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UAB ® SHP Impressions of Alumni Excellence FALL 2026 LEADERSHP LEADERSHPLEADERSHPSHP SNAPSHOTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2 FROM THE DEANFROM THE DEANFROM THE DEAN Welcome to the latest edition of Snapshots, our alumni maga- zine for the UAB School of Health Professions! This edition focuses on the traits that define strong leaders, so let me introduce myself as the School’s new Dean. I joined SHP in July 2026, after serving for six years as the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at the University of Toledo and, before that, serving 20 years as the Director of the Athletic Training Division in the College of Medicine at the Ohio State University. I am thrilled to lead a school full of so many excep- tional people and programs and that has produced so many extraordinary alumni. Strong leadership is never accidental. It is always deliberate and selfless. There is a great quote from Simon Sinek in "Lead- ers Eat Last," when he said, “Leadership is not a license to do less; it is a responsibility to do more.” The responsibility to do more is exemplified through the alumni we feature in this edition as well as those who are 2026 recipients of the Blazer Fast 40 alumni awards. In these pages we highlight six traits of strong leaders, each illustrated through the living example of one of our accomplished alumni. Each exemplifies what it means to be a Blazer, and we are proud to have them in the SHP family. I hope you enjoy these profiles in leadership, and I also hope to have the opportunity to connect with you the next time you return home to SHP. Thanks for all that you do and Go Blazers! Warmly, Mark Merrick, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAP, FASAHP Dean, School of Health Professions “ ” Leadership is not a license to do less; it is a responsibility to do more. — Simon Sinek3 FALL 2026SHP SNAPSHOTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE 4 innovation (noun) in· no· va· tion : a new idea, method, or device INNOVATIONINNOVATIONINNOVATION MINDY PATTERSON A s an associate professor at Texas Woman’s University conducting research studies on glucose, insulin and resistant starch, Mindy Patterson (MS, Clinical Nutrition, 2001) literally does it all from buying the ingredients at the store to baking the ingredients in the kitchen. With a laugh she exclaims, “They called me the Muffin Lady!” This wasn’t because her operation was small – it was because she needed to make sure her work was consistently accurate. Over time the Muffin Lady found herself on a roll. In only 15 months, she developed and launched Renutrin®, a research-backed supplement company focused on healthy blood glucose levels. “When I’m focused – I’m focused,” says Patterson. And that was true during her time as a student in the UAB Dietetic Internship program. She was a trainee at the Clinical Nutrition Research Center (today the Nutrition Obesity Research Center) and her master’s thesis mentor was the legendary Roland Weinsier. Patterson says, “Being part of the UAB community and being surrounded by people who were glad to support and help students really established my path to success.” The path was not short. She needed time – literally nearly two decades of research in an area that she admits not everyone had heard about when she began: resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that FALL 2026 5 bypasses digestion and goes straight to the large intestine where it ferments to feed gut bacteria. While that may sound bad to the lay person, the reality is that this is a benefit that can improve gut health, lower inflammation, and improve insulin resistance in individuals with blood sugar issues. Because her work and her focus was not widely known, Patterson decided to bring her research to the public. In the academic realm, that was publishing journal articles, writing book chapters, and delivering conference proceedings and presentations. In the non-academia, that was social media, podcast appearances, and traditional media. “I am fortunate to have been able to recognize the audience I am speaking to and able to speak to them at their level whether that is complex science or basic nutrition advice.” Patterson has been featured in The New York Times, Women’s Health, Nature Research, National Geographic, NPR and other esteemed outlets. She believes – and this is backed by her success – that people will find you if you put your findings out there. Another thing she believes is that one thing above all will make anyone a good leader – being true to yourself. “Good innovators ask themselves, ‘What can I do?’ or ‘What is my purpose?’ Once you know that – take on the mindset to become an expert in your area,” says Patterson. “And remember, being science-fact and evidence-based is what matters most – people can see through the noise.” INNOVATIONMINDY PATTERSON “ ” BEST LEADERSHIP ADVICE Take the risk. Live a regret-free life. DID YOU KNOW? SHP has innovative spaces designed to advance nutrition research, education, and community health through real-world application. The Metabolic Kitchen supports cutting-edge research by enabling the development of precisely controlled meals using whole foods. These meals are used in clinical and metabolic studies focused on conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, allowing researchers to translate nutrition science into practical, evidence-based interventions. The UAB Teaching Kitchen provides hands-on cooking classes, culinary demonstrations, and nutrition education for students and the Birmingham community, connecting evidence-based nutrition with practical skills. SHP SNAPSHOTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE 6 determination (noun) de· ter· mi·na· tion : a quality that makes some- one continue to pursue achievement of something that is difficult MATTHEW LENTZ Success is not a straight line. It is more like a musical arrangement: a combination of notes that can be long and short or sharp and flat mixed with tempos that can be lento or vivace that build to a crescendo. Matthew Lentz (PA, 2020) understands this better than most. And not solely because he was a middle school band director for four years. He loved teaching, but he was around a lot of military people growing up and ultimately the call to serve took him from basic scales to basic training in 2011. He went Airborne and served on the medic side, but during a training session he severely injured his back, which sidelined him for months. Once recovered, he moved to the civil affairs side. He worked on counter violence extremism in East- ern Europe and after six years of active service, he decided to change his path again. “One thing I have learned is not to be a fear- based decision maker. Learn to bet on yourself,” he said. “I’m not saying you don’t assess risk or weigh all your options – but clinging to safety or comfort can’t be your first instinctual move.” There was nothing safe about leaving active- duty military in 2017. There was no comfort in going back to college in his mid-30s. But in the end, he learned more than just how to be a skilled surgical physician associate at UAB. “I came from a different environment and frame of reference than my classmates,” said