Bob Armstrong, Assistant Professor

Bob Armstrong joined EVMS in 2012, and currently serves as Executive Director of the Sentara Center for Simulation and Immersive Learning (SCSIL). He is a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel, and led the development of complex defense models and simulations while on active duty and following his retirement from the Marine Corps.

Shifting to healthcare modeling and simulation, Bob was elected President of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in 2020 and remains engaged in several high-level advocacy efforts. His research interests include patient safety and outcomes, and, of course, healthcare modeling and simulation.

Amanda Burbage, PhD, CMM

Dr. Burbage joined EVMS in 2019, and currently serves as Assistant Professor and Higher Education Concentration Director for the MHPE program. She has worked in education for nearly 20 years with experience in higher education, elementary education, non-profit, government contract and private sector settings.

Dr. Burbage has taught since 2010 and functioned in an advising capacity for hundreds of students. Her research interests are in equity, policy, organization & management, SOTL and distance education.

Lane Fickert, PhD

Dr. Lane Fickert serves as an Assistant Professor in the Pathology and Anatomy Department at EVMS. She is the first Medical and Health Professions Education Doctoral Program graduate with a concentration in Contemporary Human Anatomy Education.

Dr. Fickert has been a part of the EVMS community since 2018, teaching across the anatomical sciences for graduate, medical, and health professions programs. Her research investigates the cognitive integration of neuroscience, ultrasound anatomy education, and 3D printing capabilities.

Peggy Gesing, PhD

Dr. Peggy Gesing is the Director of the Medical and Health Professions education programs and an Assistant Professor in the School of Health Professions. Dr. Gesing earned her PhD in Higher Education at Old Dominion University and her Master's of Education in Adult Learning and Development at Cleveland State University.

The foundation for her research and teaching is built on 16 years of experience at top-ranked research universities. Her research focuses on international student mobility and education as a driver of economic opportunity and social justice.

Natascha Heise, PhD

Natascha Heise, PhD, is originally from Germany and joined EVMS in 2021 after receiving her PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a focus in Anatomy Education. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Anatomy and teaches various courses within the School of Medicine and School of Health Professions.

Dr. Heise's research has centered around the evaluation of various pedagogical approaches in the human anatomy and neuroanatomy classroom, DEI outreach efforts, and the role of Virtual Reality in education.

Heather Newton, EdD

Dr. Newton has over 20 years of professional experience in the educational field. She obtained her doctorate degree in Educational Psychology and a master’s degree in Teacher Education and Curriculum Instruction from Regent University. 

Currently, Dr. Newton works with EVMS Graduate Medical Education as the Director of GME Educational Programs. In this role, she helps to create and implement faculty development curricula and deliver trainings in multiple modalities to residents, faculty and staff.

She also serves on the Institutional Review Board and provides her expertise as a social/behavioral expert while reviewing protocols.

Molly O'Keefe, PhD

Dr. O'Keefe has helped schools and programs assess information about themselves in context throughout her career, helping them to leverage information, improve performance, and create opportunities for student and faculty success. She has also assisted with self-studies, program reviews, and accreditation efforts. Her professional organizations include the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), EDUCAUSE, and the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).

Dr. O'Keefe earned her PhD in Educational Planning, Policy, and Leadership from the College of William and Mary and currently teaches Applied Statistics in the EVMS School of Health Professions MHPE program.

Jennifer Styron, PhD

Dr. Styron is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Teaching and Assessment at the Sentara Center for Simulation and Immersive Learning at EVMS. She earned a PhD in Instructional Technology and Design from the University of Southern Mississippi and has extensive experience in grant administration, interprofessional education and practice and active learning strategies, such as team-based learning.

During her time at the University of South Alabama, Dr. Styron was part of a three-year $1.3 million HRSA project aimed at developing interprofessional core competencies among health professions faculty and students, and delivering high quality, efficient, team-based care in community-based clinical settings to improve patient outcomes.