Rutgers School of Health Professions: At the Vanguard - Annual Report 2022-2023

MESSAGE FROM THE CHANCELLOR

As the preeminent health professions school in the state, consistently acclaimed among the finest in the country, the School of Health Professions (SHP) assumes a pivotal role in Rutgers Health’s steadfast pursuit of its mission —delivering excep tional health care, education, training, research, and groundbreaking discoveries, both for the people of New Jersey and well beyond Within the pages of this report, entitled “At the Vanguard,” you will discover the ways in which SHP leads the charge in education, research, and service In the wake of the post-COVID era, the demand for mental health practitioners has surged nationwide, and SHP is playing a crucial role in addressing this pressing need within our community Over the past years, SHP has made significant strides by doubling its enroll ment in the master’s program for mental health counseling To further bolster mental health services, the school has partnered with the New Jersey Department of Education, dedicating its efforts to fortify mental health support services in New Jersey schools through the governor’s Enhancing School Mental Health Services Project

Brian L. Strom, M.D., M.P.H. Chancellor Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

SHP remains unwavering in its commitment to meeting the diverse needs of our community across all its programs This year, SHP proudly graduated its inaugural class of speech-language pathologists, adeptly trained to serve a multicultural population We’ve continued to provide health care to underserved regions of the state through free clinics, with the Health Outreach Prac tice Experience Clinic (H O PE ) securing funding to expand its on-site testing capabilities and double its patient care hours by opening for an additional day

The bedrock of our school’s excellence lies in its dedicated faculty This year, we celebrated several national honors bestowed upon our faculty members for their tireless efforts in educating society on critical health issues The 2022–2023 honors include:

• 2022 Clinical or Health Sciences Investigator Award, RBHS Chancellor Awards— Awarded to Weili Lu, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions • Lifetime Achievement Award, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics— Presented to Julie O’Sullivan Maillet, Professor, Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences • Master Faculty Award, Physician Assistant Education Association— Conferred upon Matthew McQuillan, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Physician Assistant Studies and Practice • 2022–2023 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Award, Rutgers University— Acknowledging the dedication of Pamela M Rothpletz-Puglia, Associate Professor and Program Director, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies In addition to our esteemed faculty, it is my pleasure to announce that SHP has welcomed a new dean in October, following an extensive nationwide search Jeffrey DiGiovanni, a distinguished scholar in communications sciences and disorders with sub stantial experience in higher education, joins Rutgers, having served as the acting associate dean of research for the College of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati The growth and development of the School of Health Professions over the past eight years fill us with immense pride The school’s burgeoning national reputation, expanding clinical endeavors, enriched opportunities for faculty development and fulfillment, and an ever-growing body of research all point toward an even brighter future on the horizon

Thank you for your unwavering support as we continue to make strides in healthcare, education, and research that positively impact not only our local community but the broader world as well

ANNUAL REPORT 2022–2023 • 3