AHEC Mentors
This is a sample of our amazing mentors, for the academic year 2022–2023. AHEC Scholars get a chance to meet and choose a mentor to work with during their time in the program, our mentors represent various geographic locations, as well as careers and diverse backgrounds.
Please keep checking back on our list as we keep recruiting new outstanding members of our community to serve in this program.


Ivette Lopez, Ph.D., MPH
Professor (Lecturer), Family And Preventive Medicine, University of Utah

Rita Osborn, MBA
Executive Director, Utah Center for Rural Health

Kasey Shakespear, MHA, MPH, MA
Assistant Director for Utah Center for Rural Health

Ana Sanchez-Birkhead, Ph.D., WHNP-BC, APRN
Associate Professor, University of Utah College of Nursing

Juan Carlos Negrette, MBA
Director, Global Health at University of Utah — Health Sciences

David Sundwall, MD
Clinical Professor of Public Health at the University of Utah

Senator Steve Urquhart, JD
Utah House of Representatives, 29th Senate District

Angela C. Dunn, MD, MPH
Utah Department of Health — Bureau of Epidemiology

Karen E. Mulitalo, MPAS, PA‑C
Program Director, Utah Valley University College of Health

Cam Torres, MD, MBA
Director, Physician-Patient Experience at Emerus Health

Yasmen Simonian, PhD
Dean, Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions at Weber State University.

Jose E. Rodriguez. MD
Associate Vice President for Health Equity and Inclusion, University of Utah

Fred Henderson, MHA
Center Director of the Northern Utah AHEC

Eli Bermudez, MS, PhD
Dean, Utah Tech University College of Health Sciences

Mindy Bateman, BS
Director, Crossroads Utah AHEC

Lisa Gren, PhD
Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health at the University of Utah,
Director for the University of Utah Primary Care Research Network„
Director for the Center for Research on Migration and Refugee Immigration.

Darin T. Ryujin, PA, MPAS, P‑AC
Associate Professor (Clinical), Family And Preventive Medicine, University of Utah

Joan Gallegos, RN, M.S.W.
Consultant, Comagine Health.

David Sandweiss, MD
Director of Rural and American Indian Outreach for the Dept of Pediatrics Global, Rural, and Underserved Child Health Program

Steven Lacey, MS, PhD CIH, CSP, FAIHA
Chief, Division of Public Health, University of Utah School of Medicine

Carrie Torgersen
Assistant Director of Southern Utah AHEC

Jenna Christensen, MSW, MBA
Senior Strategic Project Manager, Huntsman Mental Health Institute

Shaun Curran, PA‑C
Family Medicine Physician Assistant and Assistant Professor (Lecturer) at the University of School of Medicine

Gita Suneja, M.D., M.S.H.P.
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine
Investigator, Huntsman Cancer Institute