SAVANNAH —  Douglas E. Masini, Ed.D., head of Armstrong State University’s Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences Department, recently was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. Masini, who also serves as Armstrong’s respiratory therapy program coordinator, is one of only four non-physicians to be selected for the honor.
Masini will be recognized Oct. 26 at CHEST 2014, an international medicine convention in Austin, Texas. His selection as a fellow demonstrates his excellence in chest medicine as well as his dedication to the organization and commitment as a leader at the forefront of clinical chest medicine.
 Masini earned an Ed.D. from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee; a master’s degree in adult education from Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee; and a Bachelor of Science in allied health teaching from Regents College in Albany, New York.
 He is a clinical assistant professor of internal medicine at the Mercer University College of Medicine in Savannah and is a former clinical assistant professor at James Quillen College of Medicine. His research specialties include asthma, continuous positive airway pressure in children and pulmonary vasodilation.  
A Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians is a title given to a physician or nonphysician who specializes in pulmonology, critical-care medicine or sleep medicine. Nonphysicians who do active work in chest medicine — including those with a Ph.D., Pharm.D., D.Sc. or a doctorally prepared nurse —also are eligible for the fellowship.
The American College of Chest Physicians is a global leader in advancing patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. With more than 18,700 members representing more than 100 countries around the world, the organization’s mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research.