Meet Our Team
PA Faculty, Staff and Clinical Associates
The Utah Physician Assistant Program couldn’t function without the people that keep our programs running. From the top-tier faculty who teach our classes to the dedicated staff members running our programs to the clinical associates and preceptors we interact with across Utah, the program is more than the sum of its parts. Use the menu above to learn more about the people that make the PA Program run.
Leadership
Leigh Elrod, DPAS, MPAS, PA-C
Inaugural Holder of the Don Pedersen Endowed Chair
Email: leigh.elrod@utah.edu
Jared Spackman, MPAS, PA-C
Email: jspackman@upap.utah.edu
Shaun P. Curran, MPAS, PA-C
Email: shaun.curran@utah.edu
Richard L. Backman, MD
Email: richard.backman@hsc.utah.edu
Jennifer Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C
Email: jcoombs@upap.utah.edu
Chaz Whitbeck, BS, MMSc, PA-C
Email: chaz.whitbeck@utah.edu
Darin T. Ryujin, MS, MPAS, PA-C
Email: darin.ryujin@hsc.utah.edu
Joanne Rolls, MEHP, MPAS, PA-C
Email: joanne.rolls@hsc.utah.edu
Melanie N. Murphy, MBA, PA-C
Email: melanie.murphy@utah.edu
Principal Faculty
Charity C. Christensen, DScPAS, MS, PA-C
Jeanna T. Ryan, MPAS, PA-C, MSCIS, MS, RDN, PHD
Email: jeanna.ryan@hsc.utah.edu
