New Faces at Fisher

The Wegmans School of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher College welcomed two new faces to campus this spring. Dr. Joseph (Trevor) Belcher will serve as the new assistant dean of online education and Dr. Janet Lighthouse joined the faculty.

In his role, Belcher will lead the implementation and ongoing management of the School’s new online Pharm.D. pathway, from working with 2U, the pathway’s online program manager, prospective and current students, and faculty teaching in the program. Belcher’s appointment is effective March 1, 2020.

“It is an exciting opportunity to be a part of launching a new pathway,” said Belcher, who will also serve as a member of the dean’s executive committee.

Belcher has spent the last eight years at Ashford University in San Diego, California; serving most recently as associate dean of the College of Health, Human Services, and Science. There, he provided leadership and support to five academic programs, including two master’s degree programs, which collectively drew an enrollment of 4,600 students.

A member of the faculty for Ashford’s Behavioral Sciences Department, he taught courses in psychology, applied behavioral sciences, and research methods, among others. At the same time, Belcher served as an assistant professor for Liberty University Online, teaching a number of graduate courses for the University. He also held teaching and leadership positions at University Now’s Patten University, New Charter University, and Kaplan University.

Belcher earned a bachelor’s degree in ministry and theology from Mid-America Christian University and master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from Capella University.

Lighthouse joined the School of Pharmacy team full-time this spring. Originally from McLean, Virginia, Lighthouse completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University. She then went on to receive her doctoral degree in biochemistry from Stony Brook University, concentrating on cell and developmental molecular biology. 

After receiving her degree, she completed post-doctoral programs at Yale University and the University of Rochester. During the latter part of her time at Rochester, her relationship with Fisher began as she served as an adjunct both here and at Nazareth College. 

At Fisher, she teaches mostly first and second year pharmacy students. Her research interests are in the effects of daily environmental toxins on cardiac remodeling, and she hopes to create a cardiac specific elective for pharmacology students.

While at Fisher, she hopes to get to know the students better and become a faculty advisor to help them accomplish their goals and understand the challenges for modern students and pharmacists.