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All of the professors in the MHA program bring significant, current, and relevant working knowledge from the field of healthcare to incorporate into the classroom. Learn more about the instructors in their faculty bios below.

Pamela Davidson

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Dr. Pamela Davidson is an adjunct professor with expertise in strategic planning, leadership and career development, and evaluation design and methods.She is well published with 50 peer- reviewed articles in various medical, dental, and health services research journals. For more than two decades, Pamela has directed large-scale, multisite health services research and evaluation studies, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in ‘health services evaluation’, ‘health systems and organizations’, and ‘organization and management processes’. Her research, teaching, professional activities, and mentoring continue to be transdisciplinary in medicine, public health, dentistry, life sciences, management, and nursing. She participated on the leadership team that developed and launched the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and has served as the CTSI Evaluation Core leader since its inception. Pamela also consults with mission-driven organizations in the medicine, social services, and public health sectors. She specializes in organizing and evaluating Collective Impact initiatives to address health and social priorities and needs. Dr. Davidson holds a BS in biological sciences from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, a MS in Health Sciences from the California State University, Long Beach, and a PhD in Health Policy and Management from the Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles. Her cognate field is in Leadership and Organization Development from the UCLA Anderson School. Pamela is involved in several church ministries including Silent Meditation, Lector Ministry, and Sealed Confirmation for teens. She enjoys spending leisure time with family and friends, traveling, touring the wine country, and Italian cooking.

Brian Dowd

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Brian C Dowd, MBA is the Executive Director of Digital Transformation and Innovation at MemorialCare Health System. He collaborates with key technical teams and is responsible for the evaluation, development and delivery of solutions and programs that foster transformational change in line with MemorialCare’s organizational strategies, values and priorities. His role will establish and support an environment of digital innovation and best practice, ensuring the use of evolving technologies for the benefit of consumer satisfaction and operational efficiencies.

Brian began his career at MemorialCare in 2015 where he joined the Lean Resource Office as a Lean Fellow. Brian was promoted to Master Fellow in 2018 and graduated from the MemorialCare Leadership Academy in 2019. Prior to MemorialCare he was an Executive Director of Lease End Customer Experience where he redesigned Lexus, Toyota, and Scion leasing strategies, supply chain, marketing, financing and customer experience.

Brian received his undergraduate degree in Law and Criminal Justice from California State University, Long Beach. He also received his graduate degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations (M.B.A.) from California Coast University graduating Summa Cum Laude. Brian is also an Adjunct Professor at Concordia University Irvine where he teaches graduate level courses in Leadership in the Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) Program. He is an Advisory Board Member at Concordia University Irvine, mentor to his students, AYSO Soccer Coach, and enjoys spending time with his amazing wife and daughter every second he gets.


Adjunct Professor

Biography

Yasmine Ghazvini is a dedicated and accomplished healthcare professional with operations, strategy, and business development expertise. Yasmine is Strategy & Business Development Consultant at MemorialCare. She supports planning and decision-making for a full range of hospital and health system strategic and business development initiatives significant for the Long Beach Medical Center and Miller’s Children and Women’s Hospital facilities. Previously, she worked at Providence, excelling as a Program Coordinator, optimizing the Neuro-Interventional Surgery program and implementing process improvement initiatives.

Yasmine holds a Master of Health Administration degree with a certificate in Ambulatory Care and Long-Term Care from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from San Diego State University. Yasmine's additional qualifications include being a Six Sigma Black Belt and serving on the Board of Directors for ACHE of Southern California as the Early Careerist Council Chair. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, photography, and trying new foods.


Adjunct Professor

Biography

Dale L. Gooden, DHSc, EJD, MBA, is an award-winning educator and subject-matter- expert in business administration, information systems, informatics, data science, cybersecurity, health administration, health law and compliance, health information technology, clinical information systems, and the health sciences.

