Announcing the New Dean of the College of Health Sciences

June 6, 2014

To the JU community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Christine Sapienza as Dean of the College of Health Sciences, effective May 28.

Dr. Sapienza has worked tirelessly to expand the graduate and undergraduate programs at Jacksonville University’s newest college and to help manage completion of its new 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building opening this August. Under her leadership, we have seen our enhanced health sciences programming merge seamlessly under a single college, raising the standing and reputation of the University and the College of Health Sciences in the region.

This appointment represents the University’s intensified commitment to its role as a leader in health care education in the region and to meeting the workforce needs of our partners in the health care industry.

Dr. Sapienza has served JU since July 1 of last year, with roles during that time as Health Sciences Associate Dean, Program Director for Speech-Language Pathology and professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, which she founded.

Prior to coming to Jacksonville University, she served for eight years as chair of the University of Florida’s highly ranked Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Dr. Sapienza is a well-recognized national leader in the speech pathology field and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, as well as numerous book chapters and texts. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation R & D Service and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Thank you to all on the College of Health Sciences faculty and staff for your outstanding spirit of teamwork and collaboration during our period of transition. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Sapienza on her new role. We look forward to continued excellence in our programs and in our reputation under her leadership.

Sincerely,

Tim Cost
President
Jacksonville University
Class of 1981