MWU Now Stories

Mariah Zeigler, D.V.M., M.P.H., DACVPM

While your own career journey will be unique, Midwestern University will give you the tools you need to be successful!

  • Sydnie Taylor

    College of Dental Medicine-Illinois Student, Class of 2026

    Midwestern University has granted me the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to uphold an inviting and comprehensive patient experience.

  • Celia Mimms, D.D.S.

    Clinical Care Coordinator, College of Dental Medicine-Illinois

    I strive for the light bulb moment with each student. Dentistry is a mixture of science, art, and engineering, and each student has a different learning curve.

  • Daniel M. Provencher, M.S., PA-C, Associate Professor

    Physician Assistant Program, College of Health Sciences

    The most rewarding aspect of this job is being able to help our students succeed in the program and achieve their goals of becoming Physician Assistants (PAs).

  • Meghan Morrissette

    College of Health Sciences-Downers Grove, Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2024

    My decision to attend Midwestern University was multi-faceted. I was initially drawn to Midwestern’s reputation for excellence in academics and dedication to service of the community.

  • Froma Jacobson, M.Ed., OTR/L

    Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences

    I adopt the attitude that we are all learning together in a safe environment that supports questions, deeper thought, and conversation.

  • Anja Goetten

    College of Health Sciences-Downers Grove, Occupational Therapy Program, Class of 2024

    I will continue to represent my role on the interdisciplinary team and collaborate with the professionals needed to provide best practice to my future clients.

  • Sakari King

    College of Health Sciences (Glendale), Occupational Therapy Program, Class of 2023

    An occupational therapist came to my school during my undergraduate studies to talk about her career, and I was inspired by the amazing work and stories that she shared. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare.

  • Divya Sood, O.T.D., OTR/L

    Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences-Downers Grove

    I was inspired to pursue a career in the health field because I believe it is a rewarding and fulfilling area of work. Serving and caring for others has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to use my passions in my future career as an Occupational Therapist.

  • Schea Fissel, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

    Speech-Language Pathology, College of Health Sciences

    I am blessed to be able to work with not just the most incredible colleagues, but also the most amazing future colleagues (our student doctors). Each person that I interact with inspires me to become a better doctor and teacher.

  • Tara Nomura

    Arizona College of Optometry, Class of 2024

    Growing up, I always had an interest in science courses, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with that. My optometrist suggested that I consider optometry as a career. I did some research and took a biopsychology course, where I learned more about the visual system. It was fascinating!

  • Brant Sanderfoot

    College of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Program, Class of 2024

    I was inspired to pursue a career in the health field because I believe it is a rewarding and fulfilling area of work. Serving and caring for others has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to use my passions in my future career as an Occupational Therapist.

  • Suraj Upadhyaya, O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

    Chicago College of Optometry (CCO)

    Being an educator at Midwestern University is rewarding because, every day, you are imparting knowledge to students; making each student a little more knowledgeable and a little more confident and making them believe that they will be a competent optometrist is an amazing feeling.

  • Matthew Roe, O.D.

    Arizona College of Optometry

    I am blessed to be able to work with not just the most incredible colleagues, but also the most amazing future colleagues (our student doctors). Each person that I interact with inspires me to become a better doctor and teacher.

  • Jesus Peña Nunez

    Arizona College of Optometry, Class of 2025

    I had the opportunity to work with five different optometrists who have all been Midwestern graduates, and I was able to see the quality of education that the University provides because of the high standards that these doctors uphold.

  • Jonathan Attiyah

    Optometry Student, Class of 2024

    One of the biggest reasons I decided to attend the Chicago College of Optometry was the warm welcome I received from the faculty members. I also wanted to attend a school that is up-to-date with new research, technology, and methods of patient care. I truly thought in the midst of applying to optometry school that Midwestern University would be the best school to transform me into a great clinician.

  • Balaji Rangarathnam, Ph.D.

    Speech-Language Pathology Program, College of Health Sciences, Downers Grove

    I hope that students develop a sense of patient-centered learning and consequently develop skills of patient-centered clinical care. Patients are the ultimate consumers of the services we provide, and clinical competence/skills are a lot more important than grades!

  • Taylor Alflen

    College of Health Sciences Speech-Language Pathology Program, Class of 2024

    I decided to pursue speech-language pathology because I love working with children and want to help them advocate for themselves. Initially I thought I wanted to focus on the educational side of speech-language pathology, but all of the medical opportunities available really resonated with me.

  • Sumith Liju

    Speech-Language Pathology Student, Class of 2023

    I decided to attend Midwestern University because of how well the school prepares its students for their profession.

  • Tiffany Tapia

    College of Health Sciences Speech-Language Pathology Program, Class of 2023

    My dream is to become a speech-language pathologist in the inpatient rehabilitation setting, and I knew Midwestern and the College of Health Sciences would provide me with the experience required to excel in that field.

  • Megan Sandilands, D.P.T.

    Physical Therapy Program, Class of 2022

    From the moment I went on my first clinical, I heard from many clinicians that students from Midwestern University are well prepared in terms of knowledge base and stand out for their professional behavior.

  • Mia Felix

    College of Veterinary Medicine, Class of 2024

    One of my greatest passions is to provide to underrepresented minorities the resources, opportunities, and connections that I didn’t have growing up.

  • Alejandro M.S. Mayer, Ph.D., M.S.Ed.

    Department of Pharmacology, College of Graduate Studies, Downers Grove

    When teaching, I engage students by emphasizing the principles of the One Health Initiative as a significant component of healthcare. I also highlight the importance of pharmacology in their professional careers, as well as the resources that are available to them at the Midwestern University Library for lifelong learning.

  • Shaifali Bhalla, Ph.D.

    College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove

    I believe that the purpose of education is to build character, and to create human beings, not machines.

  • Justin Griffin

    Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2023

    It is neat to see how all the pieces of Midwestern University come together to make the incredible production that is our educational process.

  • Medha Joshi, Ph.D.

    College of Pharmacy, Glendale

    Medicine is the noble profession of saving people’s lives. As a healthcare professional, your patients have bestowed their trust in you. You commit your highest to this trust by paying your utmost attention and effort to the patient care process.