Dr. Gooden is a part-time professor of Health Administration at Colorado State University Global, Concordia University Irvine, and Sacred Heart University. Additionally, he is professor of Business Administration at Sofia University, Saybrook University. His teaching philosophy is a student-centered methodology with focused learning outcomes designed to build and reinforce self-directed student learning. From 2018 -2022, Dr. Gooden also served as Dissertation Chair and Doctoral Faculty Advisory for the Doctor of Business Administration and Healthcare Administration Program at Franklin University.

As a mid-career professional in healthcare and life sciences, Dr. Gooden held the corporate position of Senior Consultant for Infosys, a global IT services, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation consulting firm. He has over a decade of progressive experience in macro healthcare projects in both hospital and clinical environments. He served as the HIE Program Manager during his tenure at Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp). He was a Director of Electronic Health Records (EHR) Implementation for Tenet Health and Cardiovascular Access Centers. He has spearheaded clinical information systems projects for Healthcare Partners (Optum), WellPoint, Community Health Systems, and Kaiser-Permanente.

Dr. Gooden's unique academic instruction approach integrates real-world proven experience with academic rigor, setting high expectations for student performance and engagement with the learning outcomes. In 2016, he was awarded academic faculty of the year by his colleagues. Dr. Gooden received a Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) in Fundamentals of Education from A.T. Still University of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017. His dissertation analyzed cybersecurity breaches in modern healthcare organizations since the adoption of electronic health records. He earned an Executive Juris Doctorate (EJD) in Health Law from Concord Law School at Purdue University Global in 2021. Dr. Gooden was conferred a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Health Services Management from the University of La Verne in 2011.

Andrew Golfrach

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Andrew Goldfrach, FACHE, has nearly 20 years of healthcare executive leadership experience, and is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC); the public safety net hospital for the 2.2 million residents of San Bernardino County. From February 2021 to September 2021, Mr. Goldfrach was also tapped to be the interim Director for the Department of Public Health for San Bernardino County during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At ARMC, Mr. Goldfrach is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 456-bed university-affiliated medical center providing executive leadership to the hospital’s ancillary and support services; ambulatory care network of five primary care clinics and over 40 specialty care clinics; population health management, marketing; strategic planning, and government relations.

Prior to joining ARMC, Mr. Goldfrach held several healthcare leadership positions in both for-profit and not-for-profit health systems across the nation; including several years as a healthcare strategy consultant. 

Mr. Goldfrach is on the Board for the Community Health Association of the Inland Southern Region and the Southern California chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 2022, Mr. Goldfrach was named to the Marquis “Who’s Who in America” for his achievements in the healthcare management field and contributions to society as a whole. Mr. Goldfrach is board certified in healthcare management and a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. 

Keya Gupta

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Keya Gupta serves as an Administrative Fellow at CalOptima Health, a public agency providing healthcare coverage for residents in Orange County, California. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine, as well as a Master's in Healthcare Administration from Concordia University, Irvine. Currently, Keya is doctoral candidate, pursuing a Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) degree.

Keya's personal and professional experiences have ignited her unwavering commitment to advancing health equity. Additionally, she possesses a keen interest in exploring innovative approaches to strategic planning that can address the multifaceted challenges confronting the healthcare industry today. Beyond her academic pursuits, Keya actively contributes to the field by serving on the board of directors for the Southern California chapters of both the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and Women in Healthcare (WIH). Through these roles, she channels some of her passion into uplifting and creating safe spaces for future healthcare leaders, fostering lifelong learning, and giving back to the community.

Lauren Illescas

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Lauren Illescas is a seasoned Operations Executive with more than 14 years of experience in guiding small businesses from start-up to maturity. She excels in development and operationalization of executive vision and strategies, achieving business growth targets, and reducing costs through quality management systems and streamlined workflows. Her career highlights include leading change management during acquisitions, developing strategic visions and plans, and fostering client-oriented environments for market penetration. Lauren holds a Master's in Healthcare Administration and Bachelor’s in Business Administration & Leadership from Concordia University Irvine. She is an active member of professional organizations such as CHIEF, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. When she's not immersed in her professional pursuits, Lauren cherishes quality time with her husband and three young daughters.

