Alumni Resources

The Midwestern University Alumni Network promotes collegiality, interdisciplinary learning, cross-professional collaboration, and mutual support of the University.

As a graduate of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, your insight and guidance are invaluable to current medical students. We also recognize that your work schedule and other commitments may put limits on the amount of time you have available for in-person mentoring activities. For these reasons, the CCOM Alumni Association and Office of Development and Alumni Relations developed the Apollo Mentoring Program. This program is a way to involve a very special group of individuals - those with outstanding experiences who could guide and facilitate learning - to help educate Midwestern University students outside the classroom.

The Apollo Mentoring Program will provide a way for students and alumni to connect in an easy and flexible way. For example, a student may have questions about a medical specialty that they are considering as a career choice. Other students may have questions about what a practice is like in a particular geographic area. Your assistance in answering these types of questions will provide much needed information to a student.

By filling out the link below, you are giving us permission to include you in our directory of alumni email mentors. Current CCOM students will be able to contact you at your preferred phone/email. You can share with the students your experiences transitioning through medical school, residency, and your career.

Alumni Mentor: Alumni Mentor Online Application
Student Mentee: Student Mentee Online Application (login required)

Hosting a rotation site and precepting is a rewarding way to give back to your profession by mentoring future colleagues. There are numerous benefits such as:

• Recruiting the top students to your practice site
• Infusing your practice site with new ideas and insights
• Contributing to the education of future colleagues 
• Access to MWU library resources
• Opportunity to apply for faculty appointment and rank advancement
• Giving back to the profession and alma mater   

Contact Information
If you are interested in hosting a rotation site for our students, please contact the appropriate clinical coordinator: 

Chicago College of Optometry

Jericho Vergara
Senior Administrative Assistant
630-515-4812
iloptomentry@midwestern.edu 

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

Annelise Boland
Sr. Administrative Assistant Clinical Education
630-515-7482
Abolan1@midwestern.edu 

College of Pharmacy

Linda Haase, B.Pharm., RPh.
Experiential Education Specialist
630-515-6100
lhasse@midwestern.edu

Clinical Psychology | College of Health Sciences

Cindie Duncan
Senior Administrative Assistant
630-515-7650
cdunca@midwestern.edu 

Lorna London, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
630-515-7498
llondo@midwestern.edu 

Kimberly Noschese, M.S.Ed.
Administrative Coordinator
630-515-6944
knosch@midwestern.edu 

Occupational Therapy | College of Health Sciences

Anne Kiraly-Alvarez, O.T.D., OTR/L
Associate Professor and Director of Capstone Development
630-515-7340
akiral@midwestern.edu 

Dana Lingle, O.T.D., OTR/L, CHT
Assistant Professor & Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
630-515-7156
dlingl@midwestern.edu 

Catherine Killian, O.T.D., MEd, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, and Director of Clinical Education
630-515-7208
ckilli@midwestern.edu 

Physical Therapy | College of Health Sciences

Sarah Keller, P.T., D.P.T.
Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Clinical Education
630-515-7206
skelle@midwestern.edu 

Seth Kress P.T., D.P.T.
Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Clinical Education
630-960-3953
skress@midwestern.edu 

Physician Assistant | College of Health Sciences

Cheryl DiVittorio
Clinical Education Coordinator
930-971-6092
cdivit@midwestern.edu 

Kerri Haan
Clinical Education Coordinator
630-515-6239
khaan@midwestern.edu 

Speech-Language Pathology | College of Health Sciences

Nicole Gilbert, M.A., CCC-SLP
Director of Clinical Education
630-743-4687
ngilbe@midwestern.edu 

College of Dental Medicine-Illinois

Bruno Jham, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
630-515-7469
bjham@midwestern.edu 

College of Graduate Studies

Sandra Inouye, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
630-515-6132
sinouy@midwestern.edu 

