OHIO’s College of Health Sciences and Professions celebrating 40th anniversary

For the past four decades, Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) faculty and staff have provided exceptional education and leadership to thousands of students as part of its mission to train the best healthcare professionals in the world.

To date, CHSP has graduated more than 33,000 alumni who continue to make a difference in 34 countries across the globe. The college also continues to earn its reputation as a leader in preparing students to successfully contribute to a competitive, technological, culturally diverse and global healthcare environment.

“Academic excellence, exceptional access and personalized student experiences are hallmarks of an education from Ohio University,” said Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis. “For 40 years, the College of Health Sciences and Professions has served as a living embodiment of such hallmarks through its ability to successfully educate thousands of students, share impactful research and engage in community service that has made our world a better place.”

CHSP, formerly the College of Health and Human Services, was formed in 1979 under the leadership of its founding dean, Dr. Hilda Richards; Richards was the first black academic college dean and the first female academic dean in Ohio University’s history. CHSP quickly grew to accommodate an increasing national need for healthcare professionals with Richards at the helm.

In 2001, CHSP found a new home in Grover Center. In 2017, the building was renovated to further expand CHSP’s ability to deliver quality education and conduct unique and influential research.

The college has also expanded its presence to Dublin, Ohio, in recent years — a location that currently offers graduate-level programs in physician assistant practice, nursing, nutrition and athletic training.

Today, under the leadership and guidance of Dean Randy Leite, CHSP has been recognized as one of the largest health-focused colleges in the country with more than 30 academic majors housed in six schools and departments.

• The School of Nursing boasts one of the best and most affordable RN to BSN programs in the country as well as a highly regarded on-campus BSN program, several online MSN tracks and a Dublin-based DNP program.
• The School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness graduates superior professionals in athletic training, dietetics, exercise physiology and food and nutrition sciences.
• The School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences is home to successful divisions that include communication sciences and disorders, physical therapy and physician assistant practice.
• The Department of Social and Public Health prides itself on preparing graduates to positively impact the health and social wellbeing of individuals, families and entire communities through a number of undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the new Master of Public Health online option.
• One of the more unique and flexible degrees available at CHSP is housed within the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Studies. The Bachelor of Science in Integrated Healthcare Studies degree builds leadership and critical thinking skills that helps students pursue careers in a number of health-related disciplines.
• The newest department in CHSP is the Department of Social Work, which offers both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work. Their master’s program, now available online and on campus, offers tracks to suit numerous social work career paths.

While the college has been ranked nationally for many of its impactful education programs, it also continues to make an impact within the local community:

• • Kids on Campus, which has provided Athens County children with afterschool and summer programs for 20 years, has now positively influenced the lives of more than 20,000 individuals.
  • CHSP is a founding member of the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health, which has grown to include more than 28 community partners who are working together to share research and provide meaningful action on numerous issues facing our state and region, including: substance abuse, mental health, chronic disease, aging and maternal and child health issues.
  • CHSP is also a founding member of Athens HOPE, a community/University partnership working to combat the opioid epidemic through prevention and education.

“During the last four decades, CHSP has lived at the forefront of health education and we take great pride in our ability to educate students, engage in research and serve our community,” Dean Leite said. “We are proud to highlight 40 years of our college’s exceptional education and service; we thank those who have influenced the expansion of our academic footprint to all 50 states and we celebrate years of faculty research that continues to meaningfully impact the world.”