Todd Kane

Assistant Professor

Biography

Professor Kane received his Master's of Business Administration with a specialization in Healthcare Administration from Northcentral University. He also has a Master's of Education with a concentration in Organizational Leadership, a Master's in Information Technology with a concentration in computer security and assurance, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources. Professor Kane's experience in business, healthcare, and healthcare administration spans more than 20 years. During that time he has served as the president and CEO of a Joint Commission Certified multi-million dollar private national healthcare recruitment, human resources, and outsourcing firm for more than a decade. Professor Kane's healthcare experience includes home health, hospital staffing, physician recruitment & placement, healthcare operations and more.

Education

  • MBA - Healthcare Administration
  • Me.D - Organizational Leadership

Publications

  • Kane, R. T., Shaw, M. E., Pang, S., Salley, W., & Snider, J. B. (2016, January). Relationships among faculty training, faculty degree, faculty longevity, and student satisfaction in online higher education. Journal of Online Distance Learning Administration, 18(4).
  • O’Bryan, A., Kane, T., & Shaw, M. (2013, April 29). Establishing an online professional development community to promote faculty engagement and excellence. Faculty Focus.
  • Shaw, M. E., Walters, K. J., Kane, R. T., & Long, D. M. (2012). Online Course Activities: A Survey of Assignment and Assessment Types. In Learning Management System Technologies and Software Solutions: Tools and Applications. IGI Global.
  • Kane, R. (2012). Career Management. School to Work Consortium. Colorado State University.
  • King, W. & Kane, R. (2012). Live Session Course Enhancements. IGI Global. Stevens Henager College.
  • Shaw, M., & Kane, R. T. (2011, July). Online Teaching Opportunities and Strategies! The Missouri Distance Learning Association Annual Conference. Springfield, MO.
  • Shaw, M., & Kane, R. T. (2011, April). Teaching Online and Loving It! The United States Distance Learning Association National Conference. St. Louis, MO.
  • Kane, T. (2010). Removing Obstacles to Student Success. Stevens Henager College- Faculty Best Practices, Colorado Springs, CO.
  • Kane, T (2010). Staffing gets a partner. San Antonio Medicine (SAM), 63 (9).
  • Bradley, C., Talbott, B., Kane, R.T. (2010). Online Discussion Strategies: Build Critical Thinking and Online Community. Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield, MO.
  • Braun, N. & Kane, T (2010). The future of management. The Journal of Business Management and Entrepreneurship (JOBME), 1 (8).
  • Walters, K., Shaw, M.E., Lessard, D., & Kane, R.T. (2010). Innovative Professional Practices, Synergy, and eCollaboration. The eLearning Institute 2010 Virtual Conference.
  • Shaw, M. E., & Kane, R. T. (2010). Distance Learning Course Activities and Assessments. Missouri Distance Learning Association Conference, Springfield, MO.
  • Shaw, M. E., & Kane, R. T. (2009). Distance Learning Course Activities. The Fifteenth Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, "The Power of Online Learning: Opportunities for Tomorrow.” Orlando, FL.
  • Kane, R. T. (2008). Industry Roundtable. Staffing Industry Analyst Healthcare Staffing Summit, "Breaking the Ten Million Dollar Barrier”. San Francisco, CA.
  • Kane, R. T. (2007). Expert Panel. Staffing Industry Analyst. Healthcare Staffing Summit, "Organizing & Operating for Growth”. Chicago, IL.
Tricia Kassab

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Tricia Kassab recently retired as the District VP of Quality & Patient Safety at Palomar Health in San Diego, CA. Tricia is a systems thinker and is passionate about organizational leadership, team development, patient safety and mitigating preventable patient harm. She is the Past President of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) SoCal and the current Regent for ACHE SoCal and San Diego. In addition, Tricia is an adjunct professor at Concordia University in the MHA program and University of Massachusetts Global University in the School of Business.

