Faculty and Staff

Faculty

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Sara Nicely, D.H.Ed, PA-C
Associate Professor
Department Chair
Program Director
snicely6@radford.edu
540-831-1963

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Patricia Airey, D.H.Sc, PA-C
Assistant Professor
Academic Coordinator
pairey@radford.edu
540-831-1835

See Dr. Nicely's Bio

Sara Nicely, DHEd, PA-C joined the Radford University (then Jefferson College of Health Sciences) Physician Assistant (PA) Program faculty in June 2010.  She began her career in academia as an adjunct professor and transitioned to a full-time Assistant Professor within one year.  She was promoted to Associate Professor in May 2016.  At the same time, Dr. Nicely moved into the position of Program Director for the PA program. Dr. Nicely became the Chair of the newly developed Department of PA Studies in July 2019 at the time of the institutional merger with Radford University.

Dr. Nicely received her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degrees from Roanoke College in Biology and Medical Technology in 2000.  She then attended the College of Health Sciences (now Radford University) to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant studies, graduating in 2002.  Dr. Nicely’s clinical background is primarily surgical, having been employed in rural general surgery clinics in Virginia and West Virginia as well as serving on the Trauma and Surgical Critical Care services at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (CRMH).  Dr. Nicely continues to practice clinically with the surgical teams at CRMH.

Dr. Nicely currently serves as the President of the Virginia Academy of PAs and serves on a number of committees for Radford University, Carilion, and the Medical Society of Virginia.  In her free time, Dr. Nicely enjoys watching her children participate in numerous activities and spending time in Florida (Orlando particularly) or at the beach!

See Dr. Airey's Bio

Patricia Airey PA-C, DHSc joined the Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University) Physician Assistant Program in 2004. She completed her Physician Assistant Certificate at Cornell University Medical College in 1992, her Master of Science in PA Practice from Finch University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School in 2000, and her Doctor of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2009. Dr. Airey worked clinically in the Emergency Department at Yale University Hospital for five years before moving from Connecticut to North Carolina, where she worked for Southeastern Acute Care Specialists staffing multiple Emergency Departments in the area.

The move to Virginia and to academia was due to Dr. Airey’s desire to focus on the educational aspect of medicine, one of her favorite parts about working with patients. She currently teaches the Clinical Skills I – III courses and is a Course Director in one of the Interprofessional components of the Program.

Dr. Airey enjoys spending time with her husband and three children as well as being active in any number of creative endeavors.

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Brian Buccola, D.M.Sc., PA-C
Assistant Professor
Director of Clinical Education
bbuccola@radford.edu
540-831-1263

 

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Patrick McCarthy, M.D.
Medical Director
Adjunct Faculty
540-831-1684

See Mr. Buccola's Bio

Brian Buccola, MS, PA-C, started his medical career as a paramedic. After many years practicing as a paramedic, he decided to further his education by becoming a physician assistant (PA). He is a Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford) PA program graduate. Brian’s clinical experience includes trauma surgery, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, and urgent care.  

Brian joined Radford University as full-time faculty in December of 2021 as the Director of Clinical Education. He had previous experience teaching paramedic students and decided to switch from full-time clinical work to academia.   

In his spare time, Brian enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, sitting on a beach, hiking, watching sports, and visiting whiskey distilleries. Much of his salary goes to spoiling his dog Fin.

 

See Dr. McCarthy's Bio

Patrick J. McCarthy, M.D. graduated from LaSalle College with a B.A. in biology. He then attended and graduated from George Washington University Medical School. Following graduation, Dr. McCarthy completed a three-year residency in Internal Medicine, followed by a 2-year fellowship in Hematology. He is am Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology.

Upon completion of his training, Dr. McCarthy practiced in a multi-specialty clinic in Marion, Ohio and subsequently moved to Roanoke, Virginia and joined the Internal Medicine/Hematology - Oncology Department at the Salem VA Medical Center.

Presently, Dr. McCarthy is the Medical Director and adjunct faculty member of the Radford University PA Program.

He enjoys spending time with family including his wife, three adult children and seven grandchildren.

