Janelle Chiasera, Ph.D., will find the School of Health Sciences in very stable condition when she becomes the new dean on Sept. 16.

Chiasera will replace Dr. William Kohlhepp, who announced last year that he would step down as dean and return to the faculty in the physician assistant program this fall. Kohlhepp served as dean since 2015.

[media-credit name=”Quinnipiac University” align=”alignright” width=”235″][/media-credit]Fortunately, Chiasera will join an esteemed school. Quinnipiac’s physician assistant program is ranked No. 15 in America and number one in Connecticut, according to US News and World Report. Additionally, 96.4% of graduates from the School of Health Sciences are employed or in graduate school six months after graduation, according to qu.edu.

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Chiasera served as senior executive associate dean for the School of Health Professions, according to a press release from Interim Vice President Jennifer Brown.

“Dr. Chiasera has had a very distinguished career at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in higher education,” Brown stated in the press release. “In addition to her current role, her impressive record of accomplishments at UAB includes serving as chair of the department of clinical and diagnostic sciences and as program director of the clinical laboratory science program.”

Additionally, Chiasera also led significant changes at UAB such as the implementation of international education programs, the development of many undergraduate and graduate programs such as biomedical sciences and exponential growth in programs and enrollment, according to the press release.

Chiasera currently serves as a regional director for the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS). As an active member of American Council on Education (ACE), she advocates for women leaders in education.

“[Chiasera] serv[es] as state chair for the Alabama Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education, an organization dedicated to the professional growth and development of women leaders at all levels in higher education institutions,” Brown stated in the press release.

Additionally, she has been published widely on both clinical chemistry and leadership. She received recommendations for her teaching and scholarship including an Ohio State outstanding teacher award in 2005.

“We look forward to the many ways that she will enhance our work in the School of Health Sciences,” Brown stated.