ND Professors Making an Impact

Course(s) Taught: Anatomy; Gross Anatomy
Bastyr University

“Dr. Love has helped so many cohorts succeed with anatomy and gross anatomy lab. She dresses up, brings props, gives back-to-back lectures, has student volunteers act out confusing anatomy - we have so much fun learning anatomy with Dr. Love. I've now learned from her and been a TA for gross anatomy lab with her and she always goes above and beyond for the students. We had quite the logistical puzzle with our donors this year and she handled both that logistical puzzle and not having TA's available to help due to schedule conflicts. I truly don't know how she did it and this is definitely her second decade serving our community with all she's got. She loves what she does and we love her! Please help us honor her.”

“Dr. Love is one of the most passionate, dedicated, vibrant, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and hard-working professors I’ve ever had. I’ve experienced her warmth and mentorship as both a student and teaching assistant. She deserves to be acknowledged and reassured that we as her students see her and appreciate her!”

Course(s) Taught: Naturopathic Clinical Diagnosis; Non-Communicable Diseases

Bastyr University

“Dr. Somol is a deeply respectful, thorough, and fair professor. Her dedication to medicine and the community shines through in all she does. Her way of treating others as fellow colleagues is always clear. I especially love her collaborative approach in anything she does.”

“She is passionate about teaching and being a practicing ND and it shows. She makes class interesting and respects all of her students, often referring to us as “future colleagues.”

“For always having our back and making us feel heard.”

“Excellent professor. Master knowledge of material and presents in a way that is engaging, challenging and effective.”

Course(s) Taught: ND/ Environmental Medicine; Physical Exam Diagnosis; Advanced Case Studies; Behavioral Medicine Theories & Interventions

Bastyr University

“Continues to show up for our class and school to help teach us and promote naturopathic medicine. Willing to help NMSA and students to connect with the naturopathic community. Great case discussions. Always willing to listen to student feedback.”

“Dr. Zimmerman keeps her classes real, raw, authentic & informative. I appreciate her personal storytelling & ability to facilitate empowering / nurturing class discussion.”

Course(s) Taught: Botanical Medicine

Bastyr University

“Dr. Dazey is incredibly supportive of her students and her teaching style is receptive and easy to follow along. Although the content of her classes is difficult, she makes learning fun and light hearted.”

“She is the best professor I have ever had—compassionate, dedicated, and unwavering in her commitment to her students. She creates an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student feels heard, valued, and empowered to succeed. Her depth of knowledge in naturopathic medicine and botanical medicine is matched only by her passion for teaching, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that we not only understand the material but also develop the confidence and skills necessary to apply it in real-world settings.

Beyond academics, she is a mentor, a guide, and a source of encouragement. She takes the time to check in on her students, offering both professional guidance and personal support. Whether it’s staying late to answer questions, providing career advice, or simply being there as a compassionate listener during challenging times, she exemplifies what it means to be a truly outstanding educator.

Her kindness, dedication, and unwavering belief in her students set her apart. She is a rare gem in the field of education—a diamond in the rough—who has made a profound and lasting impact on so many lives. I wholeheartedly nominate her for this recognition, as there is no one more deserving of this honor.”

Course(s) Taught: Naturopathic Theory and Principles; Psychopathology

Bastyr University

“Dr. Keys teaches Naturopathic Theory and Principles to first-year students and Psychopathology to second-years. Students who have her in their first year are blessed with the opportunity to learn from a professor known for her deep compassion and thought-provoking teaching style. She creates a supportive environment that encourages students to explore their own perspectives on challenging topics.

In addition to her teaching, Dr. Keys serves as the faculty supervisor for Stories of Medicine, a student-led club that hosts gatherings for healers to connect, build community, and engage in meaningful conversations about medicine, health, and healing or topics adjacent.”

Course(s) Taught: Biomedical Sciences

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Boucher

“Dr. Hurnik is such an intelligent and caring professor. She is gentle and really wants everyone to genuinely succeed. Her soft spoken voice helps to ease the stress of trying to comprehend the complex information that is thrown our way. Plus she just had a baby boy last year who is the cutest! Very happy Dr Hurnik came back to CCNM and continues to teach. She has a special skill for conveying biomedical sciences and other classes in a calm way that I really appreciate.”

Course(s) Taught: Traditional Chinese Medicine

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Boucher

“I want to nominate Dr. Fung as the Best ND Instructor because he truly cares about his students. He teaches Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture and works as a clinic supervisor, always supporting us no matter what year we are in.

Dr. Fung could make more money focusing on his private practice—his patients love him—but he chooses to be at CCNM because he loves teaching. He always shows up on time, comes prepared to class, he takes the time to explain things clearly, answers our questions with patience, and always encourages us to do our best.

More than just a teacher, he helps us get through this challenging program. His kindness, dedication, and support make a huge difference in our journey to becoming naturopathic doctors. We all appreciate him and believe he deserves this recognition.”

Course(s) Taught:, Biomedical Sciences

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Boucher

“She takes great care in preparation of her course materials, has an inspiring passion for biomedical sciences and takes the time to make sure everyone understands the concepts delivered. If anyone needs any help for anything, she is there for us. A fantastic teacher!”

