accomplished scientist and strategic leader, she has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and remains active in professional and community leadership, including serving as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA).
“We’re thrilled to welcome these distinguished leaders to our board,” said ATSU Chancellor Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84. “Their unique expertise and deep commitment to ATSU’s mission will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and advance health sciences education for our students and the communities we serve.”
Trustees continuing service on the board include Danielle Barnett-Trapp, DO, ’11, of Glendale, Arizona, board chair; Reid Butler, JD, of Phoenix; Marco Clark, EdD, of South Bend, Indiana; Renee Clark, MAcc, of Durham, North Carolina; Jonathan Cleaver, DO, FAOCD, FAAD, FASMS, ’08, of Kirksville, Missouri; Herb Kuhn, of Lohman, Missouri; Michelle Mayo, PhD, of Orangeburg, South Carolina; Alan Morgan, MPA, of Elkton, Virginia; Kimberly Perry, DO, MBA, MHCM, FACEP, FACOEP, ’91, of St. Louis, secretary; Floyd Simpson, CFA, CAIA, of Philadelphia; Michael Torgan, MBA, NHA, of Los Angeles; and Felix M. Valbuena Jr., MD, DABFM, FAAFP, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
The next Board of Trustees meeting will be held Oct. 24-25, 2025, in Kirksville, Missouri.