The Board of Directors of the University of St Augustine for Health Sciences has named Dr Divina Grossman its new president. She replaces the retiring Dr Wanda Nitsch, who served as president for 6 years.
“The Board is extremely pleased that someone with Dr. Grossman’s expertise and commitment to innovation in health sciences education will serve as the University’s new president,” states John Hoey, chair of the USAHS Board, in a media release.
“We believe Dr. Grossman brings a unique blend of strong interprofessional academic and health sciences credentials, outstanding operating experience, deep community linkages, and, most importantly, a powerful vision for advancing the transformation of USAHS into the nation’s leading institution of graduate education in health sciences.”
Prior to joining USAHS, Grossman—a tenured professor—served as chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Before that, she was the founding vice president for engagement at Florida International University, where she also served as dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Prior to that, she was the department chair and associate professor of Chronic Nursing Care at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Grossman earned her PhD in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Miami, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Santo Tomas. She also completed the New Presidents Program at Harvard University.
In addition to volunteering her time and expertise to local organizations and charitable groups, Grossman serves as vice chair and board member of Beyond Flexner Alliance—an organization of health professionals committed to equality of access to quality health care, the release notes.
“This is an extraordinary transformational moment for our University,” says Vivian Sanchez, CEO of USAHS. “Thanks to the leadership of retiring president Dr Nitsch, we have a strong foundation of graduate health sciences programs, a nationally recognized faculty of professionals, and alumni who are leaders in their field. Dr Grossman has the academic credentials, higher education experience, and passionate commitment to innovation, research and diversity that will build upon this foundation and propel our University to global leadership in graduate health sciences education.”
“I am both honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as president of this great institution,” Grossman shares in the release. “I look forward to working with the entire USAHS community at this pivotal moment in the University’s history to shape the future of health care education in the nation and around the globe.”
[Source(s): University of St Augustine for Health Sciences, PR Newswire]