Dean’s Message

In the last two academic years, which were like none other, faculty, staff, and students in the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) worked together tirelessly to achieve the mission of the college, which is to provide excellence in education for healthcare, wellness, and design professions that foster collaboration, research, and service, thus promoting the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to restore in humanity the image of God. The unprecedented challenges that came our way were met with exceptional creativity. The methods of course delivery, labs and workshops, clinicals and field practica were adapted to meet the constraints imposed by the pandemic. Our alumni played a pivotal role as they rallied together to assist in many ways. Their generous gifts were directed to the CHHS general fund andrews.edu/go/give/health, the new CHHS building fund and the CHHS Dean’s Emergency Scholarship Fund, for needy students andrews.edu/GO/GIVE/COLLHealthESF. Alumni mentored students in their clinicals, internships, field practica, and mission outreach.

The theme of this newsletter is “World changers: one person, one place, one community.” World changers in a changing world is who we are at Andrews University, where students learn in the best way possible how to seek knowledge, affirm faith, and change the world from day one. Our faculty combine rigor and grace; they are grounded in the word of God, and they facilitate the learning of their students with eternity in mind.

Working together, faculty, students, and alumni achieved remarkable results. The following are some of the projects that changed lives at the local, national, and international levels: an architecture design for a children’s village in eSwatini; a life-saving Airstream project; Renaissance Kids, an architecture summer camp for kids; a speech-language pathology clinic serving Parkinson’s patients; nursing students working long hours with patients, many of whom were COVID-19 patients; short videos and broadcasts by PHNW faculty, students, and alumni on lifestyle changes to control chronic diseases and strengthen the immune system; a physical therapy on-campus clinic and local outreach service projects where alumni worked alongside faculty mentoring students; and MLS students and alumni working in the trenches conducting COVID-19 testing and research.

God blessed us beyond measure during the pandemic. I will mention just a few of the blessings that the Lord bestowed on us during the “time of famine in the land”: We continued to grow new programs and at the same time sustain a good financial performance. We received a $3 million endowment for AdventHealth Nursing Endowed Chair and a $2.6 million federal grant. Our alumni held prominent leadership positions both in the US and internationally.

In order to sustain quality and increase enrollment, we need a state-of-art training and learning facility that will enable interprofessional evidence-based education, sustain and expand learning experiences, utilize the most advanced technology to enhance learning, and prepare graduates in interprofessional service. Preliminary planning for a new health professions building that will meet those needs is underway. Donations to the CHHS building are welcome at andrews.edu/GO/GIVE/COLLHealthBldg We are very thankful for the generous gifts we have already received for this project.

I take this opportunity to congratulate our recent graduates. Upon graduation, they immediately joined the workforce where they were much needed to address the needs of people nearby and far away. Because their service, this world is a much better place.

At Andrews University we welcome students from all over the world and know how to make them feel at home in a Christian environment. Our small classroom size and internationally diverse campus, where health and wellness, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship are top priorities, make Andrews University an exceptional place to live and learn.

In this newsletter, you will learn about individual academic programs, major accomplishments of our faculty, students, and alumni, as well as our plans and goals for the future. We welcome your feedback and solicit your prayers and support.

Emmanuel Rudatsikira, MD, DrPH

Emmanuel Rudatsikira, MD, PhD