By ISABEL GERHEIM
Seton Hill University welcomes the new College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences on campus, projected to begin in Fall of 2026.
With significant growth in healthcare profession students including dietetics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, etc., Sister Susan Yochum, provost of Seton Hill stated, “To put them over a larger umbrella as a College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences, gives adequate oversight and guidance.
“As we have had a need to develop larger programs in nursing, this was the right time to make that change,” said Yochum. “There is a trend to do this, to have the health professions together. It puts us out there that we have significant and high quality programs in these fields.”
Yochum explained the importance of interprofessional education and collaborative learning from a variety of professions. “When these folks get into the health care world, they have to collaborate with all professionals. That kind of structure opens lines of communication. This is a win-win for everybody,” Yochum said.
Professor of Chemistry and Dean of the new college, Demetra Czegan, explained that as programs began to join the School of Natural and Health Sciences, the faculty and majors grew larger than other schools at Seton Hill.
“We felt that to sort of give us the space to grow and continue to grow, it made sense to transition from the school to the college,” Czegan said. “This allows us to give more structured support to the health professions and create more opportunities, interprofessional education, and collaboration between the health professions. While staying really connected with the foundation that the health professions build off of natural science.
“One of the things that really separates Seton Hill from other colleges is that our graduate and undergraduate programs in the health professions connect to our mission,” said Czegan. “These programs have their own mission, that in very concrete ways, connect to the mission of the university, the history and the legacy of the Sisters of Charity.”
With the establishment of the new college, Anthony Good, associate dean of nursing and health sciences and associate professor, plans to develop graduate nursing programs for Seton Hill.
“The goal is to have the Family Nurse Practitioner program start January of 2027. It is an evolving process that began when I became a part of the Seton Hill community,” Good said. “Once the programs are developed, I will be overseeing the health science programs.” This will include occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant and dietetics.
Along with Yochum and Czegan, Good touched on the collaboration of health professions and the importance of interdisciplinary education for all of the programs. “This gives all programs a collaborative voice in working together as a healthcare team,”said Good.
“I want the university community and the greater community to know that we have great health science programs here at SHU following the example of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton,” said Good, “I hope this will bring students who wish to transform the world to be a better place and always hazard yet forward by rising to the occasion and not letting anything get in the way of quality patient care.”
Through interdisciplinary education, and new graduate programs, Seton Hill’s new College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences is set to make its name on campus.