A Leader in the Field, Supporting Collaboration and Sustainability

From its start, ACTCM has been instrumental in guiding the direction of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the United States, helping the profession to come of age and assume its rightful place as a valuable component of the healthcare system. ACTCM has a long-standing tradition of being one of the most engaged institutions in our field. Our college is committed to both collaboration and sustainability. We know that working with other organizations will help support sustainability and allow our field to grow and flourish. Our staff and faculty are involved in numerous leadership activities on the local, national and international levels that promote these values:

President Lixin Huang, MS, is renowned as a leader in TCM and global conservation. She currently serves as the President of the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a national organization that promotes the advancement and educational excellence of TCM colleges in the United States. Ms. Huang has also served on the International Advisory Council for the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies and the National Council for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).  She is widely sought after as a speaker, recently presenting at the TedxWWF One Living Planet Conference in June 2012.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Bingzeng Zou, PhD, DC, LAc, is a member of Examination Development Committee and Subject-Matter Expert (SEM) of Biomedicine in National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and a member of the Planning Committee for Complementary Medicine at the UCSF Asian Health Institute.  In addition to being the VPAA and Dean of Faculty at ACTCM, Dr. Zou teaches in both ACTCM's Master's and Doctoral programs and maintains a practice in the ACTCM Faculty Clinic.

Dean of Clinical Education and Director of Academic Assessment, Steve Given, DAOM, LAc. holds both masters and doctoral degrees in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Steve’s areas of clinical interest include pain management, HIV/AIDS, supportive care for oncology patients, addiction treatment and orthopedics. He is licensed in California and Washington, and holds a visiting professor’s license in Oregon. Other professional interests include the national Clean Needle Technique training and standards, and committee work with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Dr. Given is a commissioner on the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and past Vice President of the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is also on the editorial boars of three peer-reviewed journals. Prior to his acupuncture career, Dr. Given worked in the microbiology field as a laboratory supervisor supervisor and research technologist.

Director of the DAOM and Research Programs, Carla J. Wilson, DAOM, MA, LAc is former chair of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Dr. Wilson has over twenty-five years in the field of Asian medicine and public health. Dr. Wilson’s background in business and organization management includes grant writing and fundraising to promote and sustain integrative health centers and educational program development. She has worked in integrative medicine, research, and nonprofit health care organizations since 1987 and has served on governance boards at a variety of community-based organizations. Dr. Wilson serves as a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on International Education Standards for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Professor Daniel Jiao, DAOM, LAc, is the Chair of the Herbal Medicine Department, former board chair of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and is currently involved in NCCAOM examination development.  In addition to maintaining a private practice, teaching and supervising at ACTCM, Professor Jiao works at the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. 

Professor Denise Hsu, RN, MB/BS, LAc, is a Commissioner for the NCCAOM, the Chair of ACTCM's Internal Medicine Department, and a professor and clinical supervisor at ACTCM with over 20 years of teaching experience.  Professor Hsu maintains a private practice in Sunnyvale, California, and has been working for the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department of Kaiser Hospital South Bay (Santa Clara City) for over 10 years.

Professor Pam Olton, LAc, CLS, MT (ASCP), is the Chair of the Acupuncture Department, and a professor and clinical supervisor at ACTCM. Professor Olton also works at the Haight Asbury Free Clinic, where she supervises ACTCM interns and is the Laboratory Manager and the Director of Complementary Care.  She has also maintained a private practice in San Francisco since 1988.

Professor Devin Wu, DAOM, LAc, PT, is the Chair of the Western Medicine Department. He is dual licensed in physical therapy as well as acupuncture. He is the company acupuncturist to San Francisco Ballet and Smuin Ballet. He has served as the Director of Rehabilitation in a prestigious sports clinic. Professor Wu also maintains a busy private practice specializing in musculoskeletal conditions and sports medicine.