A Message from Dean Tappenden
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We are so excited to publish this year’s annual magazine with a new name - MORE LIFE.
As Americans live longer than ever before, too many spend their later decades managing preventable illness instead of enjoying meaningful living. And here at the College of Health we are committed to redefining the human healthspan. Through innovative research and by preparing the next generation of practitioners, the college is on a mission to add more years to our life and MORE LIFE to those years.
I am so incredibly proud of the ways our faculty, students, and alumni are adding MORE LIFE through education, research, clinical care and community engagement.
Some proud achievements from this past year:
- Increased College of Health enrollment by 10%
- Launched the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Distinguished Speaker Event, featuring nationally recognized speech-language pathology leader Dr. Tiffany Hogan
- Renamed the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center to the Center for Metabolic Health
- Approved a new hybrid Master of Athletic Training program, launching in 2027
- Achieved a 100% NPTE pass rate for the first graduating St. George DPT cohort
- Earned full seven-year accreditation for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program—the maximum term for initial accreditation
- Secured over $19 million across 72 funding awards, continuing a six-year trend of annual funding exceeding $14 million
Looking ahead, we’re excited about what’s to come. Our goals include
expanding our research efforts, increasing clinic capacity and growth,
exploring additional virtual and hybrid program options, and continuing to
serve our community.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here's to more life, more health, and more happiness!
Warm regards,
Kelly A. Tappenden, PhD, RD, FASPEN
Dean and Professor
College of Health