After a national search, Renee Langstaff ’98M, PA, was appointed chair of Arcadia’s Medical Science Department on Oct. 16. Previously the director of admissions for the Physician Assistant program, Langstaff has more than 20 years of clinical and higher education experience.

With a specialization in adult cardiology, Langstaff has conducted non-invasive procedures at regional hospitals and holds positions at Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia and Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly, N.J. She also is a faculty member with the University’s Physician Assistant program at both the Christiana, Del., and Glenside campuses.

“There’s a lot of growth that’s happening with the Physician Assistant program,” said Langstaff. “I’m looking forward to the challenges. It’s exciting to think about where we’re going in the months and years to come.”

Langstaff is a graduate of Arcadia’s inaugural Physician Assistant class. She noted that Arcadia’s dedicated faculty “go above and beyond” to see students succeed, and that it has always been a key component to the program. This year, the University’s Physician Assistant program was ranked third in Pennsylvania and 46th in nation by U.S. News and World Report, which was based on peer-assessments on academic quality. Arcadia students have an average pass rate of 100 percent for first-time test takers on the Certification of Physician Assistants board examinations, with scores above the national mean in all content areas.

Langstaff succeeds Diana Noller, who had overseen the department since 2015.