Bob Armstrong, Assistant Professor

Bob Armstrong 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 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.

Peggy Gesing, PhD

Dr. Peggy Gesing is an Associate Professor and Director of the Medical and Health Professions Education Program dedicated to building an interprofessional learning community of scholars committed to advancing diversity, inclusion, equity and socially responsible education, research, and service in the health professions. The foundation for her research and teaching is built on 16-years of experience at multiple top-ranked, research universities and is informed by educational experiences studying and working at urban research universities. Dr. Gesing's research examines higher education as a driver of economic opportunity and social justice with a focus on career outcomes and student mobility.

Natascha Heise, PhD

Natascha Heise, PhD, is originally from Germany and joined EVMS School of Health Professions 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 the 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.

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. 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.