Course(s) Taught: Biomedical Sciences; Clinical Sciences

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Toronto

“Dr. Fast is an outstanding professor. She explains scientific concepts thoroughly, is sincere and honest and willing to continue learning and researching, and has a genuine concern for her students, often putting herself in our shoes. Her commitment to high quality academics as well as humble and fun personality make her a fantastic professor who is very appreciated.”

“She is the perfect prof!! Such an amazing professor for such difficult to grasp concepts! We are so lucky to have her. You can genuinely tell she cares about her students and our success!”

Course(s) Taught: Clinic; Naturopathic Therapeutics

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Toronto

“Dr. McConnell truly wants the best for each and every student. He not only teaches the material given to him as part of the curriculum but also tries to enhance our learning by bringing in patient stories or information he has learnt. Not only does he strive to make all us students into excellent practitioners he is also very caring. He shows compassion and empathy when needed for students going through life outside of the program. You can tell he really cares about us students becoming exceptional NDs one day but also cares about us as human beings. He deserves this award and I know many of my classmates truly agree with this. Thank you Dr. McConnell for truly being a light in the madness of CCNM!”

Course(s) Taught: Clinical Sciences; Patient-Centered Integrated Studies

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Toronto

“I’m choosing Dr. Dedecker for professor recognition because you can truly tell he loves teaching. His classes are fun, engaging, and you actually learn so much. He has this great way of making even the tough material feel interesting and accessible. You can really see that he cares about all of us, not just as students, but as people, and he genuinely wants us to succeed. He’s an awesome instructor and brings such a good energy to the classroom.”

Course(s) Taught: Exam and Management-Thoracic

National University of Health Sciences

“Dr. Kelley is a professor that is always there to ensure that the information presented resonates with each student. She also adds her real life experience to the classroom setting to make the material come to life in a way that is applicable and sparks passion in students to keep learning. You can tell she is passionate both as a professor and in her practice for her patients. She holds high standards for her students and works hard each class to give us any insight or clarifications we may need to further our understanding and shape us into the best NDs we can be for our future patients. I appreciate her kindness and her drive to make our school and the healthcare around us the best it can be.”

Course(s) Taught: Structure and Function

“Dr. Petshow has single handedly made the ND program so much better since she began teaching here. She does so much to improve the classes and program and really cares about her students' success. Not only academically, but outside of school too. She will take the extra moment to make sure someone’s okay. She’s really enhanced my time at NUNM. She is an incredible human and deserves all the recognition.”

“Dr. Petshow always puts her students first, making the school’s learning environment a comfortable and encouraging place to learn.”

Course(s) Taught: Clinical Professor / Staff Physician

Sonoran University

“I am honored to nominate Dr. Sarah Trahan for the Professor Award, recognizing excellence in clinical education and leadership in naturopathic medicine. Dr. Trahan exemplifies the naturopathic principle of Docere—Doctor as Teacher—through her inspiring mentorship, clinical expertise, and dedication to uncovering the root causes of pain and chronic disease.

As a core clinical faculty member at the Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Trahan consistently empowers students and residents with practical tools to think critically and holistically. Her integrative approach to interventional and naturopathic pain medicine is not only evidence-informed but deeply rooted in the healing philosophy of our profession.

Dr. Trahan recently shared her expertise on the PainExam Podcast, further expanding awareness of naturopathic medicine’s role in modern pain management. Whether in the clinic, laboratory, or classroom, she brings clarity, compassion, and clinical rigor to every interaction. Her commitment to mentorship, patient-centered care, and investigative curiosity make her a top educator and an invaluable asset to Sonoran University.

Please consider Dr. Sarah Trahan for this recognition as a reflection of her outstanding contributions to naturopathic medical education and her dedication to teaching the next generation of physicians how to find and treat the cause.”

Course(s) Taught: Physiology

Sonoran University

“Dr. Schmidt's class has been my favorite since I started at Sonoran. He really does everything in his power to ensure that students are successful and gives us all of the resources to do so. My cohort is devastated that he'll be retiring at the end of this school year, but we appreciate all he has done for us!”

“Dr. Schmidt has been a professor at Sonoran University for 20 years and is a remarkable physiology professor. He truly cares about his students and wants them to succeed.”

“Dr Schmidt is one of the best professors I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He goes above and beyond for his students, often doing whatever is needed to help them succeed without being asked. He shows compassion, understanding and empathy. I reached out to him during my first quarter of the ND program to express that I was struggling both mentally and academically. He provided me with an exhaustive list of resources and offered his sentiments. Dr Schmidt has been an instructor at Sonoran for almost twenty years and will be retiring next year. It is my belief that he should receive recognition before his time teaching comes to an end. My time at Sonoran would have been significantly different if he hadn’t been one of the faculty members in my corner.”

Course(s) Taught: Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology

Sonoran University

“Dr. Mundt’s passion for anatomy is incomparable! She is so knowledgeable and always finds a way to make the information we are learning more digestible. Her positive energy and genuine desire to help us thrive makes her such a special instructor. We are so lucky to have her!”