Sophie Nathenson
Sophie Nathenson is a Medical Sociologist, Population Health Consultant, and professional coach based in Portland, Oregon. She is the Director of the Master of Science in Allied Health (Healthcare Leadership) Program and the founding Director of the Population Health Management Program. In 2021, she launched her business, Widespread Wellness Consulting. She produces continuing education content for professionals in the field of psychology, counseling, rehabilitation, nursing, respiratory therapy, and public health. She has been featured as a contributor for ContinuED. She serves on the board of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, the applied sociology committee of the Pacific Sociological Association, and is a board member and coach at Ohio State’s Innovation Fellowship.
Dr. Nathenson received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Tulsa, also studying history and Spanish at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain, as well as psychology at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. She moved to Prague after college, first teaching English and yoga at a rural horseback-riding camp, then at a preschool, and later at a school in a nature program. In 2007, she helped to start a small boutique hotel, Dahlia Inn, also in Prague. She attended the University of Utah, earning a Master of Science in Sociology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Sociology.
She has been involved in numerous projects related to youth enrichment, local health research, and cross-sector community collaboration. Her expertise is in the social determinants of mental and physical health, burnout and addiction, career development, and wellbeing. Dr. Nathenson shares insights on her YouTube channel and has written on sociological topics on her blog and for Sociology in the News
Amanda Blodgett
Amanda Blodgett is a mission-driven leader, educator, and consultant who brings a distinctive combination of military discipline, healthcare expertise, and values-based leadership to her teaching and professional practice.
After serving her country in the United States Air Force and the Oregon Air National Guard, Amanda transitioned into the healthcare field with a deep commitment to building systems that serve communities with integrity and impact. She began her healthcare career in quality and compliance, earning a reputation for her strategic insight, ethical leadership, and ability to strengthen organizational performance. Her professional path led to executive leadership roles, including serving as Chief Executive Officer of a community health center and General Manager of a Tribal Health facility.
Amanda holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Healthcare Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Development and Leadership. Her teaching approach integrates academic rigor with real-world application, guiding students to connect theory with the challenges and opportunities of contemporary leadership.
Beyond the classroom, Amanda works with leaders and organizations to foster cultures of integrity, clarity, and resilience. Her work centers on helping professionals—particularly those in healthcare and mission-driven enterprises—lead with purpose, navigate change, and transform adversity into opportunity.
Scott Saltman
Professor Scott Saltman is an Adjunct Professor here at OIT in addition to UMASS Global and formerly with Westcliff University. He holds a dual Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from the University of Phoenix, an MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix, and is all but dissertation with a Doctorate in Management with a specialization in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.
Scott also holds a Master of Science in Public Administration from Western International University and a graduate certificate in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics from the University of Massachusetts Global.
Scott has been in higher education since 2000, working at various universities across the United States in California, New Jersey (across from Manhattan), Maryland (between Baltimore and Washington D.C.), and Arizona. Scott is the Founder of JFOSE (The Journal for One Stop Excellence) and has a travel VLOG on both YouTube and TikTok @TheProfessorTravel. Scott has a passion for travel, having visited 36 countries and counting! In the colleges Scott works with, he teaches in both the College of Business and the College of Health and Human Services, focusing on courses related to leadership, healthcare administration, management theory and practices, global management, international business, and marketing. In addition to his work as faculty, Scott has served as an Assistant Campus Director for a nursing and therapy college in Southern California.
Paula Hendrix
Paula Hendrix is a dedicated dental hygienist and Professor in the Dental Hygiene Department at Oregon Institute of Technology. With 16 years of experience in Allied Health and Dental Hygiene education, Paula has taught a variety of courses. In the ALH program, she uses her 40 years of healthcare experience to focus on teaching students to assess needs, plan effectively, implement changes, and evaluate their own success in a healthcare setting for improvement.
She has also held significant administrative roles, serving as the program director of the Dental Hygiene Department for 10 years and as the Associate Dean of Health Sciences at another institution for two years.
Paula’s journey in oral healthcare began right after high school, leading to 28 years of clinical practice in both Washington and Oregon. While teaching and raising her three children, Paula earned her master's degree in education. She is now the proud grandmother of six, all under the age of four. Paula enjoys spending time with her husband of 38 years, is a passionate Oregon State Beavers sports fan, and finds joy in gardening and arts and crafts.
Paula’s approach to teaching is deeply empathetic, as she understands the challenges of balancing education and personal life. She is excited to share her knowledge and help students develop valuable skills that will support them in their education and careers.
Jade Grant
Jade Grant first graduated from Oregon Tech in 2008 with her degree & licensure in dental hygiene. She continued her postgraduate education at Concordia University in Portland and graduated in 2012 with a Master of Education degree focusing on instruction and curriculum in career and technology education.
Jade continues to practice clinical dental hygiene part-time currently while delivering classes online for the Oregon Tech dental hygiene programs, the degree completion program, and the Master's of Allied Health program. Some areas of expertise Jade enjoys teaching include medical education theories and methods, pathology, along with dental hygiene practices in different capacities.
On a personal note, Jade lives happily married in Eastern Oregon, enjoying a lot of time with her 3 kids and baby granddaughter. Jade spends a majority of her free time on various hobbies, including gardening, rafting, reading, cooking, camping, and snowboarding.
Monica Breedlove
Monica Breedlove earned her Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology from Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) in 1996 and obtained a Master of Education in Instructional Design from Western Governors University in 2015. She is currently pursuing a doctoral program at Boise State University, focusing on curriculum and instruction. Monica holds credentials from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) in Radiography, Mammography, CT, and MRI, and she has extensive experience working in each of those areas. She served as faculty for the medical imaging department at OIT from 2011 to 2021, but she was very excited to join the radiologic sciences program at Boise State University in the fall of 2021. She currently serves as the Director of the MRI and CT Programs.
Teklay Desta
Teklay Desta earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Jimma University, Ethiopia in 1992. In 2002, he completed a Master’s of Public Health at Umeå University, Sweden, followed by a Master’s in Health Informatics and Health Information Management from the University of Washington in 2023.
Dr. Desta has over 30 years of experience in public health, with a primary focus on vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, program implementation, data analysis, and research. In addition, he has extensive teaching experience in courses such as Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Healthcare Financing, and Introduction to Evidence-Based Research.