Dean Dawn Morton-Rias to be a Summer Fulbright Senior Specialist at University of Haifa
May 1, 2008
Brooklyn, NY - Dawn Morton-Rias, EdD, PA-C, dean of SUNY Downstate’s School of Health Professions, has been selected for a Fulbright Senior Specialists project at the University of Haifa in Israel this summer.
Dr. Morton-Rias will attend workshops, meetings, and make field visits at leading medical centers in Israel. Workshops will include faculty from academia, health professionals, and clinical preceptors and will focus on curricula planning, development of learning activities, diversity, learning styles and cultures, as well as distance learning for clinical students. “I am thrilled with this tremendous opportunity for me to learn and share ideas on how things are done in the field and to be able to bring some of that back here to the Downstate community,” Dr. Morton-Rias said.
Dr. Morton-Rias is one of more than 400 faculty and professionals who will travel abroad this year through the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program. The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program was created in 2000 to complement the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program. It provides short-term academic opportunities to prominent American faculty and professionals to support curricular and faculty development and institutional planning at post secondary, academic institutions around the world.
Dr. Morton-Rias is a certified physician assistant, and is the immediate past-president of the Physician Assistant Education Association. Dr. Morton-Rias earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Science degree and PA Certificate from Howard University. She earned a Doctorate of Education from St. John’s University in Queens, NY.
Dr. Morton-Rias’ commitment to quality healthcare services through education of the next generation of health professionals is unwavering. She is nationally recognized for her leadership in PA education, and she has presented and published on various clinical topics, faculty development, accreditation, cultural competence and learning styles.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.