Future Educator Fellowship

Each year, fifteen PA students are selected to participate in this exciting year-long fellowship, designed to explore foundations in teaching, expose students to the current educational environment, and expand professional development and leadership opportunities.

Overview

The students have access to a network of mentors and educators, the Future Educator Development Steering Committee, who curates an intentional and impactful educational experience for the fellows.

Selected applicants will kick off the fellowship by attending the annual PAEA Education Forum. After the Forum, Fellows will engage in a year-long virtual experience, working through educational programming to develop foundational and functional educator competencies and demonstrate their learning through modules, teach backs, and scholarly presentations. Fellows will also be invited back for a culminating session at the following Education Forum.

PAEA Future Educator Fellows

The application cycle for the Future Educator Fellowship will reopen in May 2024.

Objectives

The Future Educator Fellowship is designed to enhance PA students’ understanding of the components needed to be a successful PA educator. The fellowship is aligned closely with the PA Educator Competencies to create an initial pathway for educators to begin skill development that allows for professional development throughout one’s career. By the end of the Fellowship, Fellows will understand the elements of the PA Educator Competencies, develop skills within the Foundational PA Educator Competencies, and develop skills within the Functional PA Educator Competencies.

Foundational Educator Competencies

Fellows will develop their skills in teaching, learner-centeredness, interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism and role-modeling.

Functional Educator Competencies

Fellows will develop their skills in scholarship development and leadership.

Leadership and Professional Development

Fellows will have opportunities for interprofessional education and research, develop strategies for collaboration with peers and professionals to enhance the quality and design of PA education.

Engagement

The FEF begins by convening students at the PAEA Education Forum to kick off their fellowship experience with the Future Educator Symposium. After the Forum, students are expected to participate in online learning modules, discussions, and planned activities that will continue to enhance their skill set and expose them to a career path in PA education.

We recognize that the life of a PA student is busy with conflicting priorities. Please note that while this fellowship is highly competitive, it is not designed to compete with your first priority as a PA student. Nonetheless, students must commit to the learning experience and the activities required to complete the fellowship.

Sample activities include:

  • Monthly Group Check-Ins (via Zoom)
  • Brief Assignments/Prework
  • Webinars with Invited Speakers
  • Engagement in Digital Learning Hub
  • Completion of Evaluations

2023–2024 Future Educator Fellows

Abbey Barton, University of Utah
Jordan Beckley, Ithaca College
Miranda Boudreau, Northeastern University
Mallory Cain, Campbell University
Amana Khokhar, Shenandoah University
Sally Klinner, University of Pittsburgh – Hybrid Program
Shivani Kondagunta, Wayne State University
Carman Ly, Yale University Physician Assistant Online Program
Amber Major, Emory & Henry College
Casey McGarraugh, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
Jade Norman, Meharry Medical College
McKenna Schindler, Keck Graduate Institute
Emily Shauf, University of Mount Union
Ada Spahija, Emory University
Tatum Turetzky, George Washington University

Hamza Ahmed, Wingate University
Katherine Bullock, Duke University Medical Center
Madison Carroll, Marist College
Abby Cook, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Emily DesMeules, University of Utah
Bryan Fleischman, Emory University
Christopher Heck, University of Iowa
Yiting Huang, University of Pittsburgh
Katelyn Mokros, Kettering College
Audrey Oweimrin, Yale University Physician Associate Program
Ted Parker, University of Washington – Seattle
Austin Parrish, University of Dayton
Elliot Yamin, University of Southern California (LA)
Laura Zdiarski-Horodyski, University of Utah

Nicole Billen, Saint Louis University
Victoria Britt, Wake Forest University (Bowman Gray)
Kathryn Burrows, Duke University Medical Center
Miya Chipka, Eastern Michigan University
Beverly DiCorso, Emory University
Muhammad Jan, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Sarah Kirsch, Yale University Physician Assistant Online Program
Thuy Dung Nguyen, University of California – Davis
Danielle Paciulli, AdventHealth University
Tiffany Passie, MGH Institute of Health Professions
Robert (Desi) Rotenberg, South University – Richmond
Julie Staton, University of South Alabama
Edith Teng, George Washington University
Chelsea Waldrop, Yale University Physician Assistant Online Program

Teanna DaPonte, South University – Tampa
Danielle Polevoi, Stanford University
Alisha Zaveri, Thomas Jefferson University – East Falls
Aubrey Fiacco, MGH Institute of Health Professions
Joshua Montgomery, Shenandoah University
Sara Naeem, Wagner College
Aliyah Mangrum, University of Pittsburgh
Ekaterina Lundberg, University of Kentucky
Katherine Crandall, University of Southern California
Alexandria Lahdya, University of Washington MEDEX Northwest
Diana De La Cruz, Oklahoma City University
Amber Rohrberg, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Denise Kirby, Idaho State University
Sara Haroon, Barry University
Yenling Yang Hernandez, Touro University – California

