Lauren Springfield, MA,MBA
Director, Community Health
Lakeland Regional Health
Lauren Springfield, MA, MBA is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in strategic marketing and communications. As the Director of Community Health for Lakeland Regional Health, she plays a vital role in the organization's community outreach and education efforts. Lauren's passion for fostering inclusive environments extends beyond her professional roles. With a background in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) education and training, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. Lauren has also honed her skills as a public speaker, engaging audiences in meaningful discussions on topics ranging from community health to DEI initiatives. Her commitment to creating positive and equitable spaces is evident in both her professional endeavors and public speaking engagements.
About Lauren Springfield, MA,MBA
Follow Lauren Springfield, MA,MBA
Director, Community Health
Lakeland Regional Health
Richard Gammon, MD
Medical Director, OneBlood, Inc., Orlando, FL
OneBlood, Inc., Orlando, FL
Dr. Gammon holds Board Certifications in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine as well as Clinical Pathology. He is a Medical Director for OneBlood and Transfusion Medicine Specialists. Dr. Gammon is an Assistant Professor of Pathology for the University of Central Florida College as well as an Assistant Professor Collaborative Faculty with Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida. He is chair of the AABB’s Blood Banks and Transfusion Service Standards Program Unit and chair of the Transfusion Safety/Patient Blood Management Subsection.
About Richard Gammon, MD
Follow Richard Gammon, MD
Medical Director, OneBlood, Inc., Orlando, FL
OneBlood, Inc., Orlando, FL
Katie Guise
FSCLS Developing Professions Forum Chair
FSCLS
Katherine Guise (Katie) is a senior Medical Laboratory Sciences student at the University of Central Florida. Alongside her studies, she holds the position of FSCLS student chair and serves as the Developing Professionals Forum Vice-Chair for ASCLS. She also contributes to the marketing and communication Lab Week subcommittee. Outside of her academic and professional endeavors, Katie enjoys rock climbing and reading.
About Katie Guise
Follow Katie Guise
FSCLS Developing Professions Forum Chair
FSCLS
Tripat Kaur, Ed. D, MS, MT (ASCP)
Director, Program Director, Medical Lab. Science Program
Hillsborough Community College
Tripat Kaur, Ed. D, MS, MT (ASCP) completed her education as a medical technologist at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood, Kentucky. She received her Master of Science in clinical laboratory science from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and her doctorate in higher education from Nova Southeastern, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Kaur served as the President of FSCLS in 2016. As an FSCLS member, she served at the national level as the ASCLS chairperson for the Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) Host Committee and FSCLS representative for the CLEC 2020 meeting that was held in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Kaur currently serves on the steering committee for CLEC and the ASCLS nominations committee on the national level.
About Tripat Kaur, Ed. D, MS, MT (ASCP)
Follow Tripat Kaur, Ed. D, MS, MT (ASCP)
Director, Program Director, Medical Lab. Science Program
Hillsborough Community College
Jasmine Kendrick, MLS(ASCP)
Development Technologist, HLA Dept.
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
Jasmine Kendrick, MLS (ASCP), CHT (ACHI) is currently the development technologist for the HLA department at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. In this role she is charge of validating new assays and instrumentation that align with the department's goal of increasing the quality and the scope of testing used for pre and post transplant monitoring. She received her bachelors in Medical Laboratory Science from Auburn University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health from the University of South Florida. Outside of work and school she enjoys sewing, scuba diving, and taking naps on the couch with her dog.
About Jasmine Kendrick, MLS(ASCP)
Follow Jasmine Kendrick, MLS(ASCP)
Development Technologist, HLA Dept.
