Paul Russo MS '05 (health systems management) has dedicated more than 30 years to serving America's heroes while working for the Veterans Health Administration. He began his professional life as a clinical dietician after earning his bachelor's degree from the University at Buffalo. As he rose to a managerial role, he looked to his hometown of Rochester to further his education and enrolled in RIT's health systems administration online master's degree program. As a nontraditional student, he values the quality of his RIT education and feels that it gave him the essential skills to succeed in hospital administration. 
 
Russo was recently named director of the Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center/Miami VA Health Care system, and he has also served as director of the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VAMC in Salisbury, N.C., and associate director of the West Palm Beach, Fla., VA Medical Center. He lives in Miami with his wife, Karen, who has also dedicated her career to America's veterans. 
 
He enjoys mentoring rising healthcare administrators through various professional organizations including his role as a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.