Center for Faculty Development & Excellence

Faculty Spotlight – Summer 2025

I am honored to be recognized for the Summer 2025 Faculty Spotlight at SCU. Teaching the dedicated students in our OTD-CA department is both a joy and privilege. I hold this role with as much care, attention, and humility as I can.  The core of my approach to teaching is collaborative, relationship-focused engagement. I am a professor in occupational therapy, but I am also an occupational therapist.  I employ OT theory to analyze learning as an occupation and the classroom as an environment for learning.  This foundation in OT theory focuses my work on understanding each student’s context as well as the history and relationships impacting student access to participation in learning.  The framework for analyzing the higher education experience I am excited to share with my colleagues includes application of the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation.  I appreciate each of my students and colleagues for their openness to collaboration with me.

Joanna Seber, OTD, OTR/L, MS, BA
OTD CA Core Faculty

Teaching Human Anatomy and Physiology is a true passion of mine and I feel so fortunate to share that passion with my students. Witnessing their growth and success is the most rewarding aspect of my role as an educator, and I am so grateful to be even a small part of SCU students’ journeys. To further promote student success and engagement I am committed to continuously expanding my knowledge and embracing innovative learning tools, such as Yellowdig, Complete Anatomy and Draw It To Know It.

We all have the power to create a positive impact within our academic community, and I am proud to contribute to the incredible culture here at Southern California University of Health Sciences.

Thank you all for your kind words!

Blake C Daniels, DC, BS
Assistant Professor I
Eastern Medicine Department

Faculty Spotlight – Winter 2024

I am truly honored to receive the Faculty Spotlight award for the Spring 2025 semester – thank you so much!

Teaching Diagnostic Imaging can already be a daunting task to students, so where is the fun in that? I’ve made it my mission to shake things up in my online classroom. My secret weapon? Breaking down those long Zoom sessions into smaller, livelier breakout rooms where my students work with our fantastic DI experts to tackle these concepts together. And because who doesn’t love a good game, I’ve brought some friendly competition into the mix with “Kahoot!” and “Jeopardy”-style activities. Recently, I’ve started experimenting with AI tools to create more engaging ways to learn. It’s amazing to see how mixing traditional teaching with new technology can turn challenging material into something students look forward to.

This recognition shows that I’m on the right track in my style of teaching and it continues to fuel my enthusiasm to keep finding creative ways to make learning both effective and enjoyable. Thank you again to the administration and my colleagues for this acknowledgment and to my students for their unwavering dedication.

Simone Jordan, DC, DACBR
Assistant Professor I
Chiropractic Radiologist

Faculty Spotlight – Fall 2024

I am honored to be recognized for the Fall 2024 Faculty Spotlight at SCUHS. My teaching approach is deeply rooted in the values that define our institution—commitment to student success, innovative learning, and a holistic view of education. I take great joy not only in engaging with students about their academic journey, but also guiding them through their career ventures and aspirations. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my students for their enthusiasm and dedication, and to the institution for fostering a space where excellence and growth are truly valued. Thank you for this incredible acknowledgment.

Brittany Hall, MS, CGC, CG(ASCP)^CM
Assistant Program Director, MSGC Program Adjunct Faculty, Human Genetics and Genomics

Faculty Spotlight – Spring 2024

I am deeply honored to receive this faculty spotlight recognition from the CFDE. Engaging and supporting our students through technology and personal connection has always been a part of my teaching approach. I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in our students’ academic success and thrilled to see the positive impact of these efforts. My sincerest thanks to the CFDE, my colleagues and students for inspiring me every day to explore, innovate, and refresh my thinking and perspective on health care education.”

Dr. Hector Rivera-Melo
Associate Professor II
Director, Center of Diagnostic Imaging
Diagnostic Imaging Practice