DMSc Program approval pending ADHE and HLC final approval

Faculty & Staff

The program faculty at ACHE are accomplished innovators and experts in healthcare education.

They pioneered the first doctoral degree designed for PAs, by PAs.

They developed the first Doctor of Executive Leadership in Healthcare degree.

They are experienced educators in their fields of specialty, including decades of caring for patients in behavioral health and wellness. They are professionals in global health and humanitarian medicine.

They have built and led professional teams around the world, from hospital systems to battlefields to remote villages. They have deployed to global trouble spots and provided care and comfort to those in need.

They lead from the front – our faculty are active in executive roles in local, state, and national healthcare leadership and advocacy organizations.

They don’t just teach you how to write papers – they are recognized and prolific authors in their fields of medicine.

They have fostered relationships with international partners to offer best-in-class educational experiences to students.

Jeremy Welsh, PhD, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Vice President of Academic Innovation
Associate Provost
Program Director, Doctor of Medical Science

Dr. Jeremy M. Welsh has held numerous leadership roles in higher education, most recently serving as the Vice President of Academics and Strategic Operations and the Chief Academic Officer at the University of Lynchburg. Prior to this role Jeremy served as the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Jeremy excels at driving strategic initiatives to enhance the institution’s mission and goals. He has overseen institutional teaching activities and academic administration. He has provided leadership to many areas within higher education, including all academic programs, library, art museum, public service activities, numerous academic centers, global education program, human resources, Title IX, and Campus Safety and Security.

Jeremy started working in higher education over 20 years ago, and his last institution started in 2013 as the founding program director for PA Medicine. Since that time, he founded the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program — the terminal degree for PAs and the first civilian degree of its kind — and has served as Department Chair, Associate Dean, Senior Associate Dean, Dean of the College of Medical Science, Chief Innovation Officer, Associate Vice President, Associate Provost, and Vice President. He founded the Center for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and the Professional Development Institute. As part of a community partnership, Jeremy served as the Chief Academic Officer at the Community Access Network from 2021-2023. He serves on numerous community boards working to increase access and affordability to healthcare.

Before joining the University of Lynchburg, he served as a founding faculty member at Clarkson University as the director of clinical education and at Le Moyne College as an emergency medicine lecturer and problem-based learning faculty member. Jeremy served the South Onondaga, New York, community for eight years as a firefighter and EMT and worked in numerous disaster medicine/management settings and humanitarian missions. Jeremy also has experience as a healthcare administrator and owner/operator of several small businesses. Including a property development company that buys, sells, remodels, and builds homes. Jeremy co-owned and operated an urgent care practice in upstate New York. Jeremy was honored to serve the Virginia Academy of PAs (VAPA) for over 11 years, including serving as the president/CEO for two years.

Jenna Rolfs, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA

Dean, School of Physician Associate Practice

Jenna Rolfs, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, has been a practicing physician associate (PA) for 15 years. She is a graduate of Butler University’s PA Program and holds a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree from the University of Lynchburg and Master of Business Administration degree from Butler University. Her clinical background spans emergency medicine, general surgery, urgent care, and primary care.

Dr. Rolfs entered PA education in 2018 as founding faculty for a developing PA program. Since then, she has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Director of Clinical Education, Interim Director of Didactic Education, Associate Program Director, Program Director, Associate Dean, and Dean.

Dr. Rolfs serves as Dean of the School of Physician Associate Practice and PA Program Director at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education.

Travis Kaufman, DMSc, APA-C, FIBODM

Program Director, Doctor of Executive Leadership

Dr. Travis Kaufman is the Program Director for the Doctor of Executive Leadership at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education. A retired U.S. Army Officer and former Chief Medical Operations Officer for the White House Medical Unit, he has led global health, disaster, and operational medicine initiatives in more than 90 countries.

He is the founder of 25th Parallel Med, specializing in austere, remote, and protective medicine, and serves as faculty in Dignitary and Protective Medicine with the Beth Israel Deaconess/Harvard Medical School Disaster Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Kaufman also sits on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Fellowship of the International Board of Disaster Medicine, advancing education and global standards in crisis leadership and medical preparedness.

A dedicated leader within the PA profession, Dr. Kaufman serves as President-Elect of the Society of Army Physician Associates (SAPA), Director-at-Large for the Colorado Academy of Physician Associates (CAPA), and Trustee of the Physician Assistant Foundation (PAF), supporting education, advocacy, and global service initiatives.

He earned his Doctor of Medical Science in Emergency Medicine and completed the White House Tactical Medical Officer Fellowship in Dignitary and Protective Medicine. A Fellow of the International Board of Disaster Medicine, Dr. Kaufman’s service and leadership have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Presidential Service Badge, the Order of Military Medical Merit, and the AMSUS Andrew Craige Allied Health Professional Award.

James R. Kilgore, DMSc, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA

Professor, Doctor of Medical Science

Dr. James R. Kilgore, DMSc, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA, has over four decades of experience as a physician associate, educator, researcher, and leader. A graduate of the Emory University PA Program (1981), he has practiced in diverse specialties including nephrology, hematology/oncology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and military medicine.

He has been deeply involved in clinical research throughout his career, contributing to the development of antiemetics, erythropoietin, antihypertensives, antidiabetic drugs, and vaccines, and led a pharmaceutical research company as CEO for over 14 years.

In medical education, Dr. Kilgore has served as Program Director at both the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Mississippi State University PA programs, where he expanded training opportunities, pioneered dual-degree programs, and established community health initiatives. He taught at the University of Lynchburg, leading concentrations in Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, and contributes to several graduate-level health programs.

An accomplished author, he has published widely on PA education, clinical research, COVID-19 protocols, and global medical training, earning the 2025 AAPA Publishing Award. He has also coauthored influential works on PA history and education.

Dr. Kilgore has held multiple leadership roles at state and national levels. He currently serves as President of the Academy of Doctoral Pas, and has served as President of the Alabama Society of PAs (twice) and President of the Physician Assistant Foundation, in addition to serving on the AAPA Board of Directors and its research commissions.

Currently, he is Medical Director of a free clinic serving underserved Hispanic populations, a Mental Health First Aid instructor, and an active volunteer in rural health initiatives. A Lt. Colonel in the USAF Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol), he also serves as a Health Services Officer and is a licensed fixed-wing and drone pilot.

Rob Gray, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, FIBODM

Associate Professor, Doctor of Medical Science

Dr. Rob Gray is a proud graduate of the PA program at Nova Southeastern University in Jacksonville, Florida. He completed his Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree with a concentration in Emergency Management and Global Health and has taught at the doctoral level since 2023. Dr. Gray is experienced in entry-level PA education, serving as a clinical preceptor and a full-time assistant professor at NSU Jacksonville for several years. His clinical experience includes emergency medicine, urgent care, and family medicine.

Prior to entering the medical field, he worked in private industry including leadership roles in operations management, project management, software design, and marketing. He earned an MBA degree from the University of Tennessee in 2011.

He enjoys working with students, continuing to participate in entry-level PA training at every opportunity, and looks forward to each chance to take doctoral PAs and PA students on international medical mission trips to promote global health initiatives.

He is a director-at-large in The Academy of Doctoral PAs, and is active in the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), the Society of Emergency Medicine PAs (SEMPA), and the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS). He is a fellow member of the Florida Academy of Physician Associates (FAPA) and the Arkansas Academy of Physician Assistants (ARAPA). Dr. Gray is a Fellow of the International Board of Disaster Medicine and is a candidate for Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM).