Contact Health Professions Advising

Health Professions Advising Staff

 The Health Professions Advising Office's principal mission is to support pre-health undergraduate students, pre-health graduate students, and alumni as they navigate their journey toward a professional health program.

The Health Professions Advising staff includes:

Faculty Chair, Health Professions Advising: Gregory Johnson Thompson Hall 257H CMB #1088 gregoryJohnson@pugetsound.edu To schedule an appointment with Greg (virtual only), visit: Greg's Appointment Request Calendar  Gregory Johnson, Ph.D., Biology, is the faculty pre-health advisor and Chair of the Health Professions Advising Committee. Greg joined the University of Puget Sound in 2009 and teaches a wide range of biology courses. He has been involved with the Health Professions Advising Committee since 2017, and has served as the Faculty Chair since 2022.

Health Professions Advisor: Nova Fergueson  Thompson Hall 203 253.879.2708 CMB #1007 nfergueson@pugetsound.edu  To schedule an appointment with Nova (in-person or virtual) visit: Nova's Appointment Request Calendar Nova Fergueson, M.S. is the Health Professions Advisor and is a member of the Health Professions Advising  Committee. Nova has 20 years of experience in academic advising, including both public and private institutions, and joined the University of Puget Sound community in 2019. In addition to her advising work, Nova also serves as the Staff Advisor for the Pre-Health Club and the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) campus branch. On a national level, Nova serves as the NAAHP Advisor Liaison for the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).

2024-2025 HPA Student Ambassadors

Interested in connecting directly with a current pre-health student to learn more about the pre-health experience at Puget Sound? Our HPA Student Ambassadors are available to answer questions, share their pre-health journey, and serve as a general resource for prospective students, current students, and alumni considering a career in the health professions. 

Sofia Colvin: Pre-Veterinary Medicine (major: Biology)
Hometown: Goodyear, AZ/Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Email: scolvin@pugetsound.edu

Charlotte Saxton: Pre-Nursing (major: French, minor: Bioethics)
Hometown: Bemidji, MN
Email: csaxton@pugetsound.edu 

Nima Taherzadeh: Pre-Med/Pre-PA (major: Natural Science Biology, minor: Education)
Hometown: Mercer Island, WA
Email: ntaherzadeh@pugetsound.edu 

2024-2025 Experiential Learning Student Ambassador

Eager to speak with a current student to explore health-related experiential learning ideas from the student perspective? The Experiential Learning Student Ambassador supports current Loggers as they consider health-related experiential opportunities, including activities such as volunteer clinical experience, internships, on-campus research and paid clinical positions, among others. Contact the Experiential Learning Student Ambassador, Cecilia Turetzky, directly to schedule an appointment for further conversation!
Cecilia Turetzky: Pre-Med (majors: Molecular & Cellular Biology and Neuro Bioethics, minors: Bioethics and Philosophy)
Hometown: Pleasanton, CA
Email: cturetzky@pugetsound.edu
Fall 2024 Office Hours: Mondays 9-10am, Wednesdays 9-10am & Fridays 12-2pm

2024-2025 HPA Alumni Ambassadors

Our HPA Alumni Ambassadors are a group of recent Logger alumni who are available to share their personal Puget Sound pre-health journey, participate in informational interviews, and serve as a general source of support for our aspiring professional health program applicants. Contact an alum directly via email (listed below) for further conversation. 

Health Professions Advising Committee (HPAC)

The Health Professions Advising Committee (HPAC) includes more than 25 Puget Sound faculty, administrators, and community partners who volunteer their time to serve on mock interview panels, participate in departmental scholarship selection, and provide an added layer of support for Puget Sound pre-health students. They represent a variety of departments, including: School of Occupational Therapy, School of Physical Therapy, Counseling Health & Wellness Services, Sociology & Anthropology, Biology, Communication Studies, Chemistry, Exercise Science, Institutional Equity & Diversity, Psychology, Academic Advising, Experiential Learning, School of Business & Leadership, Career & Employment Services, MultiCare Health System, and COPE Health Scholars among others. 

HPAC Members: