Faculty and Staff

	Leocadia Pietrowski Conlon, PhD, MPH, PA-C Program Director Associate Professor
Education: PhD in Translational Health Science, The George Washington University MPH, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Postgraduate PA Hepatology Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Hospital BS in Physician Assistant Studies, D’Youville College Dr. Leocadia Conlon has over 22 years of combined experience in research, clinical and public health practice, and academia. Clinical and public health experience includes expertise in hepatology, reproductive health, and maternal child health; extensive experience in behavioral health and chronic disease management in uninsured/underinsured populations; conducting clinical trials research; program implementation; quality improvement initiatives; and conducting translational research. Dr. Conlon has been a PA educator for nearly a decade, previously serving as PA faculty and Associate Program Director at Shenandoah University, and with the core PA faculty at The George Washington (GW) University. She has also served as an adjunct faculty at GW University in Clinical Research and Leadership and in the Doctor of Health Science Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program. Dr. Conlon has served the PA profession in several leadership and committee member roles throughout her career with the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). Dr. Conlon is an active member of the AAPA, PAEA, Hawaiʻi Academy of PAs, American Public Health Association, and the Hawaiʻi Public Health Association where she also serves on the board as Director at Large for Oʻahu. Dr. Conlon has served as a presenter at national and international conferences on a variety of clinical and PA education topics, and authored articles on reproductive health that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Conlon has also authored book chapters to include a section in The JAAPA QRS Review for PAs, Study Plan and Guide for PANCE and PANRE. Dr. Conlon lives in Hawaiʻi with her family. She has practiced in Hawaiʻi in hepatology and women’s health practice, served as clinical director for Hawaiʻi CARES, and was co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Collaborative Health Iniviative addressing maternal child health needs on neighbor islands. Dr. Conlon continues to participate in work with community and national organizations that focus on reproductive health (with research interest in adolescent reproductive health and polycystic ovary syndrome), prenatal care, and advancing health equity.
	Edward Weldon, MD Medical Director Physician Assistant Program
Education: Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship, Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Sacramento, California Orthopedic Fellowship, adult shoulder & elbow surgery, University of Washington Residency in Orthopedics, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine BS Biologic Science University of California at Santa Barbara Dr. Weldon is an Orthopedic Surgeon in Honolulu, Hawaii, and specializes in pediatric and adult shoulder and elbow disorders. He has been in practice in Honolulu for nearly 20 years and currently serves as the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Straub Hospital. Dr. Weldon joined the HPU PA Program as the Medical Director in 2021. He routinely serves as a preceptor for PA and medical students. Dr. Weldon is passionate about teaching and an advocate for the PA profession. Dr. Weldon grew up in Hawai’i and is a graduate of Punahou School.
	Victoria H. Galloway, DMSc, PA-C Director of Clinical Education Assistant Professor
Education: DMSc in Healthcare Leadership and Administration, Rocky Mountain University School of Health MSPA, Mountain State University BMS, Mountain State University BS in Biology, Mary Washington College (University of Mary Washington) Dr. Victoria Galloway has been a practicing PA since 2004 and has served the rural communities of southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee, and West Virginia. Clinical experience includes expertise in emergency medicine, pediatrics, rural medicine, and in-patient internal medicine (hospitalist). Dr. Galloway has been a PA educator since 2017, previously serving as PA faculty and the Director of clinical education for Emory & Henry College. Throughout her academic career, she has been involved with educational leadership in the clinical phase of two developing programs and has served in key roles for program accreditation and self-assessment. Dr. Galloway also currently serves as adjunct faculty for the Doctor of Medical Science Program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Dr. Galloway is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Physician Assistant Education Association, and the Hawai’i Academy of PAs. She is an active mentor for current and past students and is committed to student success, equity, and inclusivity. At Emory and Henry College, she served as the founding Chair of the PA Program Inclusion & Diversity Committee. Dr. Galloway lives in Virginia. She has a passion for rural medicine and is a volunteer primary care PA at the Mel Leaman Free Clinic in Marion, VA. Her service illustrates her desire to increase access to care and serve her community. Her research interest is emotional intelligence and its association with PA student successes. When she is not teaching or seeing patients, Dr. Galloway enjoys spending time with her son and their two dogs, walking the Creeper Trail, or visiting local vineyards with friends and family.
Alyson L. Smith, MS, PA-C Director of Didactic Education Associate Professor
Education: Postgraduate PA Residency in Pediatrics and Neonatology, Norwalk Hospital/Yale University School of Medicine MS, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (formerly Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School) BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Ms. Smith has nearly 29 years’ combined experience as a PA in clinical practice and academia. Her clinical practice experience includes full-time work in family medicine and general pediatrics, as well as formal post-graduate PA residency training in pediatrics and neonatology. Ms. Smith’s passion is teaching, and she has expertise in pediatric development, well child care, and medical conditions affecting neonates, infants, toddlers, young children, and adolescents. Ms. Smith has been a PA educator for more than two decades. She previously served in the PA program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois in a variety of administrative roles including Academic Coordinator, Associate Program Director, and Program Director. Ms. Smith received the Golden Apple award for Excellence in Teaching and Commitment to Students in 2002, and the Program Director’s Award for Service and Dedication to the PA Program in 2012. Ms. Smith is a Past President of the Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics (SPAP), a nationally-recognized specialty organization of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), and has served on both the Finance Steering Committee and the Leadership Mission Advancement Commission of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). In addition, she served as the only PA on the State of Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children Facility Recognition Task Force for over 20 years, and is an active member of PAEA, AAPA, SPAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Academic Pediatric Association (APA). Ms. Smith has lectured at local, national, and international conferences on a variety of pediatric and PA education topics, and her work has appeared in a number of peer-reviewed journals. She co-authored a chapter on pediatric tonsillitis for an upcoming textbook on otolaryngology, and has been part of a large federal grant related to PA training in primary care. Ms. Smith lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois with her family and their mischievous rescue pup. Her current research interests include childhood obesity and pediatric nutrition, and the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease precursors in children and adolescents.
	Percy J. Charles, Ed.D. Director of Operations
Education: EdD, Organizational Leadership, Argosy University MS, Administration, Central Michigan University BS, Occupational Education, Wayland Baptist University Dr. Percy Charles is an experienced organizational administrator and educator. He is a military veteran, having served in the United States Air Force for 24 years. His specialty was in Law Enforcement and Security Operations, where he held numerous director roles throughout his career. Since 2012, Dr. Charles has been an educator in secondary and higher education levels. Certified as an Air Force JROTC Instructor, he taught military leadership education and aviation at high schools in Louisiana and Mississippi. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member for the Glenn R. Jones College of Business at Trident University International. Dr. Charles lives in Honolulu with his wife Lisa. They have two sons who both reside in Denver, Colorado.

Leocadia Pietrowski Conlon, PhD, MPH, PA-C

Program Director

Associate Professor

Education:

PhD in Translational Health Science, The George Washington University

MPH, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Postgraduate PA Hepatology Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Hospital

BS in Physician Assistant Studies, D’Youville College

Dr. Leocadia Conlon has over 22 years of combined experience in research, clinical and public health practice, and academia. Clinical and public health experience includes expertise in hepatology, reproductive health, and maternal child health; extensive experience in behavioral health and chronic disease management in uninsured/underinsured populations; conducting clinical trials research; program implementation; quality improvement initiatives; and conducting translational research.

Dr. Conlon has been a PA educator for nearly a decade, previously serving as PA faculty and Associate Program Director at Shenandoah University, and with the core PA faculty at The George Washington (GW) University. She has also served as an adjunct faculty at GW University in Clinical Research and Leadership and in the Doctor of Health Science Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program.

Dr. Conlon has served the PA profession in several leadership and committee member roles throughout her career with the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). Dr. Conlon is an active member of the AAPA, PAEA, Hawaiʻi Academy of PAs, American Public Health Association, and the Hawaiʻi Public Health Association where she also serves on the board as Director at Large for Oʻahu.

Dr. Conlon has served as a presenter at national and international conferences on a variety of clinical and PA education topics, and authored articles on reproductive health that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Conlon has also authored book chapters to include a section in The JAAPA QRS Review for PAs, Study Plan and Guide for PANCE and PANRE.

Dr. Conlon lives in Hawaiʻi with her family. She has practiced in Hawaiʻi in hepatology and women’s health practice, served as clinical director for Hawaiʻi CARES, and was co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Collaborative Health Iniviative addressing maternal child health needs on neighbor islands. Dr. Conlon continues to participate in work with community and national organizations that focus on reproductive health (with research interest in adolescent reproductive health and polycystic ovary syndrome), prenatal care, and advancing health equity.

Edward Weldon, MD

Medical Director

Physician Assistant Program

Education:

Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship, Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Sacramento, California

Orthopedic Fellowship, adult shoulder & elbow surgery, University of Washington

Residency in Orthopedics, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine

BS Biologic Science University of California at Santa Barbara

Dr. Weldon is an Orthopedic Surgeon in Honolulu, Hawaii, and specializes in pediatric and adult shoulder and elbow disorders. He has been in practice in Honolulu for nearly 20 years and currently serves as the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Straub Hospital. Dr. Weldon joined the HPU PA Program as the Medical Director in 2021. He routinely serves as a preceptor for PA and medical students. Dr. Weldon is passionate about teaching and an advocate for the PA profession.

