Biography

Mr. Hughes is a dean for health sciences, surgical sciences educator, and Certified Surgical First Assistant (CST/CSFA) with a diverse clinical and professional background.  His clinical experience includes specialization in operative interventions spanning general surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, and spinal procedures.  Mr. Hughes has also impacted the lives of thousands of critically ill patients and burn victims as a surgical organ and tissue recovery specialist.  As an educator, he has planned and successfully implemented dynamic, student-centered, and technology-driven curriculum for courses in surgical technology theory, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, and perioperative nursing.  As a student mentor, he has helped many to achieve their personal and professional goals through overcoming obstacles, discovering intrinsic motivation, and understanding the links that exist between hard work, determination, and success. Mr. Hughes is also an educational leader with experience in team building, leadership development, and professional development in higher education.

Mr. Hughes is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Washington State University.  His areas of research interest include Guided Pathways and faculty motivation in times of institutional change.  Mr. Hughes holds a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction (MAE-CI) with Distinction from California State University, Fresno.  He also holds a Certificate in Surgical First Assistant Studies from Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting, a Bachelor of Applied Science with emphasis in surgical technology from Boise State University, an Associate of Science in Surgical Technology from San Joaquin Valley College, and several surgical sciences credentials. 

Because of his many accomplishments in the field of surgical technology education, Mr. Hughes received the Association of Surgical Technologists’ National Educator of the Year Award for 2012 and named one of the nation’s “15 Top Surgical Technology Professors” in 2015.  He is instrumental in the advancement of the fields of surgical technology and surgical assisting and serves the profession in several capacities.  He has served as national vice president of the Association of Surgical Assistants (ASA), member of the Washington State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists (WA-AST) Board of Directors, member of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) Subcommittee on Accreditation for Surgical Assisting (SASA), ARC/STSA programmatic accreditation site visitor, and as a volunteer member of several National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) committees.