Pacific Welcomes New Health Faculty
On September 17, Pacific welcomed Associate Professor of Law Emily Whelan Parento as one of its new faculty members of the McGeorge School of Law on the Sacramento Campus. The addition of Professor Parento demonstrates Pacific's commitment to 'crossing boundaries for academic excellence' to support teaching, research and creative activities that address the intersection of health, law and public policy, from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Professor Parento's welcome reception featured Senator Darrell Steinberg, who most recently served as President Pro Tem of the State Senate from 2008 to 2014, and highlighted health as one of McGeorge's interdisciplinary programs bringing together expertise in law, public policy and business.
Professor Emily Whelan Parento (J.D., LL.M.)
Professor Parento is an associate professor of law and the Gordon D. Schaber Health Law Scholar at McGeorge School of Law. Her scholarly focus is domestic health law and policy. She most recently served as the principal health policy adviser to Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear as the state successfully implemented the Affordable Care Act. Professor Parento has written in both national and global health law and policy, examining issues such as the impact of the Affordable Care Act on health disparities, legal strategies to strengthen health equity, and global trends in obesity-related regulation.
Pacific also welcomed two new faculty members in support of its Doctor of Audiology (Au.D) Program, which started at the San Francisco campus this fall. Pacific's Au.D. program is the first in Northern California, and has clinics in San Francisco and on the Stockton campus, where Pacific's nationally recognized programs in speech-language pathology are well-established.
Dr. Jiong "Joe" Hu, Assistant Professor of Audiology
Dr. Hu earned his Doctor of Philosophy in 2013 and will become California and American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA) licensed Audiologist. His primary research interest include Auditory Electrophysiology and Neuroplasticity. His most recent studies aim at examining the effect of language background on pitch coding ability at the brainstem level in newborns and young infants.
Dr. Gabriella Musacchia, Assistant Professor of Audiology
Dr. Musacchia earned her doctorate degree at Northwestern University. Her teaching and research interests focus on the neuronal mechanisms of hearing speech and music, with an emphasis on how brain responses develop in infancy and early childhood. She is also the developer and president of a music program for infants and toddlers, which brings her scientific work to community center, public outreach, and classroom environments.