Dr. Kassab’s background as a RN began in the cardiovascular ICU at Mass General. She has worked at high performing organizations across the nation over her 35+ years of a professional career. Tricia holds a doctorate degree in education, specifically organizational leadership from UMass Global. She is a reviewer for the Journal of Healthcare Quality. Tricia is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and is a certified professional in healthcare quality and healthcare risk management. Additionally, Tricia holds a healthcare accreditation certificate professional.

Outside of work, Tricia has 2 sons in their 20’s, one of whom graduated Berkeley and works at EPIC, the electronic health record company in Wisconsin. Her youngest son graduated Chapman University in computer science with both an undergraduate and master’s degree in computer science and is currently in a PhD program at the U. Wisconsin in Madison in data science. Tricia’s husband is an engineer and energy management for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon. In her spare time Tricia enjoys Zumba classes; reading, computerized sewing and Netflix!

David Loy

Dean, Christ College
Director of FaithWorks Center at CUI
Professor of Philosophy, Theology and Ethics

Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Ph.D. St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
  • M.Div. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
  • B.A. Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN

Professional Experience

  • Concordia University Irvine: Professor, 2019 - Present
  • Concordia University Irvine: Associate Professor, 2015 - 2019
  • Concordia University Irvine: Assistant Professor, 2011 - 2015
  • Zion Lutheran Church, Bolivar, MO: Pastor, 2003 - 2011

Research Interests

  • Doctrine of Vocation
  • Church, state, and public life
  • Political thought

Selected Publications

Translations

  • Editor, Pastoral Theology, by C. F. W. Walther. Translated by Christian Tiews (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017)
  • “C. F. W. Walther’s Concept of Missions,” by Volker Stolle. In Missio Apostolica 10, no. 1 (May 2002): 38-40.
  • “Kant’s Idea of Peace and the Philosophic Concept of a World Republic,” by Matthias Lutz-Bachmann. In Perpetual Peace: Essays on Kant’s Cosmopolitan Ideal, ed. James Bohman and Matthias Lutz-Bachmann, 59-77. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1997.

Miscellaneous

  • “Called By Whom and How? Reflections on the Structure of Vocation.” Concordia Journal 49, no. 1 (Winter 2023): 35–46.
  •  “Luther, Vocation, and the Search for Significance.” Lutheran Quarterly 35 (2021): 50–72. Responses by Robert Benne, Suzanne Hequet, and Kiara Jorgenson.
  • Confession of a Lutheran University.Concordia Theological Journal 7, no. 1 (Winter 2020): 60–76.
  • “Hegel’s Critique of Greek Immediacy.” Hegel Bulletin 42, no. 2 (2021): 157–79. (Originally published by Cambridge University Press online, Dec. 26, 2018.)
  • Contributor, Devotions on the Small Catechism. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2019
  • “To Be Known as I Know Myself: Identity, Politics and the Gospel.” Issues in Christian Education 48, no. 3 (Summer 2015). http://issues.cune.edu/the-lgbt-disputes-teaching-and-practice-in-the-church-2/the-lgbt-disputes-teaching-and-practice-in-the-church/
  • “What Is the Theology of the Cross.” Sidebar. LEA Shaping the Future (Summer 2014). http://stf.lea.org/summer2014/feat1schumacher.html.
  • “What the Gospel Does: Three Ways of Applying the Gospel Concretely.” Concordia Journal 36, no. 1 (Winter 2010): 21-31.

Bible Studies

  • The Parables Leaders Guide. Edited by Brian Chisamore. LifeLight Bible Study series. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2013.
  • 1 and 2 Kings Leaders Guide (lectures only). Edited by Brian Chisamore. LifeLight Bible Study series. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2013.
  • Heaven and Hell. Edited by Brian Chisamore. LifeLight Bible Study series. Concordia Publishing House, 2012.
  • 1, 2, 3 John Leaders Guide. Edited by Brian Chisamore. LifeLight Bible Study series. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2012.

