Nakiesha Pearson, DC, ND, NUHS Chair of the Clinical Sciences Department, recently received the Academician of the Year Award from the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). The award recognizes individuals for their efforts to advance the profession through academic or educational excellence.  

“I had so many emotions, but being grateful was what I felt the most,” Dr. Pearson said. “I am thankful and appreciative that such amazing doctors thought my work was worthy of this award. I’m still in disbelief that I won, but I am highly honored.” 

Dr. Pearson, who also serves as associate professor at NUHS, has been teaching for 10 years. She first began her teaching career as a family practice resident at NUHS where she oversaw interns in the student clinic and clinical rotations. 

Since then, some of her proudest moments have been receiving positive feedback from her students about how something they learned in her class helped them achieve a positive patient outcome. 

“When you are teaching, it is sometimes hard to tell if you are getting through to your students, so to receive that type of feedback is always a moment of pride,” she said. 

As a member of the ACA’s Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medicine College’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Dr. Pearson has also taken on efforts to advance diversity within the naturopathic medicine and chiropractic medicine fields. Her initiatives are aimed at not only bringing more people of color into the profession, but educating new and current doctors on how to treat diverse patient populations.