The Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) is made up of faculty and staff from a variety of backgrounds who help students prepare to apply to graduate-level health professions programs.

Most medical, dental, and optometry schools require that a committee letter of recommendation from the home institution accompany a student’s application for admission. To seek such endorsement students must provide the Health Professions Advisory Committee with a dossier including four or five letters of recommendation (two from science faculty) by February 15 of the calendar prior to the year in which they would commence their program (16-18 months prior to entry).

Current committee members

Jessica Alber, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences & the Ryan Institute for Neuroscience
E-mail: jalber@uri.edu | Meet Jessica

Alana Bibeau, Ph.D.
Teaching Professor of Sociology; Sociology Advisor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
E-mail: abibeau@uri.edu | Meet Alana

Jodi Camberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
E-mail: cambergj@uri.edu | Meet Jodi

Holly Dunsworth, Ph.D.
Professor of Anthropology
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
College of Arts and Sciences
Email: holly_dunsworth@uri.edu | Meet Holly

Aura Fajardo Grandidge
Assistant Dean for Diversity & Student Success Initiatives
College of the Environment and Life Sciences
E-mail: afgrandidge@uri.edu | Meet Aura

Jason Kolbe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
E-mail: jkolbe@uri.edu | Meet Jason

Sarah Larson, M.S., RD
Associate Teaching Professor, Didactic Program in Dietetics Director
Department of Nutrition
College of Health Sciences
E-mail: sarahlarson@uri.edu | Meet Sarah

Andrea A. Rusnock
Professor
Department of History
E-mail: rusnock@uri.edu | Meet Andrea