Jan. 12, 2026 — Wayne Davis Bottom, M.P.H., PA-C, a longtime leader and associate professor emeritus of the University of Florida School of Physician Assistant Studies, passed away Jan. 5 at age 84.

Bottom, who served as associate dean and director of the UF School of PA Studies from 1983 to 2010, dedicated his career to advancing PA education. During his three nearly decades at UF, his legacy included spearheading efforts to transition the program from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree and helping to double student enrollment. In addition, he oversaw the elevation of the program to school status.

“We are grateful for his impact on our school, our institution and the PA profession,” said Melissa Turley, PharmD, MPAS ’05, PA-C, the Randolph B. Mahoney Program Director and an assistant professor of the School of PA Studies, who was a student during Bottom’s tenure at UF and recalled his impact as course director for her first class in medical communications. “His legacy will be felt by our community for years to come.”

A Virginia native, Bottom earned a bachelor’s degree in biology/general science from Virginia Tech. He then went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in PA studies and a master’s of public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he spent 10 years caring for patients and educating the next generation of PAs before joining the UF community.

He earned many honors throughout his career, including an appointment to the National Commission for Certification of PAs to represent the PA Education Association and induction into the PA Historical Society. While in Alabama, he served as a founding member and charter president of the Alabama Society of PAs and was recognized for his pioneering research in the field of child abuse and family violence, as well as his involvement in interdisciplinary health team education and family medicine. In Florida, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Academy of PAs and received the UF President’s Medallion for outstanding service and contribution to the university.

For alumnus and former UF School of PA Studies leader Ralph Rice, PA ’91, DHSc, the legacy of an educator like Bottom can be summed up by a quote from a plaque he received from students in the 1990s: “To teach is to touch a life forever.” Rice’s connection to Bottom spanned years, beginning during his time as a PA student, when Bottom served as his faculty adviser, and coming full-circle once Rice took over as director in 2011 upon Bottom’s retirement, when the two would meet for lunch every couple of months.

“These lunch talks helped me gain footing and provided much-needed guidance,” Rice said. “Wayne was in PA education for close to 40 years — that’s a lot of lives touched.”

Bottom is survived by his two children, Elizabeth Bottom Nolley and David C. Bottom, as well as two grandchildren, Ferris Bottom and Amelia Rose Bottom. Crevasse’s Simple Cremation will handle arrangements, with internment at Mountain View Cemetery in Vinton, Virginia.