Christopher Gaskins, a neurorehabilitation occupational therapist, will be the keynote for the College of Health Sciences speaker series at UNC Pembroke on April 10.

The event, “Becoming a Change Agent in Health Care: The Keys to Meaningful Academic and Career Journeys,” will be held at the University Center Annex. It is free and open to the public. A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m., followed by the speaker series at 7 p.m.

The reception is RSVP and the deadline is Monday, April 3. Guests are invited to pre-register.

Gaskins developed a passion for neurorehabilitation while working as an occupational therapist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In 2019, he created Neurosuite, a mobile neurorehabilitation outpatient company, to address the shortage of neurorehabilitation specialists. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the neuroscience and cognitive science program at the University of Maryland and an adjunct professor at Howard University.

The speaker series will feature College of Health Science alumni Kenneth Joyner, Charles Kurtz and Chasity Hedgpeth, and UNCP student Anthonia Oladeji.

A licensed clinical social worker, Joyner owns Therapeutic Interactions Counseling Services. Kurtz taught special needs students for 28 years before returning to UNCP to earn a nursing degree. He now works as a registered nurse at Southeastern Health. Hedgpeth holds a degree in exercise sport science and is set to graduate from the MSW program in May. Oladeji, a senior chemistry major, has been accepted into the pharmacy program at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Eva Skuka, dean of the College of Health Sciences, will be serve as moderator.