MEET THE ADMINISTRATION OF YO SAN UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Mao Shing Ni, L.Ac., D.O.M., Ph.D, Dipl. C.H., ABAAP
President
Dr. Mao Shing Ni, popularly known as Dr. Mao, is the 38th generation of Chinese medicine doctors in his family. Well known and respected in the field of integrative and anti-aging medicine, he is the cofounder of Yo San University. Dr. Mao holds two doctorates and is board certified in anti-aging medicine. He is the author of 18 books, including Secrets of Longevity, Second Spring, Secrets of Longevity Cookbook and his latest, Live Your Ultimate Life. Awarded Best of the Best on The Doctor Oz Show, Dr. Mao can also be seen on The Doctors, Katie Couric, as well as the pages of The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. He writes about natural health and longevity for The Huffington Post, Ask Dr. Mao, EmpowHer and other popular websites and speaks at medical conferences internationally. Dr. Mao maintains a full-time clinical practice with his brother, Dr. Daoshing Ni and their team of doctors at Tao of Wellness, integrative medical centers with offices in Santa Monica and Pasadena, California.
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
Robert Hoffman, DAOM, L.Ac
Chief Executive Officer
Dean, DAOM Program
Dr. Robert Hoffman is Chief Executive Officer at Yo San University, and is in charge of all aspects of the masters and postgraduate doctoral degree programs at YSU. Robert received his MATCM from Yo San University, and his doctoral degree (DAOM) from Five Branches University. He is also currently a PhD candidate at Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University in Hangzhou, China. Dr. Hoffman has written numerous articles on Daoism and Chinese medicine, and serves as editor and peer reviewer for several integrative medicine journals. Robert is Dean of the DAOM Program and teaches in both the master’s and doctoral programs. He serves on the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), and is an ordained 23rd generation Daoist priest in the Quanzhen Longmen tradition.
Anisa Kassim, LAc, MPH, CHES
Dean, MAcCHM/DAcCHM Program
Anisa Kassim is the Associate Dean of the Master’s program at Yo San University. Anisa received her MATCM degree from Emperors College and her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She worked globally in the area of Public Health for many years and has taught a variety of online courses in Health Education and Holistic Health.
Anisa has a private clinical practice at Dharma Health Institute and specializes in Pediatrics, Pregnancy/Postpartum, Facial Rejuvenation and Ayurveda. She works closely with midwives and conducts monthly community clinics for Children and Postpartum mothers, at various locations, around Los Angeles.
Farshid Namin, DAOM, MD (Iran), LAc.
Clinic Director
Dean of Research
Dr. Namin is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare field. He has held administrative positions in the United Nations and the American Red Cross, Before coming to the United States, Dr. Namin worked as a Professor at the Iran University of Medical Sciences. More recently at Yo San, Dr. Namin has provided administrative leadership and supervision to the training of both Master’s and Doctoral level TCM students, as well as managed both programmatic and institutional compliance and accreditation.
Dr. Namin obtained his Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) from Yo San University in 2018. After gaining his MD (Iran, 1997) and MPH, he acquired years of experience in International disaster relief. Dr. Namin also treats patients in his private acupuncture practice.
Alexandria Ferri
Assistant Academic Dean
Alexandria Ferri brings her experiential knowledge of Kinesiology from UNC Charlotte, B.S. Exercise Science. She was most recently honored with the Yo San University Board of Trustees Meritorious Award for outstanding academic achievement upon graduation as valedictorian of her class in 2023. As a recent alumna from the MAcCHM program, Alex is now excited to serve the university as Assistant Academic Dean, fostering student’s growth and development through the rigorous programs.
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Shelley Yu
Admissions and Marketing Manager
Shelley Yu is an experienced admissions and marketing manager with an MBA and a decade of expertise in higher education. She excels in managing admissions, recruitment, registration, and planning admissions events. Before coming to Yo San, she successfully recruited a diverse global student population and increased enrollment, retention, and graduation rates by leveraging social media and educational TV channels. Her proven track record includes managing admissions processes, overseeing course registration, and organizing recruitment events. Shelley’s dedication and expertise make her a valuable asset at Yo San University.
STUDENT & ALUMNI AFFAIRS, LIBRARY SERVICES
Sean Gates, MLIS
Director of Student and Alumni Affairs
Manager, Library Services
Sean Gates is Manager of Library Services, assisting and instructing students, faculty and staff in all aspects of information access. In addition his role in the library, Sean is also the Director of Student & Alumni Affairs at YSU, working with students and alumni to coordinate events and services at the university. He has prior experience in public libraries as well as the UCLA Libraries.
As the YSU Library Manager, Sean is very much in touch with students and student activities, and is in an unique position to manage and implement best practices towards student services objectives.
Sean graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in English literature and from UCLA with a Master’s in Library and Information Science.
OPERATIONS & FINANCE
Tora Flint, MA
Chief Operating Officer
Registrar
Tora Flint is the University’s Chief Operating Officer and has lead responsibility for overseeing the administrative office suite and building operations.
In addition, she serves as University Registrar, among other activities that are essential to keep the University functional.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Chiang Mai University in Thailand and a Master’s in Global Marketing Communications & Advertising from Emerson College in Boston, MA.
Jyotika Pratap
Bursar
Jyotika Pratap grew up in the Fiji Islands and migrated to the U.S. in 2001. Shortly after, she joined Yo San University as an administrative receptionist and worked in the Blount Community Clinic as lead front desk staff.
After five years, she was appointed Assistant to the Controller/Bursar in the University’s accounts office where she held this position for 10 years. Since October 2018, she took on the position of Bursar/Accounting Officer.
Jyotika earned her Diploma in Information Technology (software development) from Boxhill Institute of Technical and Further Education in Lautoka City, Fiji Islands. She has also completed a series of accounting courses at West Los Angeles College in Culver City.