Staff

Chelsea Collins is the Director of Student Health and an AANP Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She attended Marshall University for undergraduate studies where she received a degree in Exercise Science and Sports Recreation. She also has a BSN from Waynesburg University and a MSN from West Virginia Wesleyan College. She comes to Fairmont State University after spending the last several years working in women’s health and gynecology. Chelsea is available daily to see students for: contraceptive management and sexual health, screening and treatment of STDs, primary care needs, urgent care complaints and preventative medicine and promotion of mental wellness. Prior to her time in gynecology, she spent several years in the Emergency Department as a Registered Nurse. She has experience in a wide variety of medical complaints. She enjoys supporting healthy decisions that lead to the prevention of illness. She has a sincere love for the work she does in Student Health. She wants her patients to know she is a safe zone. She finds peace spending time with her son, Cooper John, and stays active by riding her Peloton. A native of Morgantown, Chelsea has adoration for West Virginia and the people in this great state.

Megan is a seasoned Registered Nurse who comes to Fairmont State University with several years experience in a variety of settings including outpatient clinic. She is thrilled to be a part of the Falcon Family. She is a graduate of Fairmont State University School of Nursing. Megan is eager to help students in all walks of life. When she isn't offering a helping hand in Student Health or working on COVID-19 policy, Megan enjoys time with her husband and her 2 sons.

Jane Heston is a Family Nurse Practitioner who joined the student health team in 2023. She is a lifelong resident of Marion County. She completed her undergraduate nursing degree at Fairmont State, and received a Masters of Nursing from West Virginia University. She has more than 25 years of experience in nursing, and has been a nurse practitioner for 18 years. She has worked in family practice and urgent care. She has a special interest in maintaining the wellness of the student population. When she is not on campus, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and 4 children.

Mrs. Julianne VanGilder is a medical receptionist and the assistant to the Director of Student Health. Julianne is an alumna of Fairmont State University and a native of Fairmont, West Virginia.   She brings a welcoming smile to our students and will be your guide through the process of scheduling appointments at the Falcon Wellness and Mental Health Center. Julianne loves spending time with her husband and 2 sons. 

Melissa Gerau, MSW, LGSW has a Master of Social Work and is a mental health counselor. Melissa has worked in a school-based setting providing mental health services to students and adults in and around Fairmont. Melissa has a special interest in suicide prevention.

Aaron Vedock is a Mental Health Counselor in the Student Health department.  He earned his AS from Mount Aloysius College, and BSSW from California University of Pennsylvania before relocating to West Virginia where he earned his MSW at West Virginia University in 2005. He comes to Fairmont State University after 15+ years working at inpatient mental health hospitals in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. He has experience helping hundreds of individuals over the years who were facing a variety of personal, mental health, and legal struggles. Mr. Vedock provides individual and group counseling services to Fairmont State students. His counseling approach is founded in humanistic and existential theory, integrating mindfulness and cognitive behavioral interventions in a safe, and welcoming environment for clients to process past, and present stressors. In his free time he enjoys hiking in the state parks and state forests throughout the area, as well as traveling beyond the border of Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. He finds time spent in the mountains or on the beach to be rejuvenating for the mind, body and soul.