Hosting a rotation site and precepting is a rewarding way to give back to your profession by mentoring future colleagues. There are numerous benefits such as:

• Recruiting the top students to your practice site
• Infusing your practice site with new ideas and insights
• Contributing to the education of future colleagues 
• Access to MWU library resources
• Opportunity to apply for faculty appointment and rank advancement
• Giving back to the profession and alma mater   

Contact Information
If you are interested in hosting a rotation site for our students, please contact the appropriate clinical coordinator:  

Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine

Wendy Prost
Clinical Education Affiliation Coordinator
623-572-3377
wprost@midwestern.edu 

College of Pharmacy

Holly Lancaster
Experiential Education Coordinator
623-572-3503
Hlanca@midwestern.edu

Cardiovascular Science - College of Health Sciences

Tracy Lemieux-Bartz
Clinical Coordinator
623-572-3627
tlemie@midwestern.edu 

Clinical Psychology - College of Health Sciences

Elizabeth Armijo
Clinical Education Coordinator
623-572-3863
earmijo@midwestern.edu 

Occupational Therapy - College of Health Sciences

Kathy Painter
Senior Administrative Coordinator
623-572-3630
kpaint@midwestern.edu 

Tamara Turner, Ed.D., OTR/L
Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
623-572-3606
tturner@midwestern.edu 

Nurse Anesthesia - College of Health Sciences

Rodney Fisher Ph.D., CRNA
Program Director
623-572-3762
Rfishe1@midwestern.edu 

Melissa Ranalli, M.S.N., CRNA
Assistant Program Director
623-572-3634
Mranal@midwestern.edu 

Physical Therapy - College of Health Sciences

Audrey Parker
Administrative Coordinator
623-572-3935
aparke@midwestern.edu 

Physician Assistant Studies - College of Health Sciences

Sylvia Burns
Clinical Education Coordinator
623-572-3645
sburns1@midwestern.edu 

Speech Language Pathology - College of Health Sciences

Colin Macpherson, M.A., CCC-SLP
Director of Clinical Education
623-537-6324
Cmacph@midwestern.edu 

Graduate Nursing Program - College of Health Sciences

Misty Pagán, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C
Program Director and Assistant Director
623-572-6502
mpagan@midwestern.edu  

Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine

Randi Lucas
Assistant to the Dean
623-572-3447 
rcarls@midwestern.edu 

Heather Lukich
Senior Administrative Assistant
623-572-3450
hlukic@midwestern.edu 

College of Dental Medicine-Arizona

Sheri Brownstein, D.M.D.
Associate Dean
623-572-3824
Sbrown1@midwestern.edu 

Arizona College of Optometry

Lisa Carlson
Clinical Education Coordinator
623-806-7243
lcarls1@midwestern.edu 

College of Veterinary Medicine 

Angela Fischer
Clinical Education Coordinator
623-572-6388
afisch@midwestern.edu 

Madeline Garten
Clinical Education Coordinator
623-537-6366
Mgarte@midwestern.edu 

College of Graduate Studies

Sandra Inouye, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
623-537-6626
Sinouy@midwestern.edu 

Public Health

Desiree Davis, M.P.H.
Program Specialist
623-572-6613
ddavis1@midwestern.edu 
 

Library resources and services listed below:

• Use of the library at both our Downers Grove, Illinois and Glendale, Arizona campuses during regular library hours.  All alumni are welcome to visit either library location indefinitely.  Contact the Office of Alumni and Development at alumni@midwestern.edu or 800-962-3053 to learn more.
• Reference help while librarians are on duty.
• Access to computer resources and databases within the library.

Please note:  Access to library resources, such as Up-To-Date, Access Pharmacy, EBSCO, eBooks, ILLiad, etc., are no longer available to you remotely due to licensing restrictions.

If you have further reference or library specific questions, please contact the Midwestern University Library Services Staff.

• Downers Grove Campus Library     
  555 31st Street                    
  Downers Grove, IL 60515          
  Ph: 630-515-6200
  reference@midwestern.edu
   
• Glendale Campus Library
  19555 N. 59th Avenue
  Glendale, AZ 85308
  Ph: 623-572-3308
  reference@midwestern.edu
   
• Library website

The Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) is dedicated to helping our alumni and students manage the debt they incur while students at Midwestern University. Loan repayment is the single most important financial issue our alumni and students generally face. Information about exit counseling, financial literacy, loan repayment options, and other information is described in detail in an effort to help you become an informed borrower.

Loan Overview

For many alumni, educational loans were a necessary part of the process of paying for school. In addition, it is very important to understand the basics of each loan program offered at Midwestern University. You can read about the loan programs below and we encourage you to contact the Office of Student Financial Services if you have any questions.

The Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) knows it's important for alumni to repay their loans as quickly and inexpensively as possible and we are here to help. We look forward to working with you now and in the future.

Loan Programs

Please visit the Institutional Loans page to see what loans are available.

Federal Family Education (FFEL) Program Borrowers

On July 1, 2010, the Federal government eliminated the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. All student loans are now originated through the Federal Direct Loan program starting with the 2010-2011 academic year. Borrowers who have previously borrowed through a FFEL lender need to contact their lender or servicer for more information.

Student Loan Repayment Services

We have partnered with Paul Garrard, Founder and President of PGPresents, an independent student loan consulting company, to provide loan repayment services to graduates and alumni. Mr. Garrard is a thirty-year veteran of higher education and student financial aid and is considered by many to be the number one educational debt management expert in the nation, especially when it comes to helping health professions graduates manage their student loans.  He works with thousands of health professions graduates helping them choose repayment strategies to meet their career, personal and financial goals. The services are offered at no additional charge to all Midwestern University graduates and alumni.

Student Loan Calculators

Use the loan calculators below to assist you with your loan repayment options.

Note: Please note that the calculators are used for informational purposes. For actual repayment amounts and schedule of your student loan payments, contact your lender or servicer.

• Department of Education 
• FinAid.org 
• Salie Mae 

Shereen Salama, Pharm.D.,
College of Pharmacy-Downers Grove,
Class of 2020

What made you realize that you wanted to go into the pharmacy profession?

I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to connect with patients and form long-term relationships. During my time at Midwestern, I was exposed to various settings that allowed me the opportunity to observe pharmacists involved in direct patient care and working at the top of their licenses. They were autonomous in their roles and helped patients achieve their health goals. I decided to pursue residency training in ambulatory care and have developed meaningful relationships with patients ever since. My favorite part of my job is the excitement I get to witness when my patients achieve their goals and live a happier, healthier life.

What made you decide to pursue a healthcare career?

My father is a physical therapist and always encouraged me to pursue a career in healthcare. The love for connecting with patients runs in my family!

In what ways have you given back to Midwestern University? How have you made a difference in your community?

I continue to precept students at a free clinic in an underserved community. Additionally, I work with Midwestern students to organize annual health fairs in my community center.

How has your education at Midwestern University shaped your life?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Midwestern and often wish I could go back to spend my days there. I have made connections with friends and colleagues that will last a lifetime. Midwestern did, and will always, feel like home to me.

What is your favorite memory from your time at Midwestern University?

My favorite memories are from when my friends and I would make little study circles to review information in the hallway of Science Hall right before an exam. I also really enjoyed traveling across the country to compete in competitions on behalf of Midwestern and presenting research.

What's keeping you busy now? Do you have any passion projects?

I recently became a mom of a sweet little boy! He has become my new full-time job though I continue to look for avenues to give back to Midwestern and the profession.

Let us know and help us spread more #MWUProud moments.

Email us at Alumni@midwestern.edu

View our past Alumni Pulse Newsletters:

• Fall 2023
• Spring 2023
• Fall 2021
• Fall 2020