Lentz. “The academic environment and younger gener- ation were very informative for me in terms of emotional intelligence and learning to adapt.” And then came another detour – not Highway 19, not Route 19, but COVID-19. The pandemic hit in March 2020, Lentz’s cohort graduated in January 2021. Now most would see someone overcoming an obstacle course like this one as sheer determi- nation. However, he has never seen it that way. “Life is just what you have to do to get to a point,” said Lentz. “What motivates me is to find my maximum purpose – where am I of the most value in the world around me. Regardless of the cost or how much it hurts; think of your maximum purpose and the path you have to take to get there.” ” “ BEST LEADERSHIP ADVICE Never ask someone to do something that you have not done yourself or you are not willing to do yourself. DETERMINATIONDETERMINATIONDETERMINATIONFALL 2026 7 Lentz recognizes that you learn more in difficult situations as well as difficult conversations. He delivered those in the military when it could be a life-or-death situation. He delivers them now in what could be life-changing situations. “As a leader, if you don’t have that conversa- tion, you are depriving that person of individual growth, self-awareness, and traits they need to succeed. A leader is there to create an environ- ment for people to grow and do the things that you need them to do, but to do it in their own way.” Leader is not a title. We checked the U.S. Army ranks – enlisted, warrant officer, and officer – none of their 29 ranks say leader. “Much of what I say to you is not anything I’ve come up with on my own – it is a result of good leaders in the past. I’m just passing it on.” Like a good leader would. DETERMINATION DID YOU KNOW? Our PA alumni are making a difference every day through their expertise, compassion and dedication to patient care. Inspired by the exceptional care she received from alumna Amalee Smith, PA-C., Donna J. Slovensky established an endowed fund to support PA students. The endowment helps offset housing and travel expenses for clinical rotations, particularly in rural Alabama. It is a powerful example of how the excellence and determination of UAB PA alumni inspire both their patients and the next generation of healthcare providers.SHP SNAPSHOTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE 8 "Don't try to be the smartest person in the room." When asked what makes collaboration success- ful, this is where Joseph Webb, D.Sc.(2013), MSHA (Class 19), FACHE begins. After four decades in healthcare leadership, he has learned that the quickest way to shut down collaboration is to walk into a room as though you already have all the answers. “Collaboration is often something you're doing with people you're not extremely familiar with,” Webb said. “You have to humble yourself to get the maximum engagement from the people you lead.” That philosophy has guided Webb through a career which has spanned nearly every corner of the healthcare industry. Board-certified in healthcare management and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he has led for-profit, nonprofit, and public hospitals while helping organizations navigate periods of growth, transition, and—at times—significant challenge. Webb did not initially envision this path for himself. He entered the Health Services Adminis- tration program at UAB in 1983 after a collegiate athletic career ended sooner than he had hoped, only to find that the competitive instincts which once drove him on the field translated naturally into the teamwork and leadership skills needed collaboration (noun) col· lab· or·a· tion : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor collaborationcollaborationcollaboration JOE WEBB JOE WEBBFALL 2026 9 to succeed in health services administration. Shortly after earning his master’s, Webb became an assistant admin- istrator. Within a year and a half, he was promoted to chief executive officer of a struggling hospital, stepping up and into the role after the previous CEO's departure. As his responsibilities expanded, so did his understanding of what effective leadership required of him. Hoping to ground his experience in research, Webb returned to UAB in 2010 to earn his Executive Doctor of Science in Healthcare Leadership. According to Webb, the concept that most influenced his academic study was stakeholder theory. “Anyone, any person, that can cause you to either be successful or to fail is a key stake- holder,” Webb said. For Webb, collaboration begins with identifying those stakeholders and investing intentionally in those relationships. Success is not about persuading everyone to see an issue exactly the same way; it comes from building consensus around outcomes that all parties can support. “It's not a good working relationship unless we can both be satisfied with it,” Webb said. This perspective has also shaped Webb’s approach to leadership. While he acknowledges that transactional leadership has its place, particularly when immediate results are needed, he believes lasting progress depends on a more transformational approach that encourages trust and shared ownership. “What you don't want in a [stakeholder relationship],” he said, “is for unde- sirable leadership traits to dominate.” The leadership trait Webb continues to monitor in himself is a pitfall that often accompanies experience: the longer someone works in a field, the easier it becomes to assume they already know the right answer. “When you know things, and you know you know them because you've lived it,” Webb said, “the temptation is to pull rank and to share knowl- edge as if you're the only person in the room.” Webb’s doctoral training helped counter that mindset. Statistics taught him to think in terms of probabilities rather than certainties and to accept that consensus rarely means unanimous agreement. This belief sits at the center of Webb's latest project. In September 2026, Forbes Books is scheduled to release "The Remedy," his examination of the chronically fragmented U.S. healthcare system and a proposed path forward rooted in evidence-based delivery methods. Drawing on decades of experience rescuing distressed hospitals and improving healthcare operations, the book argues that sustainable change depends on greater coordination, accountability, and, of course, collaboration across the health- care landscape. Whether leading hospitals, advising organiza- tions, or writing about the future of healthcare, Webb continues to return to the same principle that has guided his career from the beginning: meaningful progress happens when people work together—and when no one feels the need to be the smartest person in the room. COLLABORATION DID YOU KNOW? In 2014, SHP became the first organization in Alabama to launch the I Can Do It, You Can Do It program. What began with 35 students serving 37 children has grown into an annual initiative involving more than 160 students from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Nutrition Sciences, and Kinesiology. Today, the We Can Do It program impacts more than 100 children and adults with disabilities each year through partnerships with organizations such as the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB), United Ability, and the Horizons School.