To say that SAU Tech Alumnus, Robert Steeps, is an overachiever is an understatement. Steeps has worked in the field of emergency for over 20 years. His career has spanned working in a Level 1 trauma center to fire-based emergency services, helicopter emergency services, hospital education, and postsecondary education. 

Steeps earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Arkansas, a Master’s of Health Sciences in Emergency Medical Care from Western Carolina University, an Associate of Science in Paramedic from Northwest Arkansas Community College, and in 2020 an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science Management from SAU Tech.

In addition to working in emergency services, teaching, and learning, Steeps co-authored an academic research piece entitled, Emergency Medical Services Professionals’ Attitudes About Community Paramedic Programs, recently published by the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine.  

Steeps says that “Project inception occurred during a scholarly conversation about the new model of patient care known as community paramedicine. We noticed that while there was published research about the efficacy of community paramedic programs, the literature did not address whether or not emergency medical services (EMS) professionals had any interest or desire to return to school to provide these advanced services to their respective communities. This project identified several barriers to the implementation of community paramedicine programs. Hopefully, this will enable EMS program directors and medical directors to overcome these barriers when developing new or expand current community paramedicine programs in their areas.”

Steeps contacted SAU Tech to share his achievement regarding the journal publication. SAU Tech’s Chancellor, Dr. Jason Morrison, stated that “We frequently overlook the role that community colleges play in providing specialty degrees like the College’s Fire Science and Fire and Emergency Response degrees. The opportunity for a person actively working in the emergency field to earn these degrees online is phenomenal. We are proud of Robert and his achievements and other alumni like him who include SAU Tech in their career path.”

To read the research article in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, go to https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7ff6j08v.

For more information on SAU Tech’s programs, go to www.sautech.edu.