Richard Butler Archives

Administrative Director, Office of Clinical Simulation
Master of Public Health with a concentration in Public Health Analysis and Management, ECU, (’10)

Becky began her career in healthcare simulation in graduate school, by joining the East Carolina Heart Institute Robotic Surgery Training Program. In 2016, she transitioned to the Interprofessional Clinical Simulation Program at BSOM. There, she works with the amazing Sim Lab team to create impactful educational programs for students and providers throughout Eastern NC.

Becky is both a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator and Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist – Advanced. She is also an accreditation site reviewer for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, which allows her to travel to other simulation centers across the country to ensure their programs meet simulation best practices. Becky presents annually at the International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare and has co-authored several publications related to healthcare simulation.

Becky has participated in the ECU Staff Senate, Chancellors Leadership Academy, and was a recipient of the 2023 ECU Treasured Pirate Award. She is excited about the continued growth of the BSOM simulation program and upcoming expansion into the new medical education building.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, Neil, reading, gardening, and being a dog mom. If you stop by her office, she will show you pictures of her dog, Daisy, modeling a variety of hats!

Teaching Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Post-doctoral Fellowship: Brody School of Medicine

Dr. Emily Askew is a dedicated Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Brody School of Medicine. With a passion for the anatomy education of professional and graduate learners, Dr. Askew serves as the Course Director of the M1 Gross Anatomy and Embryology course, Instructor in the M1 Neuroscience course, and teaches within other anatomy courses spanning diverse health science disciplines (Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia). Dr. Askew also helps oversee the Anatomical Gift Program, embodying a deep sense of responsibility in managing this vital aspect of the anatomy teaching program.

Committed to enhancing medical education at Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Askew actively participates in curricular committees, serving on the Foundational Sciences Curriculum Committee and as a resource member on the Executive Curriculum Committee. Additionally, she has taken a keen interest in accreditation efforts within the school and currently serves as the Chair of the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee.

Born and raised in Wilson, Dr. Askew currently resides there with her husband, Scott, two children, Sam (13), and Addison (9), and their 7-month-old goldendoodle, Nelly.

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Medical Director of Obstetrics at East Carolina University Health Medical Center

MS, Biology, ECU, (’92)
PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at Brody School of Medicine, (’96)
MD, ECU Brody School of Medicine, (’01)

Dr. James E. deVente is an academic obstetrician and gynecologist, tenured associate professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Brody School of Medicine and Medical Director of Obstetrics at East Carolina University Health Medical Center. Dr. deVente has been practicing obstetrics and gynecology, educating residents, medical students, and graduate students in eastern North Carolina for more than 20 years. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and has procured both intramural and extramural funding for research and/or educational efforts. His primary areas of research focus on clinical quality and safety, insulin signaling, obesity, and exercise in pregnancy. Dr. deVente serves as the OB Medical Director for ECU Health and is very involved in education and simulation across the 29 counties of eastern NC through ECU Health Perinatal Outreach. He currently is the Maternal Clinical Leader for the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of NC and serves on the NC Maternal Mortality Rate Committee. He recently received East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine’s Master Educator award and in 2020 he received the Harold C. Pollard III Award, NC OB and GYN Society. He truly has a servant’s heart. His overall professional goal and mission is to make eastern North Carolina a better place to be born.

B.S. Public Health (‘21)
MBA (’22)
Current M2 (‘26)

Michael Wright is a second-year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine. He graduated from East Carolina University’s Honors College as a Chancellor’s Fellow with a B.S. in Public Health and an MBA prior to his matriculation to Brody. As an Eastern North Carolina native, Michael takes pride in giving back to his community. This spring, Michael was the event coordinator for Brody’s Pirates vs Cancer event, where he helped raise over $20,000 and shaved his head in support of local Pediatric Cancer patients at ECU Health’s Maynard Children’s hospital. Alongside his friends, Michael helped found the Brody Coaches Association, a community outreach group partnered with Greenville Parks & Rec, aimed at creating a safe environment for children to grow through recreational sports while sparking excitement for science at an early age. As a LINC Scholar in the Health System Transformation and Leadership distinction track, Michael has received training in patient safety, quality improvement and population health, and is currently working on a QI project in ECU’s Pediatric Medicine clinic. He hopes to use his experiences and education from Brody to one day become a Physician in Eastern North Carolina.

