From the Dean: The physics of health education
As I mentioned a week ago, the last of the three finalists in contention to succeed me as vice president for health affairs (VPHA) at UND and dean of the SMHS, Dr. Elizabeth Petty, is finishing her interview schedule today. Dr. Marjorie Jenkins was here earlier in the week and Dr. Stephen Scott was here last week. The next phase will be for the search committee to review and finalize its assessment of each candidate and then forward that information to UND President Armacost. He will then decide on the most desirable candidate and negotiate a hiring agreement. Once the chosen candidate agrees, we will have a new VPHA and dean! That process should all be completed this month, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Once the transition occurs, I will revert to my role as a tenured faculty member (as I’ve outlined recently).
I am very proud of the status of the School as this transition of leadership occurs. In a recent op-ed piece in the Grand Forks Herald, President Armacost talked about the momentum of UND. In fact, he has designated this year as the Year of Momentum; 2022 was declared the Year of Gratitude and 2023 as the Year of Connection. In thinking about this, it is obvious that the SMHS also has tremendous momentum moving forward as a vital component of UND. I went back to my high school science lectures to remind myself what momentum comprises according to Newtonian physics. As you too may recall, momentum is the product of an object’s mass multiplied by its velocity. That equation applies (figuratively) to the SMHS, where mass represents the large number of programs and students involved in the School’s activities and initiatives, and velocity represents how rapidly we are advancing those programs with all sorts of wonderful activities. The result is a lot of momentum moving forward as both the size of our programs (“mass”) and the rate at which they are moving forward (“velocity”) are substantial. And the larger we grow, the faster we go.
Thus, as I’ve indicated before, I think the timing is perfect for the upcoming change in senior leadership. After all, this high degree of momentum is the result of the wonderful efforts of our team of outstanding faculty, staff, and students – and they are not changing. So whoever will be the next VPHA and dean, that person will inherit a school that is moving forward aggressively, with a focus on improving the lives of the citizens of the state and surrounding areas.
What are some of the key factors that have culminated in the positive momentum of the SMHS? Here again I’d go back to President Armacost and his pronouncements in prior years as years of connection and gratitude. Both of those concepts have been critical to the success (and momentum) of the School: our connection with the many healthcare providers throughout the state who play major roles in teaching our students (and our gratitude to them all), the donors to the SMHS, the state legislature…and especially the faculty, staff, and students that make the SMHS a special place. So – thank you! And all best wishes as we move forward – together!
Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH
Vice President for Health Affairs, UND
Dean, UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences
