Allied health announces three program directors

The UNMC College of Allied Health Professions has announced the hiring of three program directors, welcoming new leaders for clinical perfusion, cytology, and radiography and computed tomography following national searches.

Scott Sanderson, former associate program director, now is program director of clinical perfusion. Maheswari "Manju" Mukherjee, PhD, leads the cytology program after serving as its interim director. Ashley Balliet, currently program director at Mercy/St. Luke School of Radiologic Technology, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will assume leadership of radiography and computed tomography effective July 1.

The positions opened when former cytology and radiography program directors Amber Donnelly, PhD, and Tammy Webster, PhD, took full-time leadership positions within the college as assistant deans. David Holt, longtime director of clinical perfusion education, retired Dec. 31.

"I commend the search committees on their success. To recruit three individuals of this caliber at one time is an amazing achievement," said Kyle Meyer, PhD, dean of the College of Allied Health Professions. "The individuals selected for these leadership roles are a wonderful reflection of UNMC’s values. They are committed to excellence and teamwork and have demonstrated considerable innovation throughout their careers. I welcome them to the CAHP and fully anticipate they will lead our already outstanding programs to even greater heights."

Sanderson, former president of the Nebraska Perfusion Society, served previously as the clinical perfusion program’s clinical coordinator. He is the only faculty member in program history to be named Clinical Instructor of the Year three times. He also has earned the UNMC Student Senate Distinguished Teacher Award. Sanderson is a staff perfusionist at Nebraska Medicine. He is a UNMC alumnus and began his career in Indianapolis before being recruited home to UNMC in 2013.

Dr. Mukherjee has earned a national profile in her field while helping UNMC’s cytology program achieve the same. Her initiative in assessing innovative technologies such as virtual microscopy and eye tracking in the cytology program has resulted in invited presentations and recognitions at national and international meetings. She also used those technologies to develop an innovative online curriculum, which played a significant role in the expansion of the program to multiple satellite sites – making UNMC a nationally and internationally recognized leader in cytology distance education. Dr. Mukherjee is a UNMC alumnus.

Balliet began her career at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, where she served as senior imaging technologist and imaging educator before assuming her current role. She is board certified in radiography and mammography. Balliet served as co-chair of the education committee for the Iowa Society of Radiologic Technologists and serves as the director of the recruitment committee for the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences (AEIRS), an international professional organization supporting academic excellence in the imaging sciences.

Alisha Wright will continue to serve as interim program director of radiography and computed tomography until July 1.