News in Brief

Bastyr Changes University Structure, Announces New Appointments

Bastyr University has announced the appointment of a new dean, three associate deans and other key faculty members to new positions. The appointments were made as part of Bastyr's transition to a new school-based model of governance, and are expected to help lay the groundwork for future developments at the university.

The new appointees are:

• Terry Courtney, MPH, LAc. Ms. Courtney has been named the Dean of the School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She previously served as chair of the university's acupuncture and Oriental medicine department for six years, and was also chair of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture in 1983, and received her MPH degree from the Boston University School of Public Health in 1996.
• Steve Given, MTOM, LAc. Mr. Given will serve as Associate Dean for AOM Clinical Education. A member of Bastyr's faculty since 2001, he previously served as the Bastyr Center for Natural Health's AOM clinic program coordinator. He is also the past secretary for the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and earned his MTOM degree from Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine.
• Mark Kestin, PhD, MPH. Dr. Kestin has been appointed Associate Dean of the School of Nutrition and Exercise Science. Dr. Kestin earned a PhD in nutrition from Flinders University in Australia. Since joining Bastyr's nutrition department in 1996, it has quadrupled in size.
• Debra Brammer, ND. Dr. Brammer is the new Associate Dean for Naturopathic Clinical Education, and is returning to Bastyr after serving three years at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Tempe, Ariz. She received her ND degree from Bastyr in 1992, and worked at the school for six years teaching courses on clinical medicine.
• Jana Nalbandian, ND. A faculty member since 1996, Dr. Nalbandian is the new Chair of Clinical Sciences for the School of Naturopathic Medicine. Like Dr. Brammer, Dr. Nalbandian received her ND degree from Bastyr, graduating in 1989. During her time with the university, she has helped to standardize patient exams and improve the clinical skills assessment process for Bastyr students.

For more information on the appointees and the university's new governance structure, visit www.bastyr.edu.

---

AAMA Elects New President

Michael W. Coomes, MD, FAAMA, has been elected president of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. Dr. Coomes, who previously served as the organization's vice president and chair of its continuing medical education committee, was officially named president following a series of elections at the AAMA's 17th annual symposium, held in Atlanta this past April.

"Dr. Coomes has been an active and productive member of the Academy for many years," said AAMA Executive Director James Dowden. "He has worked hard to advance the awareness of the public to the benefits of medical acupuncture, and to providing quality physician education programs in medical acupuncture. He will be a real asset to the profession as president of the Academy."

Dr. Coomes is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota, and has practiced medical acupuncture since 1991. He has served as team physician for several of the university's athletic programs, and was a member of the U.S. Olympic Medical Team based in Colorado Springs during the 1996 Olympics. He also operates an integrative musculoskeletal medicine practice in Minneapolis.