HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 13, 2023 – High Point University faculty and students recently received the following academic and professional awards and recognitions.
Doctor of Medical Sciences Director Leading the PA Educators Association
Dr. Linda Sekhon, program director for the Doctor of Medical Sciences program, has been appointed as the 2023 president of the PA Educators Association (PAEA). The prestigious honor recognizes Sekhon’s commitment to the physician assistant and Doctor of Medical Science programs at HPU.
Sekhon has served in various volunteer positions within the PAEA, including faculty skills 101, as the new program director workshop program development and workshop facilitator, and on the board of directors for three years. She has been a physician assistant educator since 1996 and has seen many changes in the profession throughout her tenure.
“I highly value professional service and the impact this has on our profession and ultimately patient care,” said Sekhon. “Having served in numerous leadership positions throughout my career, I am proud of the positive impact we make each and every day on the lives of those we serve. PA professional organizations pave the path for our colleagues to make a difference in their communities, work settings and the lives of our patients. The future of our profession is in good hands, but we must always be vigilant in our efforts to educate the next generation of PA providers.”
She will serve in this position for one year.
Political Science Student Accepted to 2023 College Student Congress
Junior Alexandra Bennett, a political science and international relations major, will represent her home state of Pennsylvania this summer on the Henry Clay Center’s 2023 College Student Congress. She will work with 50 other rising seniors from across the United States to create comprehensive public policies and discuss politics, diplomacy and leadership.
Bennett learned about this opportunity through political science professor Dr. Martin Kifer. She says she wanted to exercise her knowledge of what she has learned in her undergraduate classes and to connect with like-minded peers. To be considered for the congress, she had to write a persuasive short essay and share her personal policy interests.
“The political science department at HPU prepared me extensively to discuss political and international topics while simultaneously expanding my knowledge to learn the intricacies of the subject,” said Bennett, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Dr. Mark Setzler, director of the international relations major, and his engaging classes year after year have driven my love and passion for political science and international relations.”
Bennett will be part of the College Student Congress in May in Kentucky and Washington, D.C.
Associate Dean for School of Communication Publishes Book
Dr. Nahed Eltantawy, associate dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, recently co-edited a new book titled “The Palgrave Handbook of Gender, Media and Communication in the Middle East and North Africa” (MENA).
The book examines critical debates, research methods and ongoing reflections on how gender and communication intersect with the economic, social, political and cultural fabrics of countries in the MENA region. The handbook is split into six sections including gender, identities and sexualities; the gender of politics; gender and activism; gender-based violence; gender and entrepreneurship; and gender in expressive cultures.
“My co-editor and I were encouraged to work on this handbook due to a lack of contemporary research on many countries and issues in MENA that relate to gender and communication,” said Eltantawy. “As an educator, I hope that this handbook will offer students and academics more insight on up-to-date issues in MENA that relate to women, gender and communication, in a region that is undergoing political, social, economic and cultural transformations. I also hope the diverse chapters will offer up-to-date research and data on issues and countries that have been rarely researched in the past.”