Each fall, I am reminded of the energy that comes with a new academic year: The excitement of new students beginning their journeys, and the pride in seeing our alumni and faculty continue to make an impact in their professions and communities. This inaugural issue of our Ph.D. Program in Health Related Sciences reflects that momentum.

Our feature story showcases how our program is leading the way in preparing interdisciplinary researcher-scholars equipped to collaborate across fields and address the complex challenges facing health care today. This spirit of connection is at the heart of who we are.

You’ll also meet alums whose work is shaping lives across Virginia and beyond. Annie Rhodes, Ph.D., is transforming dementia care through the Virginia Memory Project, while Megan Crawford, Ph.D., is breaking ground as the first speech-language pathologist to complete our program, advancing research on swallowing disorders. These are just two examples of how our graduates are carrying their training into the world and creating lasting impact.

Without question, our students and alums take their inspiration from our faculty. David Allen, Ph.D., who spends his days as VCU’s deputy chief financial officer, gives back to the program as an award-winning adjunct faculty member teaching a finance course and leading a dissertation seminar.

Finally, we celebrate our most recent graduates, whose dissertation work signals the next wave of innovation in health professions scholarship.

As you read through these stories, I hope you see the same thread of connections – between disciplines, between research and practice, and between our program and the communities we serve.

Stacey Reynolds, Ph.D.
Director, Ph.D. Program in Health Related Sciences