School of Health Sciences Advisory Board

Shannon Albanese, PT, is a founder of ACCESS Physical Therapy & Wellness along with her husband, Stephen '98, and brother and sister-in-law, Chris and Janet. She is the director of talent acquisition and development for the company and serves as the site coordinator of clinical education for all sites. With the mission of putting patient needs first, ACCESS has grown to more than 400 employees and 50 outpatient PT practices in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Albanese is most proud of the culture at ACCESS and its mission to improve the lives of every client. She enjoys helping others and is active in the community as a volunteer on the Orange County Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Advisory Board, vice president of the Goshen High School Soccer Parents Association and board member for the Eva Fini Fund. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Quinnipiac in 1998.

Denise Fiore, FACHE, is the chief operating officer of Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, senior vice president of L+M Healthcare and senior vice president for Yale New Haven Health. Prior to her current appointment, she held leadership positions within Yale New Haven Hospital, most recently as vice president of clinical services. A member of Yale New Haven Health's Lean In Advisory Council, Fiore is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, serving as the ACHE Regent for Connecticut. She serves on Quinnipiac's Center for Women and Business Advisory Council and is a member of the University of New Haven School of Health Sciences Advisory Board and American Heart Association's Circle of Red Leadership. In 2018, she received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Quinnipiac and was the commencement speaker for the undergraduate School of Health Sciences. She was awarded the 2019 Veritas Award from the New Haven Chapter of Providence College. Fiore holds a bachelor's degree and MBA from Quinnipiac University.

Pete Grevelding serves as vice president of clinical operations and executive director of the Milne Institution for Healthcare Innovation Gaylord Specialty Healthcare. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing clinical areas, including leadership of the Admissions, Inpatient and Outpatient Therapy, Respiratory, and Care Management departments. He facilitates hospital wide growth and volume targets while driving key business initiatives that enhance market share and profitability. He has a lead role in maximizing patient satisfaction and recovery through institutional programs and evidence-based practice. He is also responsible for implementing procedures that promote Gaylord's core values. In 2020, he was named executive director of the Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation, spearheading the growth of Gaylord's existing research program. He has championed several collaborations and currently oversees corporate, academic and internal research projects. He is a board-certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist and member of the American Physical Therapy Association and Neurologic Section of the APTA.

Nichelle A. Mullins, JD, is the president and chief executive officer of Charter Oak Health Center, Inc., a federally qualified health center providing care to the underserved population. Her responsibilities include managing the $26 million budget and facility operations, serving more than 19,000 patients annually. Her career has focused on improving lives through the legal system and direct service. She was an attorney with the State of Connecticut Department of Public Safety and a state prosecutor in Rockville, Connecticut. With a passion for teaching, she has served as adjunct faculty at Goodwin College and Manchester Community College, teaching introductory business and law classes. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a master's in health care administration from Walden University, and her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University. She is vice-chair of the Citizens Ethics Advisory Board and serves on the State of Connecticut Health Care Cabinet, the Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council, and as president of the Community Health Care Association of Connecticut Board of Directors.

Rocco Orlando III, MD, is senior vice president and chief academic officer for Hartford HealthCare, which includes more than 32,000 employees and $4.5 billion in net revenue. He oversees all professional education, including medical, nursing, advanced practice and allied health education. Dr. Orlando leads the system's relationships with HHC's academic partners and directs research efforts to support investigators, clinical trials and research studies. He also partners with HHC's Office of Innovation to assist companies in advancing medical science and solutions that solve clinical problems. Previously, he was the first chief medical officer for HHC, chief medical officer of Hartford Hospital and vice president of the Connecticut Surgical Group in Hartford. He has served as a general surgeon at Hartford Hospital for more than 35 years. Dr. Orlando has delivered more than 150 medical presentations, with more than 50 medical publications, abstracts and book chapters. He received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College.

Peter Sandor, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA, FCCM, is a three-time graduate of Quinnipiac University and has been teaching in the QU Physician Assistant Program since 2005. Sandor is a practicing physician assistant in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England in Hartford. He is the co-founder and CEO of ClearView Simulation, whose mission is to equip health care providers with fully functional interactive training solutions that offer clarity in tracheostomy management and education. Their flagship product, the ClearView Tracheostomy Trainer, helps medical personnel understand the various interactions between a patient and their tracheostomy. Sandor is a Quinnipiack Valley Health Department board member and COVID-19 vaccinator in their Medical Reserve Corp. He serves as chair of the Physician Assistant Section of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and is a fellow with the American College of Critical Care Medicine, representing one of the 13 Physician Assistants ever inducted.

With nearly 20 years of expertise transforming the aging experience, Sarah Thomas is the CEO of Delight by Design, creating age-inclusive products, brands, spaces and experiences for consumers. She serves as the executive-in-residence at Aging2.0 and is a principal consultant in the Nexus Insights firm for aging transformation. She recently led all commercial activity for Seismic Holdings, a Silicon Valley-based company shaping human potential through the integration of apparel and robotics to augment human strength and performance. Her commercial expertise helped position the organization for esteemed recognition by the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, The Economist and CES. Thomas also led all global innovation for the largest post-acute care provider in the U.S., Genesis, serving more than 55,000 individuals daily. Her experience includes designing an innovation center in China to improve the health and well-being of global communities. A published author, she serves in multiple advisory positions and is a keynote speaker on topics of healthy longevity and aging innovations.

Kristin Tompkins is a research scientist with more than 21 years of experience in immunology and virology. Her career includes a vital role in Pfizer's Research & Development Viral Vaccines group, with expertise in executing preclinical in vivo vaccine studies across multiple viral programs simultaneously. As a key contributor to the licensure of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, COMIRNATY®, she was trusted to graphically summarize critical COVID-19 clinical trial data to support time-sensitive, data-driven decisions, publications and regulatory filings. She is a 2021 individual recipient of the Breakthrough Science & Innovation Prize - Scientific/Breakthrough Program for Courageous COVID-19 Vaccine Champions, the highest honor bestowed upon a Pfizer Worldwide, Research, Development Medical colleague. In addition, she is the past recipient of the WRDM Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Breakthrough Immunogenicity of the RSV Prefusion F Vaccine – Culmination of a 60 Year Struggle. Tompkins oversees the laboratory management and safety of more than 10 viral laboratories and 50 colleagues. She has held the position of biosafety chair since 2016. Kristin graduated with her bachelor's degree in Clinical Laboratory Science from Quinnipiac in 2000.

Clark Yoder has served as the chief executive officer of Advanced Radiology since 2015, focused on providing the best patient experience as a value provider of radiology services. Under his leadership, Advanced Radiology is empowering its patients and referring providers with the latest tools in health care needs. Previously, as chief customer officer and board member of North Shore-LIJ Careconnect Insurance Company, Yoder led the sales, marketing, contracting and member experience divisions. He served as vice president of the North Shore-LIJ Clinical Integrated IPA, which included more than 4,000 physicians on Long Island and New York City. He has more than 25 years of senior healthcare leadership experience, serving as chief operating officer and chief financial officer of WESTMED Medical Group and WESTMED Practice Partners. Clark earned his bachelor of science with a concentration in radiological sciences from Quinnipiac University and his MBA from the University of Connecticut.