Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D, PA-C

About Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D, PA-C

Dawn Morton-Rias was appointed President & CEO of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants in 2014, and is a non-voting member of the NCCPA Board of Directors.

She is a long-time PA educator and former PA program director. Prior to joining NCCPA, she served as a Professor and Dean at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where she still serves on faculty. Morton-Rias has practiced in family medicine, addictive medicine, gynecology and acute care for the homeless.

Morton-Rias has served as President of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA; appointee to the HRSA Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry; appointee to the Federation of State Medical Board’s Education Committee; Advisor to the National Health Service Corp; and Commissioner on the PA Accreditation Commission.

She has been the recipient of a Fulbright Senior Specialists grant award and the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health’s Leadership Award.

Morton-Rias earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Science and Physician Assistant Certificate from Howard University. She completed a Professional Diploma in Instructional Leadership and earned a Doctorate of Education from St. John’s University.