Kathryn Fossaceca, DeSales University
Caitlin Bradley, East Carolina University
Alicia Duval, Mercer University
Matthew Morrow, Northwestern University
Elizabeth Eiseman, University of Dubuque
Elizabeth Dingbaum, Chapman University
Katya Saenz, University of Colorado – Denver
Hwal Lee, Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Michael Farran-Brown, University of Kentucky
Jessica Veale, Duke University
Sara Dover, Mercer University
Sunayana Pydah, University of Lynchburg
Victoria McQuade, Florida Gulf Coast University
Dennis Zelenak, University of Evansville
Nicolette LaRosa, Drexel University

Winnie Chau, Texas Tech University Health Science Center
Erin Dorman, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Emily Durocher, Penn State University
Isidro Figueroa, Texas Tech University Health Science Center
Dustin Grossheim, Tufts University
Katherine Jamieson, Northeastern University
Jennifer Jones, University of Iowa
Sarah Kingston, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Melanie Lyon, Alderson-Broaddus University
Ryan Minier, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Krista Patefield, Union College
Christopher Perkins, UT Southwestern
Jeremiah Powers, East Carolina University
Dave Rogers, University of Missouri – Kansas City
Lauren Tandarich, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Alvis Trent, Hardin-Simmons University

Testimonials

“I very much enjoyed my experience with FEF! It gave me a better idea of the developing initiatives in PA education and allowed me to see what areas of improvement are needed to ensure the proper training of future PA’s. I liked hearing the inside scoop of the day to day struggles of many educators and their plans to tackle these challenges. Very insightful experience overall and made me appreciate PA education and want to get more involved.”

— Monique “Nikki” Coley , 2017–2018 PAEA Future Educator Fellow

“My experience as a Future Educator Fellow was eye opening and inspiring. I gained so much insight into what i could be involved in as a Future Educator and a PA-C. Gaining mentors and creating connections that support me was the best part of the experience.”

— Jose Escalante , 2017–2018 PAEA Future Educator Fellow

“The FEF was a great introduction to PA education for someone like myself who has no formal training in education. It has served as a launching board for my future career in education and I am extremely grateful for our mentors, the PAEA staff who supported us, and for the opportunity to be a part of the fellowship.”

— Stephen Benton, PA-C , 2017–2018 PAEA Future Educator Fellow, 2017–2018 Student Health Policy Fellow

“I loved being part of the FEF mostly for the warm welcome by all members of the PAEA and meeting so many wonderful people. I appreciated the opportunity to see what life in PA education entails and look forward to being part of it some day!”

— Alex Protosevich , 2017–2018 PAEA Future Educator Fellow

Application Process

Please be sure to not include any identifying information such as PA program/graduation year, email, phone number, etc when completing the application.

  1. Short Essays: Applicants will provide written responses to 7 prompts in 125 words or less.
  2. Program Director Certification Form: This document is signed by your program director and confirms your ability to participate in the fellowship.
  3. Faculty Mentor Form: This document is signed by a faculty mentor who you identify to help support your interest in PA education.
  4. FEF Commitment Form: You must read and sign this form to acknowledge that you recognize the time commitment and effort required by the Future Educator Fellowship and that you understand the requirements for completion of the Fellowship.

Once you complete and finalize your application, the forms will be automatically sent to your program director and faculty mentor.

Your application is not complete until all forms are received!

Applicants will be evaluated on the following:

  • Essay responses which clearly describe and demonstrate understanding of FEF’s mission and objectives

Fellowship applicants are required to meet all of the following criteria:

  1. You must be a current PA student (didactic or clinical) enrolled in a PAEA member program and in good academic standing as of October 2023.
  2. Your program director must complete the certification form and agree that you can be released from classes or rotations in order to attend the fellowship.
  3. If you are selected as a fellow, you are expected to attend the PAEA Education Forum in October 2023, October 2024, and participate in all fellowship activities.

Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

  • May 1, 2023 – Applications for the 2023-24 fellowship cycle will open
  • July 10, 2023 – Applications for the 2023-24 fellowship cycle will close
  • Late August – 2023-2024 Fellows will be announced
  • October 11-14, 2023 – PAEA Education Forum / Future Educator Symposium

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Fifteen applicants are selected to be fellows.

Yes, you are still eligible if you graduate before the end of the fellowship. However, you must start the fellowship as a current PA student (didactic or clinical).

There is no application fee. PAEA will cover all expenses associated with the fellowship for the selected applicants.

The fellowship is not designed to compete with your first priority as a PA student. Nonetheless, students must commit to the learning experience and the activities required to complete the fellowship. At most, we might anticipate a few hours a month which might include a group discussion via Zoom.

The faculty mentor is intended to be an additional advisor, apart from the educators on the PAEA Future Educator Development Steering Committee, to support your interest in PA education by answering questions and bouncing ideas off of, etc. The mentor would have regular check-ins with the Fellow to ensure they are on-track, and help them with their capstone project, if necessary.

Once you complete and finalize your application, the form will be automatically sent to your program director and faculty mentor.

The Faculty Mentor and the Program Director certification forms need only their names and emails to confirm their support for your participation in the Future Educator Fellowship program. No formal letter of recommendation is required.

Questions?

Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about the fellowship.