It is with tremendous gratitude that the college acknowledges several transitions in our leadership team. Dr. Gunda Georg, department head for medicinal chemistry; Dr. Randy Seifert, associate dean for student and professional affairs; and Dr.Tim Stratton, interim senior associate dean for Duluth, have all demonstrated leadership, dedication and service in these roles over the years. As they step down from these leadership positions but continue other pursuits in or with the college, we acknowledge the tremendous impact they have all had on our community.
With these transitions, we took the opportunity to assess the needs of the organization. Our reorganization and leadership changes aim to strengthen our organizational commitments.
Our commitment to providing world-class education continues to be led by the following leaders and supported by their fabulous teams:
- Dr. Jeannine Conway, associate dean of professional education
- Dr. Andy Traynor, assistant dean for experiential education
- Dr. Carolyn Fairbanks, associate dean for graduate education
Our commitment to accelerating research and bringing discoveries to those in need continues to be led by:
- Dr. Carolyn Fairbanks, associate dean for research, and supported by her amazing team, including Dr. Rebecca Cuellar, Dr. Cristina Peterson, and Oanh Nguyen.
Our commitment to partnering to advance healthcare will expand under the leadership of the following individuals and their teams:
- Dr. Keri Hager, associate dean for clinical affairs, who will oversee internal clinical initiatives as well as community engagement
- Dr. Sarah Westberg, associate dean for professional affairs, will aim to partner with our professional organizations (e.g., MPA, MPHA, MSHP, BoP, etc) and practitioners throughout the state to advance practice. Drs., Randy Seifert and Jason Varin will join Dr. Westberg in supporting new initiatives.
Our commitment to supporting the thriving of our students will expand with emphasis on supporting admissions/recruitment and student services, led by the following individuals:
- Olivia Buncher, assistant dean for admissions and recruitment
- Dr. Laura Palombi, associate dean for students (professional program)
While alumni affairs has been known by different names, like external relations or professional affairs, we are proud to announce our new alumni affairs team who will work to strengthen connections among alumni, support alumni throughout their careers and facilitate engagement of our alumni in all that we do. Leaders for alumni affairs include:
- Jessica Ward Denison, alumni affairs specialist
- Dr. Bruce Benson, associate director of alumni affairs
Dr. Todd Sorensen continues to serve the organization as senior executive associate dean for strategic initiatives and faculty affairs, and Dr. Kristin Janke is the associate dean for assessment and quality and is spearheading our accreditation and quality improvement initiatives throughout the organization.
All of these changes better position the college to respond to an evolving profession and society. Future issues of The Record will feature more information about all of these exciting initiatives. In the meantime, alumni and friends are welcome to reach out to our leaders to learn more.