 

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Judy Smith, Ph.D.
Professor
jsmith182@radford.edu
540-831-1669

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Mark McAllister, M.D.
Assistant Professor
mmcallister4@radford.edu
540-831-1798

See Dr. Smith's Bio

Judy Cusumano Smith, Ph.D. joined Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University) in 2004.  Dr. Smith obtained her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Purdue University in 1995.  She specialized in psychological trauma, addictions, and geriatrics.  Dr. Smith provided psychotherapy to combat veterans, police officers, firefighters, and college students before joining academia.  She taught as a Visiting Professor in the Counselor Education Program at North Carolina State University prior to joining Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

At Jefferson, she served in the roles of founding Program Director of the Health Psychology program and Chair of Arts and Sciences before joining the Physician Assistant (PA) program in 2010.  In the PA program, Dr. Smith teaches Behavioral Medicine, Ethics, Research and Evidence-Based Practice, and the Master’s Projects/Capstone courses.  She serves on the Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness and encourages PA students to help with the annual Point In Time count each year in Roanoke. Her research has focused on combat veterans, interprofessional education opportunities, and the use motivational interviewing with patients.

Dr. Smith enjoys spending time with her husband and her three dogs, weaving, and being in nature.


See Dr. McAllister's Bio

Mark McAllister, M.D. received his combined BS/MD degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1994. He subsequently trained in general surgery, trauma, critical care, and anesthesia. He began his teaching career in 2009 and served as department head of Medical Assisting for ECPI University while also teaching as an adjunct for Radford University (then Jefferson College of Health Sciences). He joined Jefferson College full-time in 2016 as a professor in Biomedical Sciences and also taught Clinical Anatomy for the PA program in an adjunct capacity. He moved to the PA program full-time in 2019 and continues to teach Clinical Anatomy as well as Clinical Pathophysiology and also serves as the chairman of the Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee. He also assists in the management of the Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab on the Radford University campus in Roanoke.

Dr. McAllister maintains a role in allied health education by serving as a subject matter expert and certification exam developer for the National Healthcareer Association in both phlebotomy and EKG technician certifications. He also has a modest research background with publications in blood-brain barrier physiology, addiction medicine, and surgery. He enjoys working with first-year PA students in teaching surgical skills and critical care procedures outside of his assigned courses.

Dr. McAllister’s current academic interests include anatomical variations and demonstration of clinical pathology in the cadaver. Outside of work, Dr. McAllister enjoys home improvement projects, music, and sports and he is an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and two children remaining at home and he is the proud owner of two dogs, Gemma and Harper.

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R. Luke Swatzyna, M.S., PA-C
Assistant Professor
rlswatzyna@radford.edu
540-831-1684

Bradford McDaniel, PharmD, BCCCP
Adjunct Faculty - Pharmacology
bmcdaniel1@radford.edu
540-831-1684

See Mr. Swatzyna's Bio

I am a proud graduate of the Radford University Physician Assistant program (formerly Jefferson College of Health Sciences), which provided an education that was nothing short of exceptional.  It has guided my practice as a physician assistant in primary care for greater than 11 years, during which I was the first physician assistant to work with the Carilion Family Medicine residency, served as a co-chair of the Carilion Clinic Advanced Care Provider Advisory Council, and served in other leadership roles with the Carilion Clinic Provider Wellness Committee and Family and Community Medicine Executive Committee.  I have also had a diverse and rewarding clinical career serving patients in the Roanoke Valley at the Carilion Southeast, Roanoke-Salem, and Daleville family practice clinics.

Serving as an educator of clinical medicine has been one of the most meaningful accomplishments of my career.  My goal in teaching is simple:  I want my students to become better clinicians than I am by informing the care they will provide to their patients and guiding their leadership in the communities they will serve.

Outside of medicine, I am passionate about writing, playing, and recording music.  I still want to be a rock star when I grow up!  I also enjoy time outside hiking, biking, running, and splashing in some of the most nationally celebrated and well-known trails, races, and bodies of water in our beautiful Roanoke Valley.

Cindy Allen, M.S.H.S., RDMS, RVT
Adjunct Professor
callen36@radford.edu
540-831-1684

Staff

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Heather Paisley, B.S.
Administrative Assistant
hpaisley@radford.edu
540-831-1684

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Kieyona Dunn, B.S.
Clinical Resource Coordinator
ktdunn1@radford.edu
540-831-1719

See Ms. Paisley's Bio

Heather Paisley joined the Radford University Physician Assistant (PA) Program as the Administrative Assistant in May 2022. She previously worked as a Records Technician for the Roanoke County Police Department. In 2012, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Bluefield University.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her girlfriend and their fur babies, her nephews, and playing video games.

See Ms. Dunn's Bio

Kieyona Dunn joined the Radford PA program in 2019 as the Clinical Resource Coordinator. Prior to this, she worked for Carilion Clinic.

Kieyona graduated from Radford University in 2015 with a BS in Health Education and Promotion. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.