College Hires New President, Establishes Doctoral Fellowships
After a lengthy search that encompassed several highly qualified candidates, the board of trustees at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) have chosen Michael Gaeta, EdD, to serve as the college's next president. Dr. Gaeta will officially assume the presidency of OCOM on March 28, 2005, bringing more than 30 years of experience in health care and academics to the position.
"We are extremely pleased with the result of our collaborative search process and look forward to Dr. Gaeta's arrival," said Peter Martin , LAc, chair of the OCOM Board of Trustees. "He brings a unique set of qualifications and experience that will enhance our mission of quality education and health care integration."
Dr. Geata earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in education, with minors in health education, from the State University of New York-Cortland in 1970 and 1972, respectively. He earned an EdD degree from Oregon State University in 1979, majoring in adult education and minoring in health education and gerontology. He currently works as Vice President of Adult Services at the Center for Discovery in Harris, New York. Prior to that, he served as the executive director of Planetree, Inc., a division of Griffin Health Services. He has been a hospital director for wellness and education, a motivational speaker/workshop leader, and an academician.
"I feel strongly that my experience in health care administration - and more specifically, the implementation of CAM therapies in various health care settings - will serve to advance the mission of the college," said Dr. Gaeta. "I look forward with great enthusiasm to serving as president of OCOM and working with OCOM's exemplary team in strategically positioning the college for the future."
OCOM's previous president, Dr. Shelley Simon, resigned from the position in July 2004 after serving a one-year term. During her tenure, OCOM's master's degree program received the maximum five years of reaccreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and the college implemented the first module of its doctoral program.
Doctoral Fellowships Established for 2005
In related news, OCOM has announced the creation of two new doctoral fellowships for students entering its Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) degree program in the summer of 2005. Valued at approximately $33,000 apiece, the fellowships are designed to support practitioners who wish to further their education and training as a clinician, faculty member or researcher.
"OCOM is excited to be able to offer this kind of support to outstanding practitioners and teachers who are interested in pursuing doctoral-level training," said Vice President for Academic Affairs Tim Chapman, PhD, LAc. "We expect that OCOM's doctoral fellows will distinguish themselves as future leaders in the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and we hope to provide these fellowships annually."
Application for the fellowships is open to any person who qualifies for admission to the college's doctoral program. Applications will be evaluated by an awards committee. Fellowships will be awarded based on several criteria, including financial need, academic achievements, professional accomplishments, and potential for future leadership in the field.
Winners of the doctoral fellowships will receive a wide range of benefits, including full coverage of tuition in the DAOM program, health insurance via the college's health plan, and practice privileges in the college's acupuncture and herbal clinic. Recipients must also relocate to Portland, Oregon for the duration of their doctoral training. In exchange for fellowship support, one recipient will work part-time for the college, coordinating patient recruitment efforts for the doctoral clinic, while the other will work part-time in the OCOM clinic, supervising master's-degree interns.
For more information on how to apply to OCOM's doctoral program or for either of the doctoral fellowships, visit www.ocom.edu or www.ocom-daom.info. Interested parties can also contact Dr. Chapman at tchapman@ocom.edu, or by phone at (503) 253-3443, ext. 136.
Editor's note: While they share the same name and (until recently) lived in the same state, Dr. Michael Gaeta, OCOM's next president, is not to be confused with Michael Gaeta, LAc, a well-known acupuncturist and president of the Acupuncture Society of New York.
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The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) has announced it is closing after 41 years. Pending accreditor approval, OCOM will cease offering classes after September (fourth-year OCOM students graduate Aug. 26). All current / incoming OCOM students have the option of continuing their education at the National University of Natural Medicine or Five Branches University, or transferring to another school altogether.
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