The American Society of Radiologic Technologists will award Life Member status to three members and bestow the status of Fellow on three members during the upcoming ASRT Annual Governance and House of Delegates Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
The Society’s newest Life Members are Michael DelVecchio, B.S., R.T.(R), FASRT; Rebecca “Becky” Kruse, R.T.(R); and Donna L. Long, M.S.M., R.T.(R)(M)(QM), FASRT. Fellows elevation goes to Julie Gill, Ph.D., R.T.(R)(QM); Jonathan Mazal, M.S., R.R.A., R.T.(R)(MR)(CI); and Joseph Whitton, M.S., R.T.(R)(CT)(MR).
Life Member Awards
Established in 1938, Life Members are active ASRT members who have maintained continuous membership for at least 30 years and have participated in a wide range of volunteer activities that demonstrate dedication to the ASRT and the radiologic technology profession. Candidates who receive the honor are selected by at least a three-quarters vote of the ASRT Board of Directors.
Michael DelVecchio, B.S., R.T.(R), FASRT, is the clinical director for the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. An ASRT member since 1986, DelVecchio served on the ASRT Board of Directors from 1997-2002, including terms as president and Chairman of the Board. In addition, he led the ASRT Political Action Committee and the ASRT Foundation Corporate Fundraising Committee. In 2012, he was elevated to ASRT Fellow status. As a member of the Massachusetts Society of Radiologic Technologists for more than four decades, he has served on the MSRT Board of Directors in every capacity, including multiple terms as president and chairman of the board. In 2000, the MSRT awarded DelVecchio its highest honor, the Oliver E. Merrill Lecturer Award. He served on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2011 in a variety of roles including president. DelVecchio also served as a member of the Massachusetts Advisory Commission for Radiologic Technologist Licensing. In addition, he has served as a trustee and chairman of the American Board of Imaging and Informatics.
Rebecca “Becky” Kruse, R.T.(R), was a dedicated radiologic technologist committed to leading change for the betterment of the profession. Her direction was instrumental in creating much of the ASRT governing structure, as it is known today. Kruse joined ASRT in 1979, and by the early 1980s, she was serving on the ASRT Board of Directors. In 1984, she led the change from a 17-member Board to a seven-member Board and the formation of an ASRT House of Delegates. Kruse was also instrumental in creating the ASRT Education and Research Foundation. With a dollar borrowed from a fellow Board member, she was the first to donate money to the new ASRT Foundation. As a trustee of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists from 1986 to 1994, her efforts resulted in securing board-majority R.T. representation on several imaging, certifying and accrediting boards as well as implementing mandatory CE for radiologic technologists. In 1994, Kruse became ASRT director of continuing education and in 2004 was promoted to ASRT director of affiliate relations and advisor to governance. Kruse retired in 2007 and passed away on May 23, 2018.
Donna L. Long, M.S.M., R.T.(R)(M)(QM), FASRT, is the director of health sciences education and radiography program director for Indiana University Health, Methodist Hospital/Ball State University in Indianapolis. Credentialed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists in radiography, mammography and quality management, Long has been a registered radiologic technologist for more than 40 years. An ASRT member since 1978, Long was elevated to Fellow status in 1994. She held positions on the ASRT Board of Directors for nine years, including serving as president in 2012-2013 and chairman in 2013-2014. A long-time member of the Indiana Society of Radiologic Technologists, she was elected to serve as one of the Indiana affiliate delegates for 19 years. She has been the recipient of the ISRT President’s Award twice and received ISRT life membership status in 1993. Long currently serves as the United States council member for the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists and has participated in ISRRT World Congresses at locations across the globe. A proficient lecturer, Long has presented nearly 200 times at local, state, regional, national and international conferences.
Elevation of Fellows
The ASRT established the honorary Fellow category in 1956 to recognize members who have made outstanding contributions to the profession and ASRT. Fellows have volunteered in leadership positions at the national and local levels, written articles for publication, presented at professional meetings and helped advance the radiologic technology profession.
Julie Gill, Ph.D., R.T.(R)(QM), is Allied Health Department chair, full professor and program director of radiation science technology at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College in Ohio. A member of ASRT since 1997, Dr. Gill was elected to the Board of Directors as secretary/treasurer in 2010. She went on to hold several positions on the ASRT Board, including president and chairman. Her leadership also includes serving as delegate for the Quality Management and Education chapters, as well as service to the ASRT Radiologic Technology Editorial Review Board and the ASRT Foundation’s Scholarship Review Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, and is in her second term as president of the Ohio Society of Radiologic Technologists. For her dedication and service since 1984, the OSRT awarded her technologist of the year in 2001 and elevated her to life member in 2017. Dr. Gill has also presented dozens of academic lectures at conferences across the country. She holds a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in higher education administration and a doctorate, both from Ohio University.
Jonathan Mazal, M.S., R.R.A., R.T.(R)(MR)(CI), was highly regarded in the radiologic technology community. His staunch support for the Society and the profession led to a number of awards and honors including the ASRT Foundation Advancing Researcher designation in 2011, ASRT Award for Outstanding Grass-roots Advocacy in 2013 and an ASRT Foundation Research Seed Grant in 2013. Mazal spearheaded the development of the RAD-AID ASRT Foundation Radiologic Technologist Fellowship program. It recruits radiologic technologists from the United States and pairs them with multidisciplinary teams working on sustainable radiology projects in resource-poor communities around the world. He also held key leadership positions with the Maryland Society of Radiologic Technologists, Ohio Society of Radiologic Technologists, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, International Society for Radiographers and Radiological Technologists, RAD-AID International and the Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. Mazal was elevated to Honorary Fellow status in June 2018 after he passed away at age 37 on May 18, 2018.
Joseph Whitton, M.S., R.T.(R)(CT)(MR), is the radiography and medical imaging program director at Stony Brook University’s School of Health Technology and Management in New York. An ASRT member since 1992, he currently serves on the ASRT Board of Directors as vice speaker of the House. In 1999, he took the lead in successfully lobbying Rep. Rick Lazio to be the first sponsor of the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy bill. His success at a federal level led to greater leadership with the ASRT where he has served as chairman of the Practice Standards Council, chairman of the Committee on Bylaws and chairman of the Commission, among other volunteer leadership posts. Whitton also served the New York State affiliate society as secretary from 1994-1998 and as president and delegate from 2002 to 2004. He has presented academic lectures on topics in radiologic technology in New York and nationally for several years.
ASRT membership will recognize the recipients at the Honors Evening ceremony at the annual governance meeting in Orlando, Florida, on June 21.