Clinical Leadership Team
Sarah Van Orman, M.D., M.M.M., FACHA
Thu Nguyen-Knowles, M.S.N., RN
Chief Health Officer, USC Student Health Division Chief, College Health, Keck School of Medicine Dr. Van Orman earned her MMM at Carnegie Mellon University, her MD at Mayo Medical School, and her BA at Carleton College. She completed a combined residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics. She joined USC in August 2017 after nearly a decade serving as executive director of University Health Services at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she oversaw all facets of the comprehensive college health program. She is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics and is a past president of the American College Health Association.
Executive Director of Clinical Operations Thu Nguyen-Knowles has spent more than two decades in healthcare operations leading clinical and nonclinical teammates, patient experience, and improving quality of care. An expert in patient access and experience, Nguyen-Knowles earned her registered nurse license at Santa Ana College, and her master’s in nursing from Walden University, and joined USC from Healthcare Partners, where she oversaw operations serving a patient population of 500,000.
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Robert Mendola, M.D.
Broderick Leaks, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Counseling and Mental Health Services Dr. Mendola is board certified in adult psychiatry. He joined USC in fall 2018 after more than two decades of experience directing psychiatric services at Cornell University’s student counseling center. He earned his medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, and degree in psychiatry from University of Massachusetts Medical Center. His professional interests include college mental health, collaborative psychiatric care, consultation/liaison psychiatry, chronic mental illness and public sector psychiatry.
Director of Counseling and Mental Health Services Dr. Leaks earned his PhD in clinical psychology, master’s in theology and master’s in psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He joined USC Student Health as a psychology intern in 2008 and subsequently moved into the roles of clinical staff psychologist, assistant director and training director in counseling and mental health before assuming directorship in January 2019. As a psychologist, Leaks specializes in anxiety and panic disorders; OCD; stress management; ethnic minority identity development (particularly African American); and the integration of psychology and spirituality.
2018-2019 Annual Report