Dr. Weldon grew up in Hawai’i and is a graduate of Punahou School.

Victoria H. Galloway, DMSc, PA-C

Director of Clinical Education

Assistant Professor

Education:

DMSc in Healthcare Leadership and Administration, Rocky Mountain University School of Health

MSPA, Mountain State University

BMS, Mountain State University

BS in Biology, Mary Washington College (University of Mary Washington)

Dr. Victoria Galloway has been a practicing PA since 2004 and has served the rural communities of southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee, and West Virginia. Clinical experience includes expertise in emergency medicine, pediatrics, rural medicine, and in-patient internal medicine (hospitalist).

Dr. Galloway has been a PA educator since 2017, previously serving as PA faculty and the Director of clinical education for Emory & Henry College. Throughout her academic career, she has been involved with educational leadership in the clinical phase of two developing programs and has served in key roles for program accreditation and self-assessment. Dr. Galloway also currently serves as adjunct faculty for the Doctor of Medical Science Program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Dr. Galloway is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Physician Assistant Education Association, and the Hawai’i Academy of PAs. She is an active mentor for current and past students and is committed to student success, equity, and inclusivity. At Emory and Henry College, she served as the founding Chair of the PA Program Inclusion & Diversity Committee.

Dr. Galloway lives in Virginia. She has a passion for rural medicine and is a volunteer primary care PA at the Mel Leaman Free Clinic in Marion, VA. Her service illustrates her desire to increase access to care and serve her community. Her research interest is emotional intelligence and its association with PA student successes. When she is not teaching or seeing patients, Dr. Galloway enjoys spending time with her son and their two dogs, walking the Creeper Trail, or visiting local vineyards with friends and family.

Alyson L. Smith, MS, PA-C

Director of Didactic Education

Associate Professor

Education:

Postgraduate PA Residency in Pediatrics and Neonatology, Norwalk Hospital/Yale University School of Medicine

MS, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (formerly Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School)

BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Ms. Smith has nearly 29 years’ combined experience as a PA in clinical practice and academia. Her clinical practice experience includes full-time work in family medicine and general pediatrics, as well as formal post-graduate PA residency training in pediatrics and neonatology. Ms. Smith’s passion is teaching, and she has expertise in pediatric development, well child care, and medical conditions affecting neonates, infants, toddlers, young children, and adolescents.

Ms. Smith has been a PA educator for more than two decades. She previously served in the PA program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois in a variety of administrative roles including Academic Coordinator, Associate Program Director, and Program Director. Ms. Smith received the Golden Apple award for Excellence in Teaching and Commitment to Students in 2002, and the Program Director’s Award for Service and Dedication to the PA Program in 2012.

Ms. Smith is a Past President of the Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics (SPAP), a nationally-recognized specialty organization of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), and has served on both the Finance Steering Committee and the Leadership Mission Advancement Commission of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). In addition, she served as the only PA on the State of Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children Facility Recognition Task Force for over 20 years, and is an active member of PAEA, AAPA, SPAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Academic Pediatric Association (APA).

Ms. Smith has lectured at local, national, and international conferences on a variety of pediatric and PA education topics, and her work has appeared in a number of peer-reviewed journals. She co-authored a chapter on pediatric tonsillitis for an upcoming textbook on otolaryngology, and has been part of a large federal grant related to PA training in primary care.

Ms. Smith lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois with her family and their mischievous rescue pup. Her current research interests include childhood obesity and pediatric nutrition, and the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease precursors in children and adolescents.

Percy J. Charles, Ed.D.

Director of Operations

Education:
EdD, Organizational Leadership, Argosy University

MS, Administration, Central Michigan University

BS, Occupational Education, Wayland Baptist University

Dr. Percy Charles is an experienced organizational administrator and educator. He is a military veteran, having served in the United States Air Force for 24 years. His specialty was in Law Enforcement and Security Operations, where he held numerous director roles throughout his career.

Since 2012, Dr. Charles has been an educator in secondary and higher education levels. Certified as an Air Force JROTC Instructor, he taught military leadership education and aviation at high schools in Louisiana and Mississippi. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member for the Glenn R. Jones College of Business at Trident University International.

Dr. Charles lives in Honolulu with his wife Lisa. They have two sons who both reside in Denver, Colorado.