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College names director of new program studying sleep disorders

By Billie Owens

Genesee Community College announced today that Marshann Thomas has been named director of the new Polysomnographic Technology program. Polysomnographic Technology, also known as the study of sleep disorders is one of Genesee's two new academic programs slated to start this fall.

Thomas is both a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) and Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner at Unity Health System, with more than three years as a RPSGT and more than 20 years experience in many areas of respiratory care. She has also served Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester and Gadsden Community Hospital in Florida.

Her academic career began at Erie Community College where she was employed as a tenured assistant professor for seven years in the Respiratory Care Program. While there, her assignment and responsibility included didactic and laboratory teaching along with academic advisement.

Additionally, she was awarded two mini-grants, received various awards and participated in many community-outreach programs. She has also been employed at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, Fla., where she was coordinator of Clinical Education/assistant professor in Respiratory Care, coordinator of students in the College of Pharmacy and adjunct faculty in Health Care Management.

She holds an A.A.S. degree from Erie Community College, a B.S. degree from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, and a M.E. degree from the University at Buffalo. She is nearing completion of a Ph.D. at Florida State University (FSU).

As part of her doctoral study at FSU in Tallahassee, she was given various supervised teaching, research and curriculum development responsibilities for undergraduate level courses in Rehabilitation/Vocational Counseling, along with providing technical assistance for the various distance-learning programs at FSU.

Michael Stoll, associate vice president for Academic Affairs/Dean of Math, Science and Career Education at Genesee said: "Ms. Thomas has an extensive clinical background and previous higher education teaching experience which makes her the ideal person to lead this new program and have it become the standard for future programs within the state."

Thomas starts her new position Aug. 1.

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