Her Story
About Pam
I've been in academics for a long time. I started at SNHU full-time in July 2013, and before that I worked at UNH full-time from June 2012 to July 2013. It was a beautiful campus, but it was far too much of a commute for me. I was also an adjunct at SNHU from December 2011 to July 2013. From September 2008, I was at the Lowell Community Health Center until when I started at UNH, and before that I worked at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell for about 4 years. Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer or a judge, but I decided that's not going to be my cup of tea. I ended up with 3 business degrees, and one of them was from SNHU, so I'm also an alum from there, back at the time when it was New Hampshire College. Someone from the Alumni Association said we need somebody with a background in healthcare who also has a business background to teach something. I was incredibly shy growing up and one of those hide-in-the-desk kind of people, but they sent me to teacher training. My husband encouraged me to reach out to my boss at SNHU, and about 3 weeks later I've been doing it full-time ever since. I guess in some ways I'm kind of a perpetual student. I've got 7 degrees along with two certificates. After I finished my doctorate degree, I said I am never going back to school again, but I just finished my graduate certificate in AI and healthcare from Johns Hopkins University. I am currently a senior associate dean at SNHU.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Pam
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being brave and stepping out of my comfort zone, even though I was incredibly shy growing up. My dissertation chair gave me advice that if you want something, you should just go ask for it, because the worst they're going to say is no to you. That's always been kind of good advice. Sometimes you've got to be brave, you've got to have a little courage. I also believe in getting involved in professional groups, because you get these leadership skills that are outside of your little scope in your day-to-day job, and you have the opportunity to meet people that you would not have met and do things that you might not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. I had to develop networking and learn over the years as an introverted person, it didn't come naturally for me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was from the person who was my dissertation chair. He said, you know, if you want something, you should just go ask for it, or if you want somebody to be on your committee, or whatever, because the worst they're going to say is no to you. That's always been kind of good advice. I used that advice when I was president of the New Hampshire Health Information Management Association and I really wanted to get a top national leader from the AHIMA organization to come talk to my little, tiny group up here in the state of New Hampshire. I ended up in the elevator with the president of the organization, and I introduced myself and asked, would you be willing to come to New Hampshire and talk to our organization? They would get such a thrill out of being able to meet someone from the national organization, and it would be such an honor. And she showed up.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I like to make sure to encourage them to explore their different options, and you've got to be brave, you've got to have a little courage. One other thing is, get involved in the professional groups, because when you're at work, you learn great things that are related to specifically what you're doing at the moment, but to be able to get these leadership skills that are outside of your little scope in your day-to-day job, you have the opportunity to meet people that you would not have met and do things that you might not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. Networking is very important. That's something I had to develop and learn over the years as an introverted person, it didn't come naturally for me.
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