Adjunct Professor

Peterson Mirville

Biography

Peterson Mirville is an Army Veteran with 9 years of active duty service. As a Respiratory Therapist, he has worked in many facets of respiratory therapy; from treating the acutely ill, managing a respiratory department, to working as a Respiratory Consultant for a large nursing home company with over 100 nursing homes in the south. He currently functions as a Nursing Home Administrator for C-Ross Management, where he operates a 71 – bed nursing home. He has amassed over 25 years of progressive healthcare experience. He is very passionate about serving. Most importantly, he is passionate about family. He is a motivator, mentor, and teacher at heart, and takes great pride in helping others achieve their full potential. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the piano, keyboard, training in martial arts, and spending time with his family.

Education

  • B.S. Respiratory Therapy – Augusta University (formally Medical College of Georgia)
  • MBA Health Care Administration – American Public University
  • DBA Leadership – Walden University

Associate Professor of Communication Studies

Erin Nelson

Biography

Dr. Erin Nelson is an Orange County native and loves being part of the family at CUI. Her research interests include interpersonal and family communication with an emphasis on health. She has recently been published in Health Communication and Journal of Social and Personal Relationships with her research on coping with loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a published scholar who continues to work on many research projects surrounding issues of health and interpersonal communication. She is also a member of the National Communication Association and has over 25 conference presentations. Her full time appointment is in the Communication Studies Department at Concordia but she also teaches in the Master of Healthcare Administration and Master of Public Health programs because she specializes in the intersection between communication and health. She is passionate about teaching and you can definitely tell when you enroll in her classes. She builds personal relationships and helps guide her students toward achieving future aspirations.

Education

  • Ph.D. Communication - University of Texas at Austin
  • M.A. Communication - San Diego State University
  • B.A. Communication - University of California, Santa Barbara

Research

  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Health Communication
  • Family Communication

Publications

  • Emily Scheinfeld, Katlyn Gangi, Erin C. Nelson & Catherine C. Sinardi (2021) Please Scream Inside Your Heart: Compounded Loss and Coping during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Health Communication, DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2021.1886413
  • Donovan, E., Nelson, E. C., & Scheinfeld, E. (2016). Cyberframing cancer: An exploratory investigation of valenced cybercoping on cancer blogs. Health Communication.
  • Vangelisti, A. L., & Nelson, E. C. (2015). The morality of revealing secrets. In V.Waldron, & D. Kelley (Eds.), Moral talk across the lifespan: Creating good relationships. New York: Peter Lang Publishing
  • Hanan, J., Bagley, M., & Nelson, E. (2014). Sources for your presentation. In J. L. Ford, K. Stimpson, & J. Daly (Eds.), Professional communication skills (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
  • Bolkan, S. & Nelson, E. (2014). Speaking to inform. In J. L. Ford, K. Stimpson, & J. Daly (Eds.), Professional communication skills (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Classes Taught at Concordia

  • COM 280: Theories of Human Communication
  • COM 335: Nonverbal Communication
  • COM 340: Persuasion & Attitude
  • COM 371: Introduction to Social Media
  • COM 471: Advanced Strategies in Social Media

Curriculum Vitae

Victor Pena

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Mr. Peña is currently the Administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Los Angeles General Medical Center (LA General). Los Angeles General Medical Center is a 600-bed Level 1 Trauma Center that is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

With 130-beds, the Department of Emergency Medicine provides over 30% of trauma care in Los Angeles County. It is one of the largest and top-5 busiest emergency departments in the nation. The department provides emergency care to over 13,000 patients per month. In his role as Administrator, he has administrative and operational oversight of –

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Psychiatric Emergency Services
  • Jail Emergency Services
  • Urgent Care Clinic
  • Office of Emergency Management
  • Center for Life Support Training
  • Emergency Medicine Residency Program
  • Transitions of Care Department

Mr. Peña previously served as Administrator for the Department of Medicine and Dermatology at LA General. He obtained this role after completing his two-year administrative fellowship with the LA County Department of Health Services (LAC-DHS), which is the second largest public health system in the United States. The Department of Medicine at LA General comprises of 10-divisions and accounts for over 50% of inpatient beds.

