Faculty & Administration
Austin Epstein
Clinical Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
Austin Epstein, MS PA-C is a certified Physician Assistant with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Austin was raised in Staten Island. A Tottenville High School alumni, he studied Physician Assistant at Wagner College. There he was a 4-year member of the Dean's List, a Spiro Scholar, and the winner of the Spiro Endowment Award. He graduated from Wagner College and was the first Wagner PA Program alumni to work at the Staten Island Hospital Emergency Department. Following several years in the busy Emergency Department, where he functioned as a clinician and clinical preceptor, Austin took on a new role with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. There he worked as a Medicolegal Investigator for 15+ years. Currently, he works clinically at Richmond Primary Care in Prince's Bay. Academically, Austin completed his Master's Degree from Touro College where he studied Simulation Based Learning. Austin has worked at the Wagner College PA Program since 2005 and functioned in many administrative capacities. Currently, he is the Interim Director of the Physician Assistant Program at Wagner College. Austin promotes critical thinking and problem-based learning teaching style.
Anthony V. D'Antoni, MS, DC, PhD
Research & Simulation Learning Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
Dr. D'Antoni has been a medical educator for over 25 years. He is a clinician-scientist who has taught a multitude of foundational medical courses that include clinical anatomy, medical physiology, clinical neuroanatomy, embryology, and histology. He has also taught courses in research methodology, epidemiology, and public health. He was Project Portfolio Manager for the Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform (IPOP) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he was at the interface of cutting-edge research in the fields of bioinformatics and immunotherapy. He was Course Director of clinical anatomy at two different medical schools, and was most recently at Weill Cornell Medicine. Over the years, Dr. D'Antoni has had the privilege of teaching MD, DO, DPM, OT, DPT, PA, and nursing students. He is the Clinical Coordinator for Research and Simulation Learning in the Physician Assistant Program at Wagner College.
Christina Belitsky
Academic Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
Certified physician assistant with Master of Business Administration in Strategic Healthcare Management. Specializing in Emergency Medicine and Urgent Care serving New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. Born and raised on Staten Island, graduated Wagner College in 2012. It is an honor to be here and shape the minds of future generations of Physician Assistants.
Gail Tiburzi
Graduate Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
Professor Tiburzi has been a clinical PA for 30 years and involved in PA education for 25 years. Prior to coming to Wagner, she was the assistant program director at the Bayley Seton Hospital PA Program. She has also served as Interim Program Director at the Wagner College PA Program.
Her areas of clinical experience include Neurosurgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Occupational Medicine.
Carol Galarza
Clinical Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
Professor Galarza graduated from Touro College in 1991 where she received her Bachelor of Science and Physician Assistant degree, then later in 2013 obtained her Master of Science degree in PA Studies from Touro University Worldwide (TUW). She has worked as a clinician for the past 31 years in various fields such as medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry and in Obstetrics/Gynecology. She has been an Ob/Gyn PA and preceptor for the past 28 years at Queens Hospital Center. She has been in academia for the past 10 years, where she started as an adjunct professor at the Sophie Davis School PA Program. Then she came to Wagner College in 2015 and took the faculty position of Clinical Coordinator. Professor Galarza also serves on a Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) committee where she writes questions for EOR exams that are administered throughout PA programs.
Tara Igneri
Research & Simulation Learning Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
I am a proud Wagner alum and have been practicing Emergency Medicine since 2006. I am also actively involved in the leadership team for the SIUH Emergency Medicine Post Graduate PA Fellowship. I enjoy teaching Pathophysiology, Critical Thinking, and Patient Interview and Procedure labs at Wagner. In my free time my husband and I enjoy being kept on our toes by the boundless energy of our 6yr old Joseph, 4yr old Mia, and 7mth old Matthew.
Nancy Kamel, Pharm.D
Clinical Professor & Academic Coordinator II, Physician Assistant Program
Dr. Nancy Kamel is a pharmacist with a background in pharmacy spanning a decade in teaching, staffing and clinical experiences in academia, community, and hospital pharmacy settings. Her areas of practice include emergency medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, and transitions of care.
She is a Clinical Professor of Pharmacotherapeutics as well as an Academic Coordinator for the didactic year students in the Physician Assistant Program at Wagner College
Jamie Adler
Graduate Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program
Dr. Adler brings her expertise in public health, orthopedics, and research to Wagner Colleges PA program.
Ann Ayers
Assistant to PA Director & Coordinator of Global Outreach, Physician Assistant Program
Ann Ayers has been employed at Wagner College since 2001. She began at the Registrar's Office and transferred to the PA Department in 2016. Her major role is assistant to the PA Director and Coordinator of Global Outreach, which involves the student's EYH trips abroad. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wagner College in 2013.
Zena M. Gonzalez
Coordinator of Clinical Placement & Simulation Lab, Physician Assistant Program
Zena M. Gonzalez is a NYC and Puerto Rico native who studied education at InterAmerican University.
Before coming to Wagner, Zena kept offices, campaigns and operations in top running order across multiple industries for over a decade. As a senior consultant for a London-based real estate firm, she managed and closed over 800 deals nationwide and globally. Working with a global marketing & client services firm, she ran communications operations to audiences in the tens of thousands. She is thrilled to now bring her previous experience in office administration and coordination as well as her organizational and interpersonal skills to the Physician Assistant department to help prepare future clinicians for rewarding and meaningful careers in healthcare.
Outside of the office, you can find Zena creating art, graphic design, viewing immersive art exhibits, exploring the many museums in the city and puppy sitting her favorite dogs.