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
Ramy Mahrous, MD, MLS(ASCP)
Faculty member
AaventHealth & Keiser University, Orlando, FL
Dr. Ramy Mahrous is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience and expertise in the fields of medical laboratory science and healthcare. With a Bachelor's Degree in Medicine and Surgery from Ain Shams School of Medicine in Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Mahrous brings a rich background in medical education, clinical laboratory supervision, and research to his various roles. Dr. Mahous serves as MLT/MLS Faculty at Keiser University, Orlando, FL. He plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of medical laboratory professionals. In this capacity, he delivers comprehensive lectures, provides precise instruction on laboratory tests, and facilitates research endeavors for both faculty members and students. His commitment to excellence is evident in his rigorous evaluation of student competence and his dedication to developing effective examination strategies. Prior to his role at Keiser University, Dr. Mahrous served as a Microbiology Laboratory
Scientist at AdventHealth in Orlando, FL, where he demonstrated exceptional proficiency in managing all aspects of microbiology specimen processing and acceptance. His expertise extended to equipment quality control and culture result interpretation significantly to the operational efficiency of the laboratory. Dr. Mahrous has also held positions as an EEG Tech at Orlando Epilepsy Center and as a Visiting Physician at Orlando Health and various teaching hospitals in Ohio, including Cleveland Clinic and Toledo University. In these roles, he honed his clinical skills, provided invaluable support to medical teams, and actively participated in patient care and medical education initiatives.
About Ramy Mahrous, MD, MLS(ASCP)
Follow Ramy Mahrous, MD, MLS(ASCP)
Faculty member
AaventHealth & Keiser University, Orlando, FL
Emilia Marrero-Greene, M.Ed., (ASCP) MT (AAB)
Microbiology Supervisor
Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Lakeland, FL
Emilia Marrero-Greene, M Ed, M (ASCP), MT (AAB) worked as a laboratory scientist for 15 years, and has been a generalist, lead scientist in microbiology, coordinator for Quality Assurance, Education and Compliance, and full-time MLT/MLS faculty member. She has a Bachelor's in Biology from Florida Southern College, an Associates in Medical Laboratory Technology from St. Petersburg College and a Master's in Health Care Education from St. Joseph's College. Emilia currently works at Lakeland Regional Health as the Microbiology Supervisor, and is a faculty member for the MLS program at Florida Southern College. She is the current President of FSCLS and secretary for the ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council.
About Emilia Marrero-Greene, M.Ed., (ASCP) MT (AAB)
Follow Emilia Marrero-Greene, M.Ed., (ASCP) MT (AAB)
Microbiology Supervisor
Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Lakeland, FL
Heather McNasby, MT(ASCP)
Director, MLT & MLS Programs
Keiser University, Orlando, FL
Heather McNasby, MHSH, MT(ASCP) holds a Master of Science in Health Science, from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL, and her baccalaureate degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA. Currently Heather McNasby directs both the NAACLS accredited Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) and Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) programs at Keiser University, Orlando FL. Prior to this, she served in numerous roles in the Clinical Laboratory Science, including Medical Technologist, Phlebotomy Supervisor, Point of Care Coordinator and Laboratory Manager. She maintains membership with the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, the Florida Society of Clinical Laboratory Science (FSCLS), as well as the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Her leadership roles in the profession includes her role of past president of FSCLS, and her recent return as a member of the FSCLS Board. Heather McNasby also contributed to the text “Clinical Chemistry,” 7th and 8th editions. In addition to her passion for science, and students, her other interests include reading, running, travelling, and exploring craft events.
About Heather McNasby, MT(ASCP)
Follow Heather McNasby, MT(ASCP)
Director, MLT & MLS Programs
Keiser University, Orlando, FL
Aaron Odegard, MS, MLS (ASCP) SM
Quality Laboratory Coordinator
Baptist Hospital, Jacksonville, FL
Aaron K. Odegard MS, MLS (ASCP) SM, is a quality laboratory coordinator at Baptist Health Jacksonville. He has served in various role in and outside the laboratory. He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Arkansas for Medical
Sciences. He received his master’s degree in biomedical sciences – molecular pharmacology and experimental therapeutics from Mayo Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Mr. Odegard is passionate about medical laboratory science. He serves as a member of the ASCP Social Media, DEI, and
PathCheck Committees. He has recently joined the ASCP Commission on Continuing Professional Development. He enjoys educating the public, students, and professionals on the topics of leadership, mentorship, and medical laboratory sciences through many platforms including the classrooms and local and regional meetings, and on social media.
About Aaron Odegard, MS, MLS (ASCP) SM
Follow Aaron Odegard, MS, MLS (ASCP) SM
Quality Laboratory Coordinator
Baptist Hospital, Jacksonville, FL
Luis Plaza-Rios, MLS(ASCP)
Microbiology Instructor
University of Central Florida
Luis Plaza is a Lead Medical Laboratory Scientist in Microbiology at a hospital system in Orlando, Florida. He is also the Microbiology Instructor for the Medical Laboratory Sciences program at the University of Central Florida. Having a desire to teach, learn, and share information, he created the Let’s Talk Micro podcast. There he talks about organisms, reactions, and brings guests relevant to the field.
