Allegheny County Council will recognize Richard L. Allison, dean of Academic Affairs and coordinating dean of Allied Health for the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) Boyce Campus, with a proclamation in his honor at its regular meeting of council on August 20. This follows Allison’s receipt of the EMS Champion Award for “significant contributions to the health and safety of the residents and visitors to Allegheny County” at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Allegheny County Emergency Medical Services Council held June 13 at Heinz Field.
Allison was nominated for the award for his work in the curricular transformation of the college’s existing noncredit Paramedic program to a credit-bearing certification and degree program. Through his leadership, CCAC’s new Paramedic program will be located at Boyce Campus and will have a state-of-the-science laboratory with equipment for instruction and hands-on student learning. This includes a fully equipped simulation ambulance, interactive human body models and all of the equipment commonly used by paramedics in the field. The Paramedic program is the 25th Allied Health program to be added to CCAC’s program offerings. Among two-year colleges, CCAC consistently ranks in the top 10 producers of allied health care graduates in the nation.
A Point Breeze resident, Allison joined CCAC in 1982 as a faculty member and program director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. During his 30-year tenure, he has served in the college’s administration holding a total of 10 administrative positions of ever-increasing responsibility, up to and including his current position. In addition, he has served on and/or led 50 committees, projects, grants and other college initiatives and has been active with 15 professional organizations, including having served as president of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association.
Allison also works with a number of civic and community organizations, particularly those impacting the Gay & Lesbian Community of Pittsburgh. As the former chair of the Gay & Lesbian Community Center (GLCC), he was instrumental in securing the funds needed to relocate and expand the GLCC to its current downtown location at 210 Grant Street. In addition, he is chair of the OUTrageous Bingo Steering Committee where he is credited with having raised more than $500,000 for the GLCC and the Shepherd Wellness Community.
In recognition of his professional and personal accomplishments, Allison has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh’s Years of Service Award (2010); the Gay & Lesbian Community All-Star Organization’s The Shining All-Star Award (2009); the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association’s Award of Outstanding Achievement (1987); and the United Way of Allegheny County’s Good Neighbor Award, awarded in 1998.
Allison holds an Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant from Mount Aloysius College; a Bachelor of Arts in Occupational Therapy from the University of Saint Thomas; a Professional Diploma in Occupational Therapy from the College of Saint Catherine; a Master of Science in Health Related Professions Education from the University of Pittsburgh; and has undertaken doctoral work at two institutions: Administrative and Policy Studies at the University of Pittsburgh; and Adult Education and Health Education at Pennsylvania State University.
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