SUSOM Blog Authors

Maurice Clifton, MD, MSEd, MBA

Known for his commitment to academic and student success, Dr. Maurice Clifton has developed a distinguished career in medical education and leadership. He has decades of experience in academic medicine, curriculum development and institutional governance at institutions such as the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Clifton’s areas of expertise include standardized patient assessments, curriculum design, clinical reasoning, adolescent medicine, and research and analytics.

Shruti Singh, MD

Dr. Shruti Singh brings many years of passion-driven experience to the teaching of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, delivering a curriculum that is firmly aligned with USMLE standards. Through active learning, structured lectures, case-based discussions and individualized student support, she cultivates a deep understanding of molecular mechanisms and their clinical applications. Her primary academic interests include Metabolism, Nutrition and Genetics, where she is recognized for making challenging concepts accessible, engaging and clinically meaningful. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Singh serves as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs – in this leadership role, she is dedicated to promoting student success, well-being and professional integrity through personalized guidance and comprehensive support.

Vaughn E. Huckfeldt Jr., PhD

Dr. Vaughn Huckfeldt is the Director of the Center for Student Learning at SUSOM. He is committed to helping students succeed and grow both academically and personally, so they can excel in caring for their future patients. He has published research on topics in ethics and pedagogy, including applications in the ethics of human subjects’ research. His primary area of research has been the intersection of prudential and ethical reasons for action. Dr. Huckfeldt has worked to redevelop curricula, design course pedagogy and develop learning support programs based on evidence-based best practices.