About Luis Plaza-Rios, MLS(ASCP)
Follow Luis Plaza-Rios, MLS(ASCP)
Microbiology Instructor
University of Central Florida
Kyle Riding, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM
Associate Professor & MLS Program Director
Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Kyle B Riding, PhD, MLS(ASCP) is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Medical Laboratory Science Program at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Riding holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science and a PhD in Public Health. He teaches and mentors medical laboratory science, biomedical science, and health science students. He works with non-profit organizations like Diverse Health Hub to enhance health literacy. In addition, he currently serves as the ASCLS Secretary-Treasurer.
About Kyle Riding, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM
Follow Kyle Riding, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM
Associate Professor & MLS Program Director
Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Federico Rodriguez Quezada
Client Services Manager
FACT Global, Gainesville, FL
Federico Rodriguez Quezada has over 35 years of experience in cellular therapy and immunohematology fields; earned his Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico; he attended Specialist in Blood Banking School at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. He later on became accredited as an SBB by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and as MLS (International) also by the ASCP.
He held different positions during his professional career: Medical Technologist, Sales Specialist, Laboratory Supervisor, Education Coordinator, Laboratory Manager, Technical Director, Adjunct Faculty, Coordinator and recently as a Consultant. His experience includes all aspects of manufacturing, regulatory requirements and compliance, process design, process improvement and quality management systems in the Blood Banking and Cellular Therapy fields, including bone marrow, cord blood and peripheral blood as well as other novel therapies.
He is an active member of the AABB, ASCP, ASFA, ASTCT, ISCT and SCABB; has participated and continue to be a member in several Committees within these organizations: Former Chair for the ISCT Laboratory Practices Committee, FACT-Netcord Processing, Selection and Release Standards Subcommittee; FACT Web Oversight Committee, FACT-NetCord Accreditation Committee, FACT International Affiliations Committee; he was also FACT-Netcord assessor for both Processing Laboratories and Collection as well as AABB inspector for Cellular Therapies, Committee of Accreditation for SBB Schools, Cellular Therapy Accreditation Unit Program and currently in AABB Cellular Therapy Subsection Coordinating Committee, Spanish Language Section Committee Chair, Cellular Therapy Current and Emerging Technologies Committee, Leadership and Administration Committee and AABB Awards Committee Co-Chair.
About Federico Rodriguez Quezada
Follow Federico Rodriguez Quezada
Client Services Manager
FACT Global, Gainesville, FL
Maridaliz Rodriguez, PhD, MA, MLS
Program Director
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
Dr. Rodriguez earned a B.S. Human Biology degree from the University of Puerto Rico followed by a Master degree in Microbiology and Immunology, and a Ph.D in Molecular Biology at the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine of Puerto Rico, where she investigated the effect of antioxidants on Methamphetamine and HIV-1 induced Oxidative Stress in astrocytes cells. Rodriguez joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology at Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine of Puerto Rico in 2007. Rodriguez’s research, supported by NIH grants, focuses on how drug of abuse altered the brain cells in the presence of HIV-1. In 2012, Dr. Rodriguez was promoted as the Principal Investigator of the Select Agent Program under the Puerto Rico Department of Health Laboratory and the Center of Disease Control Dengue Branch. In 2016 she joined Lakeland Regional Medical Center where she is working as the Educator Coordinator of the Clinical Laboratory. Most recently, Dr. Rodriguez joined the faculty of Biology at Florida Southern College in 2020, working as the Program Director for the Medical Laboratory Science Program. Most recently, Rodriguez’s interests is to develop a research program for new MLS students in partnership with Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
About Maridaliz Rodriguez, PhD, MA, MLS
Follow Maridaliz Rodriguez, PhD, MA, MLS
Program Director
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
Chris Rubadue, MD
To be added
Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL
Dr. Chris Rubadue is a staff Pathologist for Lakeland Regional Health and the Laboratory Director for Baycare- Bartow Regional Medical Center, contracted through Micropath. He is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology with specialty training in hematopathology. Dr. Rubadue received his medical degree from the Ohio State College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio,and he completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and his fellowship in hematopathology at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rubadue is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the College of American Pathologists.