Prior to his fellowship with DHS, he served as Director of Healthcare Corporate Initiatives with the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Long Beach, CA, where he managed relationships between a variety of hospitals and ACS. Mr. Peña has also held other management roles with additional Los Angeles hospitals. Mr. Peña has been a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives since 2012, and recently served as President for the local ACHE chapter - ACHE of Southern California. He was a Board Member for the Hospital Association of Southern California. Mr. Peña has received several awards from ACHE and recently served as 1 of 23 scholars across the nation for the inaugural ACHE Thomas C. Dolan Career Accelerator Program. Mr. Peña also currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Master of Health Administration program at the University of Southern California where he was recognized as Professor of the Year by the Class of 2023.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and earned his Master of Business Administration degree in Management from La Sierra University in Riverside.

He was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA (Boyle Heights). For fun, he loves going to watch the LA Rams play, and runs a competitive fantasy football league and March Madness Bracket Challenges with college and childhood friends. Mr. Peña loves to cook and is a big foodie, he enjoys going out to dinner with friends, and enjoys reading – his favorite book is “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.

Adjunct Professor

Jay Schaefer

Biography

Dr. Jay Schaefer brings practitioner experience to the classroom having served for more than twenty years in executive positions for a major metropolitan healthcare system. His experience spans a broad spectrum of functional areas including information systems development and support, financial and operational analytics, facility programming and development, and strategic facility and land use planning, and he actively consults on the planning and development of major healthcare facility projects.

He has served on the boards of directors for numerous organizations focused on healthcare, education and community development, and particularly enjoys working with faith-based groups in advancing their respective mission and ministries.

Dr. Schaefer brings experience in both the traditional classroom and online environments, and he enjoys fostering faith and ethics as foundational to the academic discussion.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Public Affairs, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
  • Master of Arts in Applied Economics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
  • Master of Business Administration, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
  • Post-baccalaureate studies, Computer Science, Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, IL
  • Bachelor of Arts, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN

Program Director and Professor

Sinardi, Catherine Collins

Biography

Dr. Sinardi holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from St. Cloud State University and a Master's degree in Counseling from California State University, Long Beach. She became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 2006. In 2011, Dr. Sinardi completed her Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne.

Professional Experience

Dr. Catherine Sinardi is the Director of Healthcare Programs, overseeing the following: Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Management (traditional and online), Master of Healthcare Administration, and Master of Public Health. As an Associate Professor, she develops and teaches a variety of courses in the aforementioned programs. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Healthcare Executives of Southern California as the Chair of Academic Affairs. Previously, she was Regional Director of Clinical Services at Children’s Institute and Director of Quality Assurance and Program Evaluation at Counseling4Kids, both in the greater Los Angeles area. She also worked in private practice as a licensed counselor and held various administrative positions at ChildNet Youth and Family Services in Long Beach.

Education

  • Ed.D. Organizational Leadership, University of La Verne
  • MFT Counseling, California State University Long Beach

Publications

  • Scheinfeld, E., Barney, K., Gangi, K., Nelson, E. & Sinardi, C. (2021). Filling the void: Grieving and healing during a socially isolating global pandemic. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
  • Scheinfeld, E., Gangi, K., Nelson, E. & Sinardi, C. (2021). Please scream inside your heart: Compounded loss and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Communication

Manuscript Under Review

    • Scheinfeld, E., Barney, K., Gangi, K., Nelson, E. & Sinardi, C. (Under Review). Moving forward in compounded grief: Communicated resilience after COVID-19 related losses. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Jonathan Westwall

Adjunct Professor

Biography

Jonathan Westall, FACHE is currently the Vice President of Ancillary Services at MLK Jr. Community Hospital in South Los Angeles. He previously held multiple positions at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena including Manager of Security, Director of Security, and finally Director of Support Services. Prior to working in the acute care setting, Jonathan oversaw Security, Emergency Response, and Parking operations for Sony PlayStation and its subsidiary groups across the United States. Jonathan spent 8 years working in various Federal, State, and local correctional facilities where he oversaw security operations for an incarcerated population.

Jonathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice w/ a minor in Sociology from Upper Iowa University and a Master’s degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Grand Canyon University. He is also a graduate of ACHE’s Senior Executive Program. He is a volunteer leader with IAHSS and was the LA/OC Chapter Chair for 3 years, and now The International Board’s VP/Secretary. He also chaired The Hospital Association of Southern California’s Safety and Security Committee from 2018 to 2020 and remains an active member. He is currently The Vice-Chair of Sponsorship with HCE.

Jonathan is a native of Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan. He enjoys hiking, working out, and true crime documentaries.

Adjunct Professor

Tim White

Biography

Dr. White has worked in several hospitals in Virginia over the past 13 years in various roles, including management, home health account liaison, and technician. Dr. White has worked in the non-profit sector of healthcare and was involved in developing and writing policies for Stroke procedures and hospital diversion for emergency medical technicians and firefighters in the surrounding communities. Additionally, he created policies on proper laser use within the hospital system, including surgical, dermatology, and ophthalmology. Before completing his education and entering the healthcare field, Dr. White worked in UPS's management sector for 12 years.

Dr. White is currently researching Ketogenic diets to improve patients' lives with Parkinson's disease and works as an adjunct professor across the country. He also has been researching resilience in higher education for both students and faculty.

Dr. White earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (2010) from Liberty University and his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care Management (2013) from Saint Leo University. He earned his Doctorate of Health Science with a concentration in Education (2017) from A. T. Still University, where his research focused on attendance barriers to ophthalmology appointments.

Dr. White has traveled extensively, including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Jamaica, Mexico, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Canada. His favorite place to visit is any place that has a beach and warm sunshine. Dr. White and his wife, Dr. Dawn White, have been married for 14 years. Their close-knit family includes two children and six grandchildren. His family is important to him, and they gather for family dinner each Tuesday.

As a new hobby, Dr. White has found a passion for making his special BBQ and his cheesecakes, which are plain, lemon, lemon-blueberry, chocolate, and unique Keto versions. Dr. White stated that it was good that he now enjoys cooking, as he was promoted to head chef at home since his wife started working on an additional doctorate.

  • Wozniak, Tayah Wozniak, Tayah
  • Assistant Professor of Public Health and Healthcare Administration
  •  
  •  

Assistant Professor of Public Health and Healthcare Administration

Wozniak, Tayah

Biography

Dr. Tayah Wozniak is interested in the interdisciplinary field of public health, specifically health communication. Within the field of health communication, her research primarily focuses on combatting the spread of and belief in health misinformation. She is currently examining primary care physician message strategies in correcting patient-held health misinformation. Her goal is to provide translational research on health misinformation and strategic health communication, with specific attention to health disparities and individuals facing significant health disadvantages.

In addition to Dr. Wozniak’s educational background, she has several years of experience working in the nonprofit sector serving under-resourced communities through programmatic design, management, and evaluation. She is passionate about encouraging the progression of health quality and access by improving health communication and promoting the empowerment of individuals for behavior change. It is her goal to educationally equip people with the necessary life skills to be competent in health situations.

Education

  • B.S. Azusa Pacific University, Molecular Biology
  • M.P.H. The University of California, Irvine, Socio-cultural Diversity in Health
  • Ph.D. Chapman University, Health and Strategic Communication

Publications

Jennifer Zamzow

Adjunct Professor

Biography

After receiving her Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Arizona in 2013, Dr. Jennifer Zamzow completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in ethics and cognition in the Department of Philosophy and the Center for Ethics and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Zamzow has published work on diversity in ethical intuitions, affective forecasting in medical decision making, the ethics of theism, and how our use of moral rules, moral intuitions, and cost-benefit analysis affect the way we interpret moral requirements for ourselves and for others. She has also written about ethical issues for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and Sojourners.

Education

  • B.A., Azusa Pacific University, Philosophy and Psychology
  • Ph.D., University of Arizona, Philosophy with a minor in Cognitive Science
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