Dr. Geoghegan was recognized at an awards ceremony on Apr. 27 at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. She was honored with the award for her excellent community engagement and patient care.
The milestone recognized 16 students and their transition from didactic and clinical training in Arizona to full-time clinical training at locations across the country, reflecting the dedication they have shown throughout their first year.
The Sullivan County Health Department Board of Trustees and Administrator Deborah Taylor announced the appointment. Hillerman will serve in the interim role through July 31, at which point she will officially assume the permanent administrator position following Taylor’s retirement.
Hillerman joins the Sullivan County Health Department with a public health and nursing background spanning nearly 30 years, including 26 years devoted specifically to public health service. Her professional experience includes work in communicable disease management, epidemiology, emergency preparedness, women, infants, and children services, public health initiatives in educational settings, and regional leadership responsibilities.
A research team that includes Kenny Lam, ScD, ATC, FNATA, a professor with A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences’ (ATSU-ASHS) Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Journal of Athletic Training‘s Clint Thompson Award for Clinical Practice Advancement.
The award-winning study investigated how quickly secondary school athletes receive an evaluation from an athletic trainer following an acute injury. Drawing on data from ATSU’s Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network, the team found that while nearly half of injured athletes were seen on the same day, meaningful disparities existed based on athlete sex, sport level, and the setting where the injury occurred.
The research was featured at a national NATA press conference on youth sport safety in January 2025. Dr. Lam and his co-authors, Madison N. Renner, Emily C. Srygler, Stephanie N. Adler, Jennifer S. Chambers, and David R. Bell, will formally accept the award at the NATA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in June.
This recognition marks the fourth time Dr. Lam has been a named author on a Clint Thompson Award-winning manuscript, a distinction that speaks to his exceptional and sustained contributions to athletic training scholarship. Faculty in the Departments of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and Athletic Training have now received this honor eight times dating back to 2008.
A.T. Still University Diversity & Inclusion hosted its fifth annual Graduate Health Professions Scholarship (GPS) Golf Tournament on Saturday, Apr. 18, at the Superstition Springs Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona.
All proceeds from the tournament went to ATSU’s GPS Scholarship Fund, a focused initiative supporting students whose life experiences align with ATSU’s mission. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, financial need, and commitment to their profession.
Interested in supporting ATSU’s Graduate Health Professions Scholarship fund? Click here to donate. All outright gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Mason Vig was a 26-year-old talented athlete and ATSU-ASHS Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program student who was committed to serving his patients and helping others. Despite being diagnosed with cancer during his junior year at Augustana College, Mason played college baseball, while fighting and winning his battle with cancer. Set to graduate in 2013, Mason passed away in February 2012.
Tania Shearon, MOT, OTR/L, CHT, assistant professor, ATSU-ASHS’ occupational therapy department led attendees through the yoga session. Mason’s parents, Patti and Joe Vig, also attended the event.
To support the Mason P. Vig Endowed scholarship program, donate here.
Photo credit: Daniel Chun, DPT, ’27
A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) celebrated the class of 2026 on Friday, May 8, at the Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix, Arizona.
The ceremony included remarks from ATSU-ASDOH Dean Desmond Gallagher, BDS, MA, FACD, as well as ATSU Chancellor Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84, and O.T. Wendel, PhD, president, ATSU Arizona & California campuses. Joel H. Berg, DDS, MS, founder, Execudent, emeritus professor, University of Washington School of Dentistry, presented the commencement address.
Jonny Brennan, MD, DMD, MPH, assistant professor and associate dean, innovation and curriculum, led students in reciting the oath to the profession, and Claire L. Anderson, DMD, MS, ’13, inducted graduates into the ATSU-ASDOH Alumni Association.
Watch the full commencement and check out more photos below!
The summit brought together first-generation students seeking guidance on professional pathways, with ATSU-CHC CCPA students and faculty serving as panelists and mentors and offering insight into the physician assistant profession.
“The value of mentorship in the health professions cannot be overstated, particularly for students navigating the collegiate landscape without a familial blueprint for graduate education,” said Jacqualine Dancy, MPAS, PA-C, associate professor.
“Through this exchange, the CCPA students not only showcased their expertise but also fostered a sustainable community of peer support, ensuring that the next generation of healthcare providers is both informed and inspired.”
Panelists discussed the cost of attendance and program length to help prospective students weigh the return on investment of a PA education compared to other medical tracks. They also offered practical advice on securing clinical hours and making the most of gap years to strengthen application competitiveness.
Faculty members were nominated and selected by their fellow colleagues for their contributions during the 2025-2026 academic year. See below for award name, award recipient, and quotes from nominating colleagues.
ASHS Junior Faculty of the Year Award: Clay Walker, MSPAS, PA-C
“In the short time that Clay has been an assistant professor at ATSU-ASHS, he has received the Mayo Clinic Allied Health Researcher of the Year Award, has a combination of 20 published and accepted articles/abstracts and has presented at eight national conferences and seven state conferences. In addition, he is doing a great job as director of the ATSU-ASHS’ PA didactic curriculum.”
ASHS Faculty Educator of the Year Award: Virginia Little, PhD, PT, NCS, ADHD-RSP
“Dr. Little is a leader in innovative learning-centered instructional design. Dr. Little’s current scholarship of teaching is focused on neurodivergent learners and she is actively implementing these evidence based design methods in her coursework. Through her teaching, Dr. Little works to create learning environments that reduce unnecessary cognitive load while building belonging and aligning facilitation of retention of learned material.”
ASHS Faculty Scholar of the Year Award: Lourdes Martinez-Nieto, PhD
“Dr. Martinez-Nieto is a productive researcher whose work is centered on providing clinicians and researchers with the tools and insights to support accurate diagnoses, appropriate interventions and more equitable practices for Spanish/English bilingual children. She has six published manuscripts with an additional five under review and has presented at 18 conferences at state, national, and international levels.”
ASHS Service of the Year Award: David Doubblestein, PT, PhD
“Dr. Doubblestein has been a leader as the chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and as a member of the Faculty Senate. He also chairs the National Lymphedema Network Medical Advisory Committee and is vice president of the Lymphology Association of North America. Dr. Doubblestein advances the treatment of children with lymphedema through his community service with Camp WatchMe. He also serves as an associate editor and guest editor for various journals.”
The Emerging Educator Award honors an individual who is an up-and-coming athletic training educator and has demonstrated excellence in values toward education and teaching abilities. The recipient excels in delivering and promoting athletic training education through various means at the local and regional levels.
Dr. Harris will receive her award at the NATA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in June.
