Dorothy Carter Retires

Past and present Wake PA faculty and staff, along with colleagues from other Wake Forest departments, celebrated long-time Director of Operations Dorothy Carter at a reception on March 26. After more than 37 years with Wake Forest University, Carter has retired. We will greatly miss her leadership and personality, but we wish her the best in her next adventure!

A collage of photos showcasing a retirement party.
Department of PA Studies Chair Gayle Bodner and Clinical Year Coordinator Lori Cook read prepared remarks before the cake cutting. Other faculty and friends also shared impromptu tributes, and all the guests gathered for a group photo with Dorothy Carter at her retirement reception.

Staff Updates

Jean Benefiel joined Wake PA on Jan. 29 as the incoming Director of Operations. Benefiel has been with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine since 2009. She started in the Office of Sponsored Programs and then moved to the Dean’s Office, where she worked with all of the education programs at the School of Medicine.

Traci Brown took on new responsibilities as Operations Administrator in January. She has been with Wake Forest University for over 29 years, and more than 10 years with Wake PA. She had most recently served as the Preclinical Year Coordinator for the departments’ Winston-Salem campus.

Miranda Chiang is the new Program Coordinator for Clinical Education. Before joining Wake PA in August, she was with the Wake Forest University Department of Pathology, where she worked with residents, fellows, and faculty and managed recruitment for the department.

Haley Johnson is the new Administrative Support Associate for the program side of PA Studies. Prior to joining Wake PA in August, she was an Administrative Associate for Winston-Salem State University Occupational Therapy.

Angela (Angie) Kurczewski is the new Department Project Manager – Data Specialist. Before joining Wake PA in the summer of 2023, she was a middle school math instructor for Henry County Public Schools in Virginia.

Katherine Perales is the new Department Project Manager – Marketing and Communications. Before coming to Wake PA, she had most recently worked as the Communications Coordinator for the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science.

Dana Roten, MBA, is the new Administrative Support Associate on the Wake PA Boone Campus at Appalachian State. Prior to joining Wake PA last September, she was the Finance Director at a school of Classical Chinese Medicine.