About our authors
Melissa Alexander, EdD, Paramedic, became an EMT-A in 1982 and earned a Certificate in Paramedicine from Home Hospital School of Paramedicine in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1984. She has a BA in Community Health Education from Purdue University, an MS in Health Sciences Education from Indiana University and an EdD in Human Resources Development from The George Washington University. Dr. Alexander is the Senior Director of Planning, Assessment, and Evaluation for Medical Student Education for Indiana University School of Medicine. She is actively involved in national-level innovations in medical education, including the American Medical Association (AMA) Accelerating Change in Medical Education (ACE) grant and the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) initiative for creating entrustment-based curricula and assessments to ensure medical students' readiness to enter residency.
Dr. Alexander previously served as the Director of the EMS Academy at the University of New Mexico, as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at The George Washington University, as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Fire Science and EMS at Lake Superior State University and as a paramedic at Wishard Ambulance Service in Indianapolis. She has authored and contributed to several EMS texts and educational products. Dr. Alexander's research interests include assessing and improving clinical-reasoning skills and creating valid assessments of learning. She has three daughters, Lindsay (Chris) Giroux, Brittany Streuker and Eleanor Shook; and five grandsons, Asher, Ethan, Grant, Rhys and Jasper. She enjoys bicycling, spending time with family, organic gardening and hanging out with her dogs, Sabrina and Benito.
Richard Belle, BS, NRP, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, began his EMS career in 1996 after completing EMT-Basic and Paramedic training at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Richard has worked throughout south Louisiana as a field paramedic, new employee preceptor, student preceptor and as a flight paramedic. He has been actively involved in EMS education since 1999. Richard served as Education Coordinator for Acadian Ambulance's southeastern district while he returned to Nicholls State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. After four years of teaching EMT Basic and Paramedic courses, he transferred to Lafayette, Louisiana, to serve as Acadian Ambulance's Continuing Education Coordinator; he was responsible for providing refresher training and continuing education opportunities to medics across Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. Currently, Richard works in Lafayette, Louisiana, as Continuing Education Manager for Acadian Ambulance and the National EMS Academy. Richard lives in south Louisiana with his wife, Rhonda, and their three children, James, Victoria and Allison.
