Meet Our Director

George L. Stewart, PhD

Position:  Chair of Biology and Director of the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences  SAHLS Membership:  Director, SAHLS ('06-present); Head, Division of Life and Health Sciences ('02-'06)  Contact:  gstewart@uwf.edu / Tele: (850) 473-7226 / Fax: (850) 474-2749 George Stewart's area of expertise is in infectious and parasitic diseases. He studied parasitology under Dr. Clark Read at Rice University and has collaborated on a variety of studies with USAMRIID, CDC and WHO. Dr. Stewart has consulted with a long list of drug and diagnostic companies on problems in the treatment and diagnosis of infectious diseases. His areas of research include pathophysiology and pathobiochemistry of infectious diseases and modulation of mammalian immune response by disease agents. Dr. Stewart has taught Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Parasitology, Immunology, Medical Microbiology, Bioterrorism and Human Sexuality. He is currently Chair of Biology and Director of the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences under which is included Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Biology, Nursing, Medical Informatics, Health Care Ethics, the Master of Public Health and the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree programs. Listen to Dr. Stewart discuss the vision of the School's initiatives in allied health.

Accreditation Partners

Courses and programs in SAHLS have received the following accreditations:

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
• National Accrediting Agency for Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
  • Clinical Laboratory Sciences (2007)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Nursing (2006)
• Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) (2008)(Reaccreditation 2014 in progress)

The Master of Public Health degree program at UWF, is currently going through re-accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). CEPH contact information is available here.

Our Commitment to Quality

The School of Allied Health and Life Sciences (SAHLS) is committed to creating and conducting educational programs directed at solving regional problems and enhancing the quality of life in Northwest Florida. This commitment includes contributing within the areas of life and health sciences, to the economic development of the Northwest Florida region and the State of Florida, and to developing educational programs in the environmental and community health-related sciences which educate the public on relevant regional, state, national and international environmental issues. We actively recruit and support faculty that share this vision, with expertise in a variety of areas and community involvement that directly impacts quality of life, intelligent economic development, and preservation of the natural environment. Feel free to visit the SAHLS Press Room for related newspaper clippings and radio spots involving dedicated members of our team.

SAHLS is also committed to advocating, championing, and employing an open source paradigm in assessment to expand the use and collaborative improvement of innovative instructional methods in both traditional (face to face) and nontraditional (online) programs. Courses in programs in SAHLS are reviewed for quality by assessment personnel within the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences to meet national standards established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Council on Education for Public Health, and other organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Initiatives in online program development are in line with our theme, "High Quality, with Innovation to Build and Support an Engaged Online Learning Community". Read more about this in the SAHLS bibliography.

Some online courses may require exams to be taken under the supervision of an approved proctor within the geographic location of the student or with Webcam conferencing equipment and software. Some online programs also include internship hours which can be completed with an approved preceptor at the student’s geographic location. The purpose of internship opportunities in various programs is to provide supervised, real-world work experience in preparation for the career paths students may enter upon graduation.

Stay tuned in for more updates! We maintain an RSS Feed for this site to provide outreach to middle and high school students and parents and to alert our educational partners and prospective students about new initiatives.

Steve Celestial, Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator - Undergraduate Programs

Position: Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator  Contact: scelestial@uwf.edu or (850) 474-2885  Steve Celestial is the Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator for the Department of Biology. He helped to develop the extensive Frequently Asked Questions page to assist students with common registration and advising problems and attends numerous off-campus recruiting visits to facilitate registration for students across the region.

Angela Hahn, PhD, Academic Advisor and Assistant Program Director - BSHS

Position: Lecturer, SAHLS (2011-present)  Contact: ahahn@uwf.edu or (850) 857-6004  Angela Hahn received her B.S. in Biology from the University of West  Florida (UWF) in 1996 and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from  the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in 2005. She worked in the field of immunology research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center before beginning graduate work in molecular virology at UNC-CH. She taught Medical Microbiology at UNC-CH and General Biology in the North Carolina community college system. Dr. Hahn returned as an Adjunct Instructor to UWF during the summer of 2006 to teach for the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences. She started teaching full time for the BSHS program in 2009. Dr. Hahn teaches Advances in Health Science Technology, Human Physiology and Health Sciences Research Seminar in the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree program.

Justice Mbizo, Dr.PH, Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator - MPH

Position: Assistant Professor (2009-present)  Contact: jmbizo@uwf.edu or (850) 474-2650  Justice Mbizo received his Doctor of Public Health degree form Morgan  State University, Baltimore, Maryland and a Masters of Science in Administration (Health Services) from Central Michigan University. He has been co-teaching and teaching courses in the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences since 2005 and became a full-time instructor in 2007. In the Master of Public Health program, Dr. Mbizo teaches the courses Epidemiological Design and Statistical Methods, Computer Applications in Public Health, Strategies for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases, and Healthcare Quality, Statistics and Database Management.

Enid Sisskin, PhD, Academic Advisor and Faculty - MPH

Position: Lecturer (2009-present)  Contact: esisskin@uwf.edu or (850) 473-7473  Enid Sisskin received a BA from Queens College of the City University of  NY and an MS from Southern Illinois University. Her PhD in Pathobiology was awarded under the direction of Dr I. Bernard Weinstein, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. Upon graduation she completed a postdoc at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, and continued with research at Everglades National Park’s South Florida Research Center. She also worked in the park in the Resource Management division. Enid sits on the board of directors of several local and regional environmental organizations, including the Gulf Coast Environmental Defense, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and the Florida Clean Water Network. She has been co-teaching and teaching courses in the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences since 2005 and became a full-time instructor in 2007. In the Master of Public Health program, Dr. Sisskin teaches the courses Environmental Health, Introduction to Public Health, Bioterrorism and Environmental Toxicology. Visit the SAHLS Press Room to see newspaper clippings and hear radio spots with Dr. Sisskin.

M. Pilar Martin, MD, MPH, MHSA, Academic Advisor and Faculty - MPH

Position: Assistant Professor (2012-present)  Contact: mmartin1@uwf.edu or (850) 857-6029  Pilar Martin received an MD from the University of Computense of Madrid  School of Medicine, a Master of Public Health from the University of  Glasgow, and a Master of Health Services Administration from Florida International University. She completed a Post-Doctoral Associate Fellowship in the National Cancer Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine and taught at the Florida International University College of Public Health and Social Work for 5 years as a Clinical Assistant Professor. In the Master of Public Health program, Dr. Martin teaches the courses GIS Applications in Public Health, Medical Terminology, Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health and Computer Applications in Public Health.

The Advisory Committee to the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences consists of members from health-related programs at UWF and members from the regional health care and public health communities. This committee is responsible for identifying and evaluating educational programs designed to fill regional workforce needs in health care. General comments and suggestions regarding the educational initiatives in health care planned by the School are welcome and appreciated and may be communicated via phone, FAX, or email!