Longtime radiologic technologist (RT) educator Jane Van Valkenburg, PhD, died on January 6 at the age of 78, according to an obituary in the Standard Examiner of Ogden, UT.
Van Valkenburg's long career in radiology began in the 1970s, when she completed a program in radiologic technology at St. Benedict's Hospital in Utah, became certified as an RT, and received an associate degree from Weber State University. She then worked for several years at St. Benedict's Hospital, according to the obituary.
After becoming certified as a nuclear medicine technologist, Van Valkenburg completed a baccalaureate degree at Weber State and was hired to teach the university's RT program. She later became chair of Weber State's department of radiological sciences and worked at the university for 33 years before retiring.
Van Valkenburg was instrumental in organizing a national certifying agency for RTs, developed an advanced-level educational program for technologists, and published numerous research papers, according to the obituary.