About Chris Rubadue, MD
Follow Chris Rubadue, MD
To be added
Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL
Halcyon St. Hill, Ed.D., MS, MT(ASCP), FASAHP
Professor Emeritus
Florida Gulf Coast University
With a career spanning from healthcare to academia, Dr. St. Hill offers a unique perspective, on advocacy to advance the quality of healthcare in the rapidly changing legislative landscape.
Dr. Halcyon St. Hill holds a doctorate, and M.S. in Microbiology, Rutgers University Graduate School, NJ, and a B.S. in Health Sciences, Clinical Laboratory Science from Hunter College, NY. She is a Professor Emeritus at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), and held several roles at FGCU, including founding Associate Dean and Department Chair, Interdisciplinary Studies/Health Sciences, and Director of Continual Learning. She also served as a Trustee on the FGCU Board of Trustee. Dr. St. Hill’s career spans from CLS generalist to Research Scientist, Rutgers Medical School, Piscataway NJ, CLS, Immunohematology at Memorial Sloan Kettering, NY, Director of Schools at Mountainside Hospital, NJ, Professor in Microbiology at Rutgers University, SHRP, NJ, and Director of Laboratory Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University, PA. Her work in advocacy started through ASCLS, as a member of the ASCLS NJ (then known as NJSMT) in early days of CLIA’88, and ongoing since, including as a presenter, and co-author of the ASAHP Advocacy toolkit at available at https://www.asahp.org/advocacy.
She is recognized for her scholarship and holds national distinction as a Fellow of the Association of Schools of Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) and received several awards including Bio-Rad award for Professional Achievement as a Clinical laboratory Scientist-Generalist, ASCLS omicron sigma awards at the state, regional and national levels.
https://www.asahp.org/advocacy.
About Halcyon St. Hill, Ed.D., MS, MT(ASCP), FASAHP
Follow Halcyon St. Hill, Ed.D., MS, MT(ASCP), FASAHP
Professor Emeritus
Florida Gulf Coast University
Linda Valdes, MS, MT(ASCP)QLS
Laboratory Executive Director of Policy & Quality
Advent Health, Central Florida Division
Linda Valdes, MS, MT(ASCP)QLS is currently the AdventHealth CFD Laboratory Executive Director of Policy & Quality covering more than 27 laboratories. Linda, a native of New Jersey, obtained a BS in Biology from Monmouth University, and graduated from Florida Hospital’s Medical Technology Internship program. Linda received her MS in Health Services Administration from University of Central Florida. Since 2013 Linda continues to serve as the Vice-Chair of the Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel. In 2018, Linda became the Laboratory Program Director of Policy & Quality for AdventHealth CFD-S; she recently graduated from the AdventHealth Patient Safety Academy and is a current member of the AdventHealth CFD-S High Reliability Forum. Linda rose through the ranks in the Transfusion Service at Florida Hospital, Orlando as a night shift tech, Asst. Manager and finally Manager, during which time she earned her MS degree and became an AABB assessor and an established CAP inspector for Transfusion Medicine and Lab General standards. She obtained a Qualification in Laboratory Safety from ASCP and Regulatory Affairs Certificate from AACC. As Transfusion Service Manager at Florida Hospital, Orlando Linda implemented the first automated instrument in the Transfusion Service and instituted electronic crossmatches. She later moved into a system level laboratory position as Laboratory Administrative Coordinator Regulations and Safety.
About Linda Valdes, MS, MT(ASCP)QLS
Follow Linda Valdes, MS, MT(ASCP)QLS
Laboratory Executive Director of Policy & Quality
Advent Health, Central Florida Division
Magan Warren, BS, (MT(ASCP)
Market Support Manager
CellaVision
Magan Warren BS, MT (ASCP) is a graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and a practicing Medical Technologist for 23 years in all laboratory disciplines. During her career, she has served in supervisory roles for Hematology, Chemistry, Immunohematology, Molecular Path, Virology and Microbiology. She served as Laboratory Director and technical consultant for the last 15 years of her laboratory career. Magan’s post lab experience consists of Hematology and UA Technical Product Specialist and her current role as CellaVision Market Support Manager for the SE.
About Magan Warren, BS, (MT(ASCP)
Follow Magan Warren, BS, (MT(ASCP)
Market Support Manager
CellaVision
