About Us
Meet the Staff
The Wellness Center is staffed with credentialed, licensed professionals and graduate student trainees who provide Psychological Services, Medical Services, Prevention Services, and Victim Advocacy. Many of our staff are Certified Safe Zone Allies and are trained in Mental Health First Aid. If you are interested in collaborating with the Wellness Center please reach out to our Assistant Director of Prevention Services.
Medical Services Staff
Aimee Dougherty joined the Wellness Center in March 2017 as the Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. In 1999, she received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from USF. She obtained her Master’s of Science degree in Nursing from USF in 2010 and is an Adult Board Certified Nurse Practitioner. Her nursing career background includes primary care, women’s health, and oncology. She enjoys educating students and has a special interest in women’s health.
Megan Roller, APRN-BC (she/her/hers)
Megan Roller joined the Wellness Center in October 2018 as a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 2007, and Masters of Science in Nursing in 2008 from the University of Florida. Her prior nursing experience includes adult primary care and women’s health. She previously worked at the University of Miami student health clinic for seven years before relocating to Tampa Bay. She sees students on Tuesdays.
Barbara Chacon (she/her/hers)
Barbara Chacon is a certified Medical Assistant who joined the staff at the USF St
Petersburg’s Wellness Center in March 2014. She received her certification from Concorde
Career Institute. Barbara has experience working with family practice, critical care,
pulmonology, and sleep disorders. Barbara also speaks Spanish.
Samantha Swarens (she/her/hers)
Samantha Swarens is a Certified Medical Assistant who joined the USF St. Petersburg Wellness Center in August 2024. She earned her medical assisting certification from Kapiolani Community College and holds a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration. Prior to her current role, she worked for five years at the USF Tampa Student Health Services Center. In addition to her professional experience, Samantha is fluent in Tagalog (Filipino).
Prevention Services Staff
Courtney Safko, MS, CHES®, Assistant Director— Prevention Services (she/her/hers)
Courtney Safko is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) and USF alum. She is a proud Tampa Bay native dedicated to empowering local communities through education and skill-building. She has a background in research, nutrition education, food safety, healthcare administration, and activities coordination. After receiving her B.S. in Health Sciences from USF she spent several years working in the health field before pursuing her M.S. in Health Education and Behavior from UF. Her primary research areas of interest include investigating health-related quality of life, substance use, and truancy from the behavioral economics lens.
Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention Services
Vacant: Coming Soon
Support Staff
Gena Lapinski, Administrative Specialist (she/her/hers)
Gena Lapinski joined the team in May 2020 as our Client Services Assistant. With extensive experience in healthcare offices focusing on customer service and provider support, she will be your first contact by phone, email, or in person. Gena schedules student appointments, process paperwork and payments, and performs various administrative duties for the clinical team. Additionally, she facilitates cross-functional communications for the office and supports day-to-day business operations.
Joshua Whitehurst, Administrative Specialist (he/him/his)
Joshua Whitehurst has been with USF St. Petersburg since 2022. Currently serving as an Administrative Specialist, you might recognize him from his time at the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Center. Joshua’s experience working at one of the largest single-site emergency departments in the country, combined with his background teaching middle school social studies, provides him with a unique blend of skills and perspectives in his current role. You might encounter Joshua while scheduling an appointment at the front desk or over the phone. He also handles the Center’s budget and assists with daily business operations. On weekends, he enjoys running at least one game of Dungeons and Dragons (if he’s lucky)!
Landjie Abacy, Federal Work Study Student
Specialty Services
PSYCHIATRY
Christen McNew, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (she/her/hers)
NUTRITION
Katie Jones Webster, MPH, RD, Registered Dietitian (she/her/hers)
Katie is a registered and licensed dietitian. She has been working at USF Tampa since 2010 and joined the staff at the Wellness Center in 2015. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Georgia Southern University and Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Florida. Her areas of interest include sports nutrition, weight management and eating disorders.
MASSAGE THERAPY
Karen Briskin, LMT (she/her/hers)
Karen has been licensed in Massage Therapy for over 10 years since she earned her certificate from the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy. She has practiced in a variety of settings with an underlying mission of holding a space and partnering with clients on their path to wellness. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Women’s Studies from the University of Delaware and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Personnel Services from The College of New Jersey. She currently teaches at the Cortiva Institute of Massage Therapy and is a certified health coach.