This award recognizes a program faculty member with a minimum of seven years of service who has made noteworthy contributions to PA education.

“I am very humbled to receive this award,” Barratt said. “Being nominated and chosen by my peers is the greatest compliment one can receive. As I was starting out my career as a PA educator, I was very fortunate to have excellent mentorship here at Quinnipiac, supporting and encouraging me every step of the way. Now, many years later, I find myself surrounded by an incredibly talented team of physician assistant program faculty, some of whom are my former students. They continue to inspire me to expand my horizons and evolve as educational needs change, which I learned quickly during COVID.”

Magdalena Lukaszewicz, clinical assistant professor of physician assistant studies at Quinnipiac, is a former student of Barratt’s who nominated her for the award.

“Lisa’s leadership ability is only one aspect of what qualifies her for the PAEA Master Faculty Award,” Lukaszewicz said. “As a former student of Lisa’s, I can comment on her classroom presence; her ability to be engaging, humorous, and informative while keeping students’ attention during a three-hour lecture is truly unique. Lisa goes above and beyond to provide clinical correlation and ensure student understanding of the material being taught. Lisa’s exceptional leadership and her dedication to student success has made Quinnipiac’s physician assistant studies program nationally recognized.”

In her role as director of didactic education, Barratt is responsible for ensuring that the physician assistant studies program meets Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant standards, PA competencies and National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants’ blueprints and that students are highly prepared for clinical rotations and entry-level PA practice. She works closely with the faculty to ensure that course content in current. She has created valuable partnerships with clinicians who are experts in their fields which ensures that students are being taught the most current and accurate information.

In addition to her work at Quinnipiac, Barratt continues in clinical practice as a surgical intensive care unit physician assistant at St. Francis Hospital, where she was one of the first PAs hired to work in the ICU 29 years ago. Her experiences in the ICU have made her a well-respected provider who has presented at multiple state conferences. In 2016 and 2017, she served as the critical care medicine speaker at the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants’ annual conference.

“Having taught at the Quinnipiac physician assistant program for over 20 years, Lisa has educated and inspired some of the greatest physician assistants that I have had the pleasure to both work and teach with,” said Dennis Brown, director and clinical associate professor of physician assistant studies at Quinnipiac. “Lisa approaches everything from teaching and advising to professional development and service with her whole heart, demonstrating her passion and dedication for medicine and the education of healthcare providers. She has an innate ability to connect with students on many levels, which I believe developed them to be better people, learners and PAs.”

Brown said Barratt also has been influential in the development of her colleagues.

“Lisa has been a mentor to many newer faculty members and a role model for teaching and learning,” Brown said. “Outside of the academic setting, Lisa has touched the lives of many patients and families as a physician assistant who continues clinical practice in the surgical ICU. This is a well-deserved award, and the entire department is very proud to call her a friend and colleague.”

Barratt joined the Quinnipiac faculty in 1998. She is a graduate of the physician associate program at Yale University and has a master’s degree in chemistry from Saint Joseph’s University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Connecticut.