Greetings and warm holiday wishes from the FSU College of Health and Human Sciences!
Exactly 20 years ago this fall, I began serving as an academic advisor in the College of Health and Human Sciences while I was pursuing my doctorate degree at FSU. My two years on staff in the College of Health and Human Sciences had a major impact on how I view higher education today. Academic advisors are at the nexus of faculty, staff, and students, and they have a remarkable view of how multiple entities at the university work together to accomplish our important mission. Given this meaningful experience, I was most honored to be asked by Provost Jim Clark to serve as the Interim Dean of CHHS. Though I will never be able to fully repay this College for the impact it has had on me, I pledge to do my very best during my time in this role to advance CHHS and its mission.
Much has changed in CHHS during the past 20 years, including the names of the departments and the college itself, but at its core, CHHS remains a family of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters who are committed to positively influencing the health and development of individuals, families and communities. I had the honor of hosting individual meetings with all 62 of our faculty and staff soon after my return to CHHS, and it is clear that the College is filled with immense talent. We have many active searches underway to add faculty and staff to CHHS, and two of those have already resulted in the additions of Melissa Powell, Communications Manager, and Michelle Frost, Grants Compliance Analyst, to our team.
CHHS is the beneficiary of many positive changes to our facilities and operations. Many renovations are underway to our facilities in the College, and while these enhancements have required our flexibility and patience during the construction process, we have worked hard to ensure these renovations will better meet our current and future needs. In addition to these facility enhancements, we have also been working hard to expand operational support in CHHS. For the current academic year, each CHHS faculty member has received additional research and professional development travel funding. In addition, we have launched the CHHS Catalyst Grant Pilot Program to support faculty who desire to prepare major external grant proposals. Many of these proposals require pilot data to demonstrate proof of concept and/or require extensive proposal preparation, and this program provides tailored support options to faculty who are working toward a major external grant proposal submission during the next 12 months.
I am excited about our recent progress, and I look forward to sharing more news in the future. However, nothing is more exciting for us than to hear good news from our alumni and supporters. I invite you to keep us updated with your successes at healthandhumansciences@fsu.edu so that we can share your good news with others.
In Seminole Spirit,
Damon P.S. Andrew, Ph.D., FNAK, FNAKHE
Interim Dean, FSU College of Health and Human Sciences