Nancy Valentage receives the Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching as she prepares to retire after 31 impactful years at RIT

Rochester, New York – After more than three decades of unwavering dedication to teaching and mentoring, Nancy Valentage is closing the chapter on her remarkable career at Rochester Institute of Technology with a well-deserved honor — the prestigious Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching. The recognition marks both a proud milestone and a heartfelt farewell, as Valentage prepares to retire after 31 years of service in RIT’s physician assistant (PA) program.

For those who know her, the moment is classic Valentage. Quietly proud, deeply humble, and quick to shift the spotlight from herself to others, she accepted the award with grace and gratitude.

“I love teaching,” Valentage said. “PA students are such a passionate group. They know this is going to be their life’s work and they are very serious. It’s been a gift to interact with them.”

Valentage has spent her entire RIT career shaping the physician assistant program from the ground up. She joined the university in 1994, recruited from the now-closed Genesee Hospital, where she had already begun honing her teaching skills under the guidance of her supervising physician. Her early experience instructing dental and medical residents made the transition to academia a natural one.

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Teaming up with her colleague Heidi Miller, Valentage co-founded RIT’s PA program. Their first class graduated just two years later, in 1996, with 17 students. Since then, more than 860 aspiring physician assistants have walked across the graduation stage under her guidance. Over the years, the program has evolved to meet changing industry standards, growing from an undergraduate curriculum into a robust BS/MS program that welcomed its first cohort in 2014.

A key figure in shaping both the academic content and the culture of the program, Valentage has always focused on student success and professional preparation. One of her proudest contributions was helping to launch RIT’s white coat ceremony — a symbolic tradition where graduating PA students are welcomed into the profession by faculty.

Valentage has always embraced change as an opportunity for growth, not just for her students but for herself. During her time at RIT, she pursued further education and hands-on experience. She earned her MS in health systems management in 1998 and later completed a critical care fellowship at Unity Hospital in 2007. These experiences deepened her understanding of the healthcare system and allowed her to bring real-world clinical knowledge back into the classroom.

“I was able to talk to students about the business of healthcare and bring back new technical skills and procedures to the classroom,” she said.

One of her more tangible legacies at RIT is the physician assistant teaching lab in the Clinical Health Sciences building — a space she helped design from the ground up. Equipped with individual bays for hands-on learning, a simulation lab, and the ability to record student sessions for feedback and reflection, the facility remains state-of-the-art.

“I carefully researched what would be upcoming and new, and our facility is still state of the art,” Valentage said.

Never one to rest on her accomplishments, Valentage also lobbied for new tools that could give students a competitive edge. Most recently, she pushed for the purchase of a digital anatomy table, a cutting-edge resource that enhances how students learn human anatomy. She firmly believes that blending technology with instruction better prepares students for today’s fast-paced healthcare environment.

Another standout feature of RIT’s PA program — and a point of pride for Valentage — is its five-year BS/MS track, which accepts students directly out of high school. “RIT is only a handful of schools across the country that take students directly from high school,” she said.

Her passion for mentoring doesn’t end at graduation. Valentage has worked hard to build and maintain a strong network of alumni, many of whom now serve as clinical mentors for current students. This bond strengthens the program’s ties to the regional healthcare community and reinforces the cycle of learning and leadership.

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“Becoming a physician assistant can be a great career for people who want to be change-makers,” she said.

Though she’s stepping away from the classroom, Valentage has no plans to slow down. Her retirement bucket list is a mix of relaxation, exploration, and meaningful engagement. She hopes to spend more time with family and friends, volunteer in her community, and indulge her growing interest in fly-fishing — a peaceful pursuit she’s taken up in recent years.

“I started fly fishing about two years ago, and I consider myself a novice,” she said. “I simply love the serenity of being out in nature, even if I don’t catch as many fish as I do with the other methods. Fly-fishing is an art for sure.”

When she’s not casting her line into Oatka Creek or the Ausable River in the Adirondacks, she’s dreaming of future trips to Montana’s renowned trout streams and the Florida Keys for surf fishing.

For the many students, faculty, and alumni who’ve crossed paths with Valentage, her departure marks the end of an era — one defined by deep care, high standards, and tireless dedication. While she may be stepping out of the classroom, her influence will remain woven into the fabric of RIT’s physician assistant program for years to come.

As her final year winds down, Valentage leaves behind more than a job well done — she leaves a legacy built on compassion, innovation, and the belief that teaching is one of the most powerful tools for change.