Top Surgical Technology Professors

Surgical Technology is a vital field that is expected to grow exponentially over the next 10 years. As such, it is important to get the best education from teachers who really know the field and who are contributors to advancements in Surgical Technology. Here are some of the most well-known and influential professors that will help you to make the perfect connections so that you can get the best-paying jobs and have a fulfilling long-term career.

Deborah Goad

Deborah Goad

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith , Arkansas

Deborah Goad is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. She also acts as the Arkansas State Assembly President, and is an active participant in legislation efforts to require licensure and certification for all surgical technologists. She is also one of the finest teachers in the field, and received the AST Clinical Educator of the Year Award in 2010. Her students rate her very highly as an extremely helpful teacher.

Mona Bourbonnias

Mona Bourbonnias

College of Western Idaho - Nampa , Idaho

Mona Bourbonnias is the Program Director and a professor of Surgical Technology at the College of Western Idaho. She was recently showcased at the AST National Conference for her 25-year membership in the organization, as well as a Merit Certificate for her high-quality educational leadership. She is an avid speaker about best practices for leading high-quality student Surgical Technology programs.

Douglas J. Hughes

Douglas J. Hughes

MAE-CI, CSFA, CSA

Columbia Basin College - Pasco , Washington

Douglas Hughes is currently the Assistant Professor of Surgical Technology and Program Director at Columbia Basin College. In 2012, he was awarded the Association of Surgical Technologist (AST) National Educator of the Year, mainly due to his unique teaching style and hands-on approach to surgical technology education. He has also served as the Vice President of the Association of Surgical Assistants (ASA), and on committees for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).

Dana Bancer

Dana Bancer

Daytona State College - Daytona Beach , Florida

Dana Bancer is the Assistant Chair and an instructor for the School of Health Careers at Daytona State College. She also serves as the Treasurer and Educational Representative of the NBSTSA, which gives her students a fantastic insight into the National Board Exam and certification process. She is the Chair of the Exam Review Committee for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, and was recently named a Fellow of the AST.

Katherine Snyder

Katherine Snyder

BS, CST, FAST

Dixie State University - Saint George , Utah

In Sept. 2014, Kathy Snyder was appointed the Program Director and a didactic instructor for the Surgical Technology Program at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah. She has also served as the Program Director for Laramie County Community College. In addition to her on-campus positions, Snyder has been an integral part of the ARC/STSA, serving as a Board Director from 2012-2014, and as the Vice President starting in Sept. of 2014.

“Tony” Makin

“Tony” Makin

CST, BS, FAST

Guilford Technical Community College - Jamestown , North Carolina

Tony Makin has served on the Board of Directors for the ARC/STSA as well as the Committee on Accreditation Commissioner for the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (a member of CAAHEP). He also acts as a professor and Program Director at the Guilford Technical Community College. He is considered a difficult professor, but has very high standards for his students.

William Hammer

William Hammer

CST, M.Ed, FAST

Illinois Central College - East Peoria , Illinois

Bill Hammer is currently acting as the Surgical Technology Program Director at Illinois Central College. Due to his excellence in teaching and practical skills, he was named a 2014 Fellow of the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST). This award is very prestigious, as it has been given to less than 100 surgical technologists in the history of the AST. In addition, Dr. Hammer is serving as the President of the Illinois State Assembly of Surgical Technologists.

Nicole Claussen

Nicole Claussen

MS, CST, FAST

Kirtland Community College - Roscommon , Michigan

Nicole Claussen has been an accomplished professor and program director for a number of high-ranking schools. Currently, she’s acting as a professor and Program Director of Surgical Technology at Kirtland Community College, which was named the in the Top 3 Small Technology Community Colleges by the Center for Digital Education. She is also a Fellow of the Association of Surgical Technologists (awarded 2012), and the current President of the Missouri State Assembly of Surgical Technologists.

Jeff Bidwell

Jeff Bidwell

CST/CSFA, CSA, KCSA, MA, FAST

Madisonville Community College - Madisonville , Kentucky

Jeff Bidwell is a professor and Surgical First Assistant Program Director of Madisonville Community College in Kentucky. He is very involved in the national testing and accreditation components of surgical assisting, and has served on both the Accreditation Review Council on Education In Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) and the Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) Examination Review Committee for the NBSTSA.

THOMAS VAN BATES

Thomas Van Bates

BA, CST

Nashville State Community College - Nashville , Tennessee

T. Van Bates is a professor and the Program Director of the Surgical Technology Program at Nashville State Community College. He was elected the Chair of the Subcommittee on Accreditation for Surgical Assisting (SASA) in 2008, which led to his service as a Director on the ARC/STSA Board from 2008-2012. He recently was promoted from Secretary of the ARC/STSA to the President, succeeding Betsy Slagle in September of 2014. Van is also a contributor for the AST’s “Surgical Technologist Examination Study Guide".

Lisa Reed

Lisa Reed

CST, RN, MS, CNOR, CPEHR, CPHIT

New England Institute of Technology - East Greenwich , Rhode Island

Lisa Reed is the current Department Chair and a Professor at the New England Institute of Technology. She was recently awarded a Fellow position from the AST, due to her extensive surgical activities both inside and outside of the classroom. She has acted as the President of the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). The pass rate of her students on the NBSTSA exam is 100%.

Larry Gereau

Larry Gereau

CST, AAS

Southeastern College - West Palm Beach , Florida

Larry Gereau is the Program Director and a professor at Southeastern College in West Palm Beach, Florida. In addition, he serves as the Chair for the CST Examination Review Committee – a part of the NBSTSA – and is an item-writer for this vital examination. His Surgical Technology specialties include Urology and Orthopedics, and he has extensive Clinical experiences include rotations at St. Joseph’s Hospital and JFK Medical Center.

Chris Keegan

Chris Keegan

CST, FAST, MS, Chairperson

Vincennes University - Vincennes , Indiana

Chris Keegan is a Professor and Chair of the Surgical Technology Department at Vincennes University. She is also a celebrated author in the field, having collaborated with Katherine Snyder on the comprehensive guide, “Pharmacology for the Surgical Technologist, 3rd Edition.” Students call Mrs. Keegan, “Laid-back” and “Down-to-earth.” She not only teaches Pharmacology, but History, and has a fantastic collection of antique surgical instruments she shares in her lectures.

Methodology

Each of the members on this list have been chosen through careful research based on the following criteria:

  • Active Teaching. All of these professors are actively teaching or mentoring students at an accredited college.

  • Publication.Many of these professors have been published in online or print professional journals.

  • Thought Leadership. Professors on this list have been chosen due to their leadership in the Surgical Technology community, based on speaking engagements, public leadership, or social media following.

  • Extracurricular Involvement. Each of these individuals are involved in both teaching and outside professional engagements, such as professional communities, educational organizations, or political activism groups.

Maggie O'Neill
Maggie O'Neill Writer

Maggie O'Neill is a journalist from Northern Nevada, specializing in interviews and educational feature stories.