Dionna Rookey, M.S., MSPAS, PA-C
Program Director
Dionna Rookey joined Elizabethtown College in 2019. She earned a bachelor of science degree in biology from Valdosta State University, a master of science degree in medical microbiology from the University of Georgia, and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Philadelphia University. Dionna has worked in family medicine since graduating in 2007. She has practiced in Alaska, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Dionna additionally started work in education in 2013 and found a second love.
Dionna is dedicated to teaching students to embrace all of what makes people love, think, and live. Dionna believes in education for service and is excited to both continue and discover new ways to integrate students and the community together. Her teaching interests include clinical reasoning, patient communication, and all aspects of primary care.
Dr. Tiffani Russ, DO
Medical Director
Dr. Tiffani Russ graduated from York College of Pennsylvania prior to attending medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Russ was born and raised in York County and after the medical school decided to return to York to complete her residency in Emergency Medicine at York Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Russ currently works as an Attending Physician for Lancaster Emergency Associates as well as York Memorial Hospital. Her research includes an "Evaluation of Application of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure of BLS providers for Generalized Respiratory Distress" (2014). When not working at the hospital, Dr. Russ enjoys spending time with her family, competing in triathlons, and she is a firefighter at Wrightsville and York Area United Fire and Rescue.
Heather Fink, MSPAS, PA-C
Clinical Coordinator
Heather Fink joined Elizabethtown College in January of 2024 as the Clinical Coordinator. She was raised in upstate New York and moved to Pennsylvania in 2009. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Union College in Schenectady, New York. In 2003 she completed her Master of Science in Physician Assistant studies at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. She has practiced in New York, Colorado and Pennsylvania in multiple specialties including urogynecology, urology, family practice and allergy and asthma.
Heather has always had a passion for patient education and has the same passion to educate upcoming healthcare professionals. She is excited to teach both in the didactic year as well as to guide students through their clinical rotations. When she is not on campus Heather enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband and four very busy children. She also enjoys traveling, reading, skiing, and relaxing by the pool.
Lauren A. Fischer, BA, ARRT (R)(M)(MR)
Clinical Site Specialist
Lauren joined Elizabethtown College in 2022. She earned a bachelor's degree in from Shippensburg University and began her career working in hotel and catering sales. She quickly realized she had a desire to enter the healthcare industry, specifically diagnostic imaging.
She went to the School of Radiologic Technology at Crozer Chester Medical Center, a hospital-based program outside of Philadelphia and joined the faculty shortly after graduation as a Clinical and Didactic instructor. Lauren went on to add Clinical Coordinator to her role when the hospital-based program partnered with Widener University and became the Widener-Crozer Allied Health Program. Besides being a seasoned X-ray technologist, Lauren decided to pursue an additional imaging modality, MRI, in 2008 and has been actively working as an MRI tech ever since. Since moving to the area in 2018, she again worked with students as a lab instructor for the X-ray program at Harrisburg Area Community College. Lauren has always had a passion for being a part of the student's educational journey into the healthcare field and feels proud when students become successful clinicians. She always advised her students to stay abreast of the ever-changing healthcare industry and to be a life-long learner. When not working, Lauren enjoys hiking, biking, pickleball and attending music concerts with her husband as well as family time with her four children.
Cynthia Thomasson, MSPAS, PA-C
Didactic Faculty
Cynthia Thomasson joined Elizabethtown College in January of 2024 as a Faculty Lecturer for the Physician Assistant Program. She grew up in Hummelstown Pennsylvania and is a Lower Dauphin High school graduate. She graduated from Penn State University with an associate degree in liberal arts. She then graduated from Alderson-Broaddus University with a bachelor’s degree in medical science in Physician Assistant Studies. She later obtained her Master of Science in physician assistant studies with an emphasis on Emergency Medicine from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine.
Cynthia has practiced for 33.5 years as a Physician Assistant in various specialties including: Cardiology, General Orthopedics, Peds Ortho, Orthopedic hand surgery, Emergency Medicine, Peds Rheumatology, Orthopedic Surgery/Sports medicine helping to take care of the Hershey Bears and Harrisburg Senators Baseball team and back to Cardiology all within the Penn State Health System. Cynthia has a passion for teaching and educating the next generation of Physician Assistant’s. In her spare time, you will find Cynthia raising chickens and walking her Patterjack pup as well as spending time with her 4 grown children. She also can be found on the Ice either ice dancing or running an Adaptive Skating and Wheelchairs on Ice Program in conjunction with the Hershey Figure Skating Club. She can also be found traveling, sketching, or painting. She also practices Kung Fu and has recently obtained her Orange Sash.
Daria Indeck, MSH, PA-C
Didactic Faculty
Daria Indeck joined Elizabethtown College in 2022. She grew up in rural PA. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Florida Atlantic University, Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Lock Haven University in 2010. Daria has worked at Lancaster General Health as a Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery PA since graduating.
She also has an interest in wilderness medicine and disaster medicine. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets. If not there you can find her at the jiujitsu, gym or running around in the woods. Daria is excited to share her unique knowledge and skill set with future PAs.
