Touro University Nevada Names Dr. Robert Askey and Associate Professor Amie Duford to Interim Leadership Positions
Touro University Nevada named two of its faculty members to interim positions as the university conducts a national search to fill both roles.
Interim Dean of CHHS
Dr. Robert Askey, Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) was named Interim Dean of CHHS. Amie Duford, Associate Professor in the School of Physician Assistant Studies (PA), was named the School’s Interim Director.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to help lead the College of Health and Human Services in the role of Interim Dean,” Dr. Askey said. “The CHHS faculty has done an incredible job providing students with a quality education in a safe environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m excited to lead the College as the newest class of students begins their Touro journeys.”
Dr. Askey first came to Touro University Nevada in 2008 as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education. He became a full-time faculty member in 2010 and, eventually, Director of the School of Education in 2015.
In 2019, he was named Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. He’ll serve as the Interim Dean of CHHS after the previous Dean, Dr. Andrew Priest was named Provost of Touro University Nevada.
Interim Director of PA Program
A 2007 alumna from the School of Physician Assistant Studies, Duford will serve as the PA Program’s Interim Director.
“As a proud alumna of this institution, I am truly honored to serve in the role as interim director of Touro’s PA Program,” she said. “This has been a challenging time for all of us, but I know our students will continue to receive the best education possible. Our faculty care deeply about student success, and I look forward to continuing working together to ensure our students succeed both inside the classroom and out in the field.”
Dr. Phil Tobin, who served as the director of Touro’s PA Program since 2016, accepted a position as the new PA Program Director at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida.
Under Dr. Tobin’s leadership, Touro’s PA Program expanded its class size to 80 students, the largest in the state of Nevada; improved upon its national exam scores; and, with the help of Duford and other faculty, bolstered its mobile outreach initiatives across the Las Vegas Valley.
In 2017, the PA Program was also awarded a $1 million federal grant from the Health Resources Services and Administration (HRSA) to expand upon its mobile outreach, an effort led by Duford.
The $1 million is being distributed over five years as Duford joins national organizations, attends conferences, and develops research initiatives to improve access to healthcare for disadvantaged populations across the country. The funding also covered Duford’s salary and provided her with a research assistant.
Duford said that community outreach has been a foundation of the PA Program, and she’s looking forward to seeing that continue as the university welcomes its newest cohort of students.
“Our PA students have always loved providing care to our most underserved populations and making a difference in the community,” she said. “Between primary care services and the role our students have played on the COVID-19 frontlines, Touro University Nevada’s PA Program continues to be one of the finest in the country.”
Duford has been a full-time faculty member since 2016.
