Donald Allison, Ph.D., PA-C (on Leave August 15, 2023-May 31, 2024)
Director, Health Professions Student Center
Smith CUE 502
509-335-4549
donald.allison@wsu.edu
Using experiences as a clinician, an academician, and a researcher to challenge students’ worldview and their approach to healthcare
Beginning his career as a physician assistant in Colorado, Donald Allison has worked over 25 years in various clinical settings including migrant community health clinics and the emergency room. In 2004, along with 13 other PAs, he had the opportunity of participating in a two-year pilot project introducing the physician assistant profession to the United Kingdom (now called physician associates in England).
Throughout his career, Donald has worked in multiple settings and in various roles with diverse populations and individuals, endeavoring to decrease healthcare disparity for Mexican migrants, and other underserved populations throughout various locations in the world. Subsequently, Donald has firsthand knowledge of the health needs of the Blackfoot community in Montana, Appalachia in Northeast Tennessee, maximum security prison communities, various groups in China, and communities experiencing health disparity in Mexico and Peru. In addition, as a traveling faculty, Donald had the privilege of teaching a semester of Medical Anthropology and Public Health, in an experiential learning format, in New Orleans, India, Argentina, and South Africa.
Donald, a native of Montana, has a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies and a Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language. His dissertation, entitled “Mexican Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Culture, Gender, and Language Ideologies: Pláticas de HIV/AIDS,” is a qualitative study evaluating how Mexican migrant and seasonal farmworker men talk about HIV/AIDS and what their discourse reveals about culture and gender. Research interests include: linguistic landscape, health literacy, D/discourse, gender studies, cultural issues in health care, Mexican migrant farmworkers, and health disparity.
In his encounters with students, Donald uses his experiences as a clinician, an academician, and a researcher to challenge their worldview, and the approach they will use to provide healthcare to the diverse array of patients they will encounter in their future careers.
Interim Director until May 31, 2024
Pre-Medical
Pre-Dental
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Smith CUE 502
509-335-4549
lourdes.giordani@wsu.edu
Specializes in assisting future physicians, physician assistants, and occupational therapists reach their goals at Washington State University
Lourdes’ professional experience also includes teaching anthropology to undergraduate students and advising them, ethnographic research in Latin America, and serving as the editor-in-chief of the journal Reviews in Anthropology. In 2005, she participated with other anthropologists in a project to assess the health needs of Venezuela’s indigenous population. Her work for this project among the Yabarana people appears in the publication Salud Indígena en Venezuela, which was given an honorific mention in the National Venezuelan Book Award.
Lourdes has also worked as a public school teacher to mostly Navajo students in New Mexico. Her experiences teaching and mentoring university and k-12 students motivated her to become an academic advisor.
Lourdes received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, her M.S. in General Biology from Eastern Michigan University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lourdes views advising as a collaborative process between student and advisor that involves the two-way flow of ideas, constructive dialogue, learning, and personal growth.
LeeAnn Tibbals
Pre-Nursing
Pre-Nutrition & Exercise Physiology
Pre-Speech & Hearing
Smith CUE 502
509-335-4549
ltibbals@wsu.edu
Specializes in assisting future Nurses, Pre-NEP, and Pre-Speech & Hearing Science students at WSU
A long time employee of the Health Professions Student Center (HPSC), LeeAnn Tibbals has advised pre-health students since 2004. Initially, she worked with pre-physical therapy and pre-veterinary students. Since 2012, LeeAnn has advised pre-nursing students. Additionally, she assists with planning and implementation of various events that the HPSC hosts. Her prior experience includes working for the Student Financial Aid Services at the University of Idaho.
LeeAnn believes that student success occurs when a career choice is made that will bring enjoyment to the student, even when it is different than the original plan.
Tina Krauss
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Pharmacy
Pre-Veterinary
Smith CUE 502
509-335-4549
tina.krauss@wsu.edu
Specializes in assisting future Pharmacists, Optometrists and Veterinarians at WSU
Tina works with students interested in Pharmacy, Optometry and Vet school. She has spent the last 10 years advising Criminal Justice and Biology/Zoology students at WSU. Prior to this, she spent some time in the mid-west visiting zoos, running a movie theater and teaching online for WSU. Tina has completed two degrees at WSU, a BA in Communications (Advertising) and a Master of Arts in American Studies Digital Diversity, with an emphasis in Women’s Studies. She explored many different options in the corporate and non-profit world, before finally returning to WSU for a third time to fulfill her passion of a life in academia.
Tina believes that academia should be fun and helps student to find the balance during college that will help them to succeed in the classroom, while building the experiences they need to market themselves in the future.