In his free time, Michael enjoys spending time with his friends and family, grilling out and cheering on the Pirates!

PhD Candidate, Biomedical Science with a concentration in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology

BS, Molecular Cell Biology with a minor in German, 2020

Alex Hondros is a fourth year PhD candidate at Brody School of Medicine in the Biomedical Sciences program concentrating in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology. He graduated from East Carolina University in 2020, majoring in molecular cell biology with a minor in German. Over the course of his undergraduate studies, he was a member of the Biology Living Learning Community. His love for science became apparent during his freshmen year while participating in undergraduate research as he continued undergraduate research all four years. He is grateful to ECU’s research program for the opportunity to learn a wide variety of techniques even before beginning his doctorate. Alex has participated in several research projects focused on neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, the effects of ozone exposure on bacterial Pneumonia susceptibility, and is currently a member of the Cavanagh lab investigating new potential therapeutic targets of bacterial protection mechanisms that contribute to the appearance of antibiotic resistance.

When not in the lab, Alex spends most of his time with his lab mates from the Cavanagh lab who have become close. They are even all residents of a house turned quadplex rightfully dubbed the “Cavanagh House”. He also enjoys outdoor activities including scuba diving, receiving his certification from ECU’s scuba class.

M3, Brody School of Medicine
BA, Appalachian State University
Individually Designed Degree: Studies in Integrative Health Sciences

Julianna is a third year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine. She is interested in pursuing surgery and has a passion for community service. This past year, she served as a Schweitzer Fellow through the NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, where she helped create the Food is Medicine initiative. Through her project, she conducted cooking classes at the Pitt County Council On Aging along-side her Fellowship partner using low-cost food items provided by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. The goal of the project is to reduce food insecurity in older adults living in Pitt County. As an undergraduate student at Appalachian State University, Julianna also spent time combating food insecurity and homelessness as the health intern at the Hospitality House, a regional nonprofit homeless services agency in rural North Carolina. A fun fact about Julianna is that she originally went to Appalachian State as a pitcher for the Softball Team, but after getting injured, she found that tutoring students was a great way to explore teamwork outside of athletics. This past year, she served as a small-group tutor for Anatomy, and she is part of the SCRUBS (Student Collaborative Resources for Understanding and Brody Success) organization to continue teaching and working with other medical students. She is also the Vice President of the Executive Medical Student Council and the Treasurer for the Class of 2025.

Julianna’s favorite activities are walking/hiking, skiing, and discovering new coffee shops and restaurants with friends. Her favorite coffee drink is a dirty chai tea latte, which she learned how to make working as a barista during college.

PhD Candidate, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

BS, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2020

Concentrations in Molecular Biology and Chemistry

Riley Bessetti is a third-year PhD Candidate in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology in Dr. Karen Litwa’s Lab. The Litwa Lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of synapse formation in brain development and how alterations contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism.

Riley’s research investigates how environmental contaminants affect early synapse development and contribute to neurodevelopmental abnormalities and whether our bodies’ own antioxidant pathways can be leveraged for neuroprotection against their effects. To study this, she uses a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC) 3D organoid model of fetal brain development, also referred to as mini-brains. The Litwa Lab currently has funding from the NCSU Center for Human Health and the Environment as well as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health for her project. Riley hopes to publish her first paper from this project this summer.

Outside of the lab, Riley enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, friends, and her two dogs Bella and Sadie. She also enjoys cooking and baking and has recently begun sourdough bread making with a starter her father says is nearly 15 years old. So far, her favorite thing to make with her sourdough starter has been vanilla overnight pancakes.