Skip to main content
MenuSearch & Directory

New Clinical Health Sciences Names its First Department Chair

Amy Harkins, Ph.D., has recently been named the chairperson of the new Department of Clinical Health Sciences, effective July 1, 2017.

The new CHS department is comprised of three previous Doisy College of Health Sciences departments: biomedical laboratory science, health sciences and informatics, and medical imaging and radiation therapeutics.

CHS is a newly formed, dynamic and comprehensive department that will include all of the pre-professional programs offered in the college, as well as the primary programs focused on diagnostics. The following degree programs will be offered by the new department:

Harkins previously served as interim chairperson of the Department of Health Sciences and Informatics for two years and has been a faculty member and researcher at Saint Louis University for more than 15 years. She said she is eager to help guide this new department and ensure a valuable experience for its students.

“My motivation for first serving as interim chair and now as chair of this larger department was to have a greater impact on higher education and programmatic learning than I was able to accomplish solely as a researcher at the lab bench,” Harkins said. “As an administrator, I believe that I am now well-positioned to positively impact undergraduate and graduate students, from developing curriculum to improving degree programs.”

Mardell Wilson, Ed.D., dean of Doisy College of Health Sciences, said she is excited to have Harkins leading the college’s newest department.

“Dr. Harkins brings a diverse and comprehensive set of experiences in higher education to the position,” Wilson said. “I am delighted that she is joining us full-time to work with the faculty, staff and students in defining and advancing this exciting new department.”

No changes will be made to the academic aspects of any the programs in the departments involved in this merger except for the closure of a program that has seen very low enrollment in recent years: cytotechnology. All other programs will remain and the changes will be strictly structural and administrative, allowing the academic and clinical activities to proceed seamlessly.

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of nearly 13,000 students on two campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of nearly 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.