Message from the Dean

The Panuska College of Professional Studies is full of talented and committed faculty, staff and students who direct their energy, time and talent to the service of others. PCPS faculty are actively contributing to the body of scholarship in their disciplines, facilitating student community-based learning with underserved populations and leading service activities. Our outstanding faculty are also regularly recognized with awards for their service and leadership within their respective professions. With my experienced and committed administrative team, I am looking forward to leading the college into the future. Blessed with many resources and opportunities, PCPS is well positioned for success in the challenging higher education landscape. Nonetheless, we must be prepared to adapt to the ever-changing needs of our students and respond to market pressures on the partners we rely upon as educational sites for student fieldwork. I see the following as priorities for PCPS:

Recruit and retain qualified faculty and staff, with an emphasis on diversity

Continue to secure high-quality fieldwork sites for students

Increase college capacity for high-fidelity simulation

Support the Leahy Community Health and Family Center allied health clinics and transition the Medical Clinic both to provide learning opportunities for students and serve the community

Adapt and respond to enrollment challenges: Optimize admission strategies for capped programs Encourage larger numbers of our undergraduate students to accelerate into University graduate programs, both on campus and online Ensure that our graduate programs are offered in an attractive format and are a good value proposition for prospective students Increase enrollment in undergraduate programs that have additional capacity Explore opportunities for new programs I consider our top priorities for the next 1-2 years to be: recruiting and retaining qualified, diverse faculty; securing optimum clinical field placements; and sustaining strong graduate student enrollments in existing and newly developed programs. Our longer-term challenges are to develop and execute additional degree programs that leverage the strengths of existing faculty and programs and to expand the opportunities for hands-on student learning within the Leahy Community Health and Family Center. I welcome your thoughts and input as we formulate strategies to address these priorities. There is much work to be done in a dynamic college such as ours, but there is much to be celebrated. As an avid gardener, I look forward to nurturing and growing our college.

Warmest regards,

Victoria H. Castellanos, Ph.D., RD/N Dean of the J.A. Panuska College of Professional Studies

The Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Endowment

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