Alumni updates
Naomi L.P. Ardjomand-Kermani, master’s in public health ’12, has been employed at WellFlorida Council since graduation. She was recently promoted to the position of HIV prevention specialist as part of their High Impact Prevention HIV prevention grant. She is also an adjunct professor at the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery for their HIV/AIDS and public health courses.
Bettie Champion Borton, doctorate in audiology ’00, is the director of Doctors Hearing Clinic, a private audiology practice in Montgomery, Al. She recently received Oticon’s “Focus on People” award, which annually recognizes 12 individuals across the nation for their dedication to helping people with hearing impairment. She was also named to The Hearing Review’s Best of 2011 Hearing Healthcare Professionals. In 2012, she was elected to the presidency of the American Academy of Audiology.
Latoya Christopher, bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders ’11, was named the Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama’s top graduate speech-language pathology student from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.
George Giorgianni, master’s in business administration (health and hospital administration) ’71, has retired after 42 years in health care as a hospital executive and, for the past 35 years, as a health information technology sales, marketing and business development leader. He says he “has now been reinvented and is the co-CEO of the Giorgianni Family Unit.”
Roberta Isleib, doctorate in clinical psychology ’85, writing under the name Lucy Burdette, published “Murder with Ganache,” the fourth book in her Key West food critic mystery series.
Jessica Powers Johnson, master’s in occupational therapy ’07, passed the exam to become a certified hand therapist. She works at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.
Michael Larson, doctorate in clinical psychology ’08, an assistant professor of psychology at Brigham Young University, and Michael Moorhouse, doctorate in rehabilitation science ’08, the director of the bachelor of health science program and a PHHP clinical assistant professor, are the PHHP recipients of UF’s Outstanding Young Alumni Awards. They were honored at a recognition breakfast April 12 and invited to sit in the President’s Box at the Orange and Blue football game.
Megan Molyneux, bachelor’s in health science ’04 and master’s in occupational therapy ’05, was recognized as an outstanding fieldwork educator by the Florida OT Fieldwork Consortium and by occupational therapy students at the University of St. Augustine. She is an occupational therapist at UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital.
Steve Mounts, master’s in health administration/master’s in business administration ’99, was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Air Force at a ceremony held in May 2012 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. He was then selected to command the 55th Medical Group at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Under his leadership, the 55th Medical Group was named the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General’s “Best Clinic in the Air Force” and the “Best Large Dental Clinic in the Air Force” in 2012.
Rebecca Piazza, bachelor’s in occupational therapy ’01, was named the UF department of occupational therapy’s Fieldwork Educator of the Year. She is a clinical coordinator at UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital and is completing her graduate degree at San Jose State University. She was recently selected for AOTA’s Leadership Development Program for Managers.
Rick Robinson, doctorate in rehabilitation science ’11, is the editor of the recently-released textbook “Foundations of Forensic Vocational Rehabilitation.” He is the lead instructor for UF’s post graduate professional certificate program in forensic vocational rehabilitation.
Leslie Gonzalez Rothi, doctorate in communication processes and disorders ’78, has been selected for the Association of Veterans Affairs Speech-Language Pathologists’ 2013 Hall of Fame.
Pablo Saldana, doctorate in rehabilitation science ’12, a medical social worker at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., received the Doughty Award, which recognizes distinction in academic excellence or accomplishment that brings innovation to Nemours. He is leading an effort to develop and implement an integrated system of health care transition across all the subspecialty clinics offered at Nemours.
Arlyn Thobaben, doctorate in physical therapy ’12, is an adjunct faculty member in the problem-based learning curriculum at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
Lt. William Walders, master’s in health administration ’07, was named one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2014, honoring the best and brightest IT executives. He is the chief information officer at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Department of Defense’s largest hospital.
Sara Uhrig, bachelor’s in occupational therapy ’83, received a Good Practice award at the International Design for All Foundation Awards 2014 for a tool she developed for people with use of only one arm, the One-Handed Ponytail Device and Learning Kit. She is a licensed and certified hand therapist living in Tequesta, Fla.