Megan Solyak, MHS, LAT, ATC, PA-C
Didactic Faculty
Elizabethtown College welcomed Megan in 2022. She is native to Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelors in Science in Athletic Training from University of Delaware and worked as a Certified Athletic Trainer in high school, collegiate, and outpatient office settings. After 10 years, she returned to school earning her Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Drexel University, graduating in 2017. She worked for Penn State Hershey Orthopedics after graduation and currently maintains her clinical role as a PA for Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Sports Medicine.
Megan is also interested in holistic and plant-based medicine approaches in conjunction with traditional medicine. Megan believes all PAs are educators and that patient education is the cornerstone to good healthcare. When patients have better health literacy, they are more willing to be an active participant in their recovery and ultimately will have better outcomes. She strives to pass on this approach to future PAs. Megan resides in Lancaster with her spouse and daughter. She enjoys hiking, running, listening to music, and spending time on the water.
Dr. Emmanuel Mbaku Ngu, Ph.D.
Didactic Faculty
Emmanuel Mbaku Ngu, Ph.D., is Professor of Biomedical sciences, including Pharmacology, Toxicology, Neuroscience and Medical Physiology at Touro College Of Osteopathic Medicine; Previous Professor of Pharmacology and Theme Leader for the Principles of Drug Therapy, Pharmacology Course Director and Coordinator at Albany College of Medicine, Course Director and Professor of Pharmacology at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Scientifically, Dr. Ngu is interested in understanding the role of microglia and other glial cells in CNS disorders and has conducted research into the behavior of microglia following crushing injuries to the CNS that severs nerves. The importance of his interest in this area of study is based on the fact that the normal functioning of the nervous system strictly depends on the glial cell support of neurons. Glial cells called oligodendrocytes, for example, provide myelin insulation of axons which enables fast conduction of action potentials. Astrocytes for their part provide housekeeping support by removing excess extra-cellular potassium ions and glutamate from synapses. Microglia, in their resting state, keep tabs on the health of surrounding neurons and are quickly transformed into phagocytic, disease-fighting immune cells when stimulated. Yet there are indications that these glial cell types may each have a dark side in which they can initiate, participate in or exacerbate existing disease conditions in the central nervous system. Thus, understanding the role of glial cells in CNS diseases would be a step toward finding better treatments. Administratively, Dr. Ngu has served on several committees including the Inter-professional Education Steering Committee (IPESC) at Albany College of Medicine, and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; served on the Student Promotions Committee at Augusta University School of Medicine/University of Georgia Medical Partnership; served on the Admissions Committee and Student Counseling at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Ngu received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California, and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in Electrophysiology and Neuroscience at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, in Florida. A native of Cameroon, Dr. Ngu emigrated to the States where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. He worked as a chemist for a while at the Kelatron Laboratories before taking on higher education in Biomedical Sciences at Loma Linda University in California. He likes soccer and jeep off-roading.
Raphael Molina, Ph.D.
Didactic Faculty
Raphael graduated in Biology from Universidad de Sevilla prior to obtaining his Ph.D. Cum Laude from the School of Medicine, focused on neurodegeneration and neuronal activity. He has been an entrepreneur in the biomedical field, both in the US and Europe. He has focused on rare and ultra-rare diseases, including pediatric pathologies, including hematological, pulmonary and neurological diseases. He has worked on drug development against diseases causing accelerated aging of stem cells, fibrosis, and high sensitivity to oxidative stress. He has combined work in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, and AI applied to drug discovery, gene analysis, and genome stability. He has lectured molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, anatomy & physiology at University of Madrid and University of Paris. Raphael is committed to teach students that a patient is more than a pathology, but a complete person, and we must understand the person as well as his/her disease. In particular, he is very interested in helping students develop a complete vision of their work, from the gene to the protein, to the cell, tissue, organ, and whole patient. Students should be able to efficiently interpret lab results, image techniques, etc.
Dr. Anya Goldina, Ph.D.
Didactic Faculty
Dr. Goldina joined Elizabethtown College in 2013. She earned her Bachelors in Biological Sciences and Ph.D. in Behavioral Endocrinology from Florida International University. Her broad research interests include animal behavior, endocrinology, and neuroscience. Dr. Goldina teaches introductory biology courses, as well as Human Anatomy and Physiology, Advanced Anatomy, Behavioral Endocrinology and Physiology.
Dr. Goldina works closely with students to help them discover their potential and passion for science. Dr. Goldina is particularly interested in developing ways to integrate the arts, humanities, social justice in science courses as a way to empower students and inspire them to see beauty and real-life applications of science in their everyday lives.
Zuleika Miranda
Program Administrative Specialist
Zuleika began working at Elizabethtown College in 2023. She received an associate in Human Services and is currently completing her bachelor through Elizabethtown’s SGPS program with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Zuleika was born and raised in Puerto Rico until her family moved to Lancaster. She enjoys painting, spoken word, and getting involved in her community through the arts. When not working or preparing for art shows, you can find her hiking with her husband along the trails of Lancaster, or relaxing with her cat, Turbo.
