PA Faculty + Staff

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty

 

Dr. Megan Blakemore, PA-C 

Program Director and Assistant Professor

Dr. Megan Blakemore earned her B.S. in biology from the University of New Mexico, her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Missouri State University, and her Doctorate of Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. Blakemore has worked as a physician assistant with cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital since 2007. Courses taught include: Anatomy, Clinical Medicine, Clinical Skills, Case-Based Medicine and Professional Practice. Blakemore holds membership in several professional organizations to include: MOAPA, AAPA, AAPA Veterans Caucus and VPAA. Her research interests are advancing physician assistants in leadership and management opportunities as well as physician assistants in the uniformed services and veterans.

 

Dr. S. Hasan Naqvi

Medical Director

Dr. S. Hasan Naqvi is a board-certified internal medicine physician and works as a hospitalist and division director of hospital medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He earned his medical degree from Allama Iqbal Medical College, Punjab University in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Naqvi completed his internal medicine residency training at New York University in Brooklyn, where he also served as chief medical resident. He has served as medical director for hospital medicine at Columbus Regional Healthcare, Columbus, Georgia; clerkship director for internal medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Columbus Campus, Georgia; and clinical assistant professor, Mercer University School of Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Mercer University physician assistant program.

Naqvi is dedicated to medical education and works as an associate professor of clinical medicine at the School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia; associate chief medical officer of University of Missouri Health Care; and program director for hospital medicine fellowship. He is actively involved in clinical research and his interests are translational research, patient safety, clinical quality improvement and new drug trials. He is also Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP) and a Senior Fellow of Hospital Medicine (SFHM). Courses taught include Clinical Medicine and Hospital Medicine.

 

Ellen Gott

Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education

Ellen Gott completed her B.S. in biology and psychology at The College of Idaho in 2013 and her Master of Physician Assistant Studies at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 2018. After graduation, Gott began working as a hospitalist PA at the University of Missouri Department of Family and Community Medicine where she served as the lead PA on a busy service admitting for over 100 outpatient providers in mid-Missouri. Gott was heavily involved in resident education and precepting Stephens College PA students for their internal medicine rotation. Special clinical interests include antibiotic stewardship, congestive heart failure, non-invasive ventilation, insulin management/diabetic education, and end-of-life/hospice care. 

 

Lezlie Norris

Assistant Professor and Director of Didactic Education

Lezlie Norris has been a licensed physician assistant in Missouri since 2002, practicing in various specialties within orthopedics. Norris earned a B.S. in radiological sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a graduate of A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences with a Master of Science in physician assistant studies. Prior to pursuing her career as a physician assistant, Norris was a registered radiological technologist at University Hospital and Clinics in Columbia.

 

 

 

Dr. Merrill Sapp

Assistant Professor, Co-Director of Clinical Medicine and Director of Research

Dr. Merrill Sapp is a physician assistant whose clinical experience includes neurosurgery, otolaryngology and family medicine. Prior to PA school, she pursued a career in cognitive psychology. She graduated from Drury College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and completed a Ph.D. at New Mexico State University. She continued her studies at the University of Oklahoma, where she received a Master of Health Science in physician assistant studies in 2011. Courses taught include Clinical Medicine and Case-Based Medicine. Research interests include PA education.  Dr. Sapp received the Stephens College Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award in 2022.

 

 

 

Mara Peth, PA-C

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Program

Mara Peth was born and raised in Eastern Iowa. She received by B.S. in Kinesiology from Iowa State University and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from St. Ambrose University. She previously worked for over 5 years as a PA in family medicine. She and her husband have two boys and moved our family to Missouri to be closer to family. She found Stephens College to be the perfect place to further her career by joining as an Assistant Professor for the Physician Assistant Program.