Search Committee

Campus members

Dr. Chand Midha,
Search Committee Chair

Associate Provost and Dean, Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Sandra Hudak
Associate Professor of Nutrition/Dietetics

Dr. Marlene Huff
Professor of Nursing

Dr. Erin Miller
Coordinator, Hearing Aid Dispensary

Dr. Annette Mitzel
Director, Nursing Center for Community Health, Asst. Director for CHP Clinics

Dr. Kathleen Ross-Alaolmolki
Senior Associate Dean, Academic Nursing Programs

Community members

Dr. Norman Christopher
Chair, Department of Pediatrics at Akron Children’s Hospital

Dr. David Peter
Chief Medical Officer, Akron General Medical Center

Dr. Janine E. Janosky
Vice President, Center for Clinical and Community Health Improvement at the Austen BioInnovation Institute of Akron

Dr. Amy Lee
MPH Program Director, Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health Program and Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Mr. Tom DeBord
President, Summa Barberton Hospital and Summa Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital

College seeks founding dean

College comprised of Nursing,  Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, Social Work, Dietetics and Nutrition, Sports Science and Wellness Education and Child Life

The University of Akron—following a decade of significant growth in physical facilities, students, and funding—has embarked on an ambitious new set of goals to further transform the University’s programs as it nears its 150th anniversary.

Captured in Vision 2020, these goals include a major focus on expanding programs in health care, medicine and wellness as well as an emphasis on collaboration and community partnerships. In line with this focus, the University of Akron has taken the bold step of creating a new College—the College of Health Professions—which brings together the former College of Nursing and the College of Health Sciences and Human Services.

The University now seeks a dynamic, creative academic health leader as the College’s founding Dean to build a highly collaborative, innovative College as a future-oriented model for inter-professional health education, research and care delivery.

The new Dean will have the opportunity to develop and implement a vision for the future of the University of Akron’s health education and research programs and its overall engagement with the health care field.

Currently the College includes both undergraduate and graduate programs in NursingSpeech-Language Pathology & AudiologySocial Work, Dietetics and Nutrition, Sports Science and Wellness Education and Child Life as well as partnership in the Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health program.

The University is a founding partner in the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, along with the Northeast Ohio Medical University, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron General Health System, and Summa Health System. This is a unique collaboration of research, education, and health care institutions dedicated to working together to advance translational research and entrepreneurial innovation leading to improved health care devices, products and services.

The ideal candidate will have a terminal degree in one of the health professions (e.g. MD/MPH, MD/PHD, MD, AuD, DNP, PhD, DrPH), and be eligible for appointment at the Professor level. She or he will be an experienced academic leader with a distinguished record of accomplishment in health or medical education and research. In particular, his or her achievements will demonstrate a commitment to inter-professional education and care delivery, innovative approaches to teaching including the use of technology, and the effective translation of research into clinical practice. The ideal candidate will have experience in successfully growing a major program, department, school, or college, including the recruitment and mentoring of both clinical faculty and researchers. We seek an individual with strong interpersonal and communication skills who is highly collaborative, entrepreneurial, and professional.  

The University of Akron has retained Sarah Spangenberg and Dr. Richard von Rueden of Park Square Executive Search to assist them with this important search.

Triangle Direct nominations and applications to:

Dean, UA College of Health Professions Search
c/o Park Square Executive Search
One Broadway, 14th Floor
Cambridge, MA  02142
91975@parksquaresearch.com

Individuals from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.


The University of Akron is an equal education and employment institution.

Applications, nominations or other materials submitted for this search may constitute a public record and therefore may be made available on request in accordance with ORD 149.43.