Dr. Dale Scalise-Smith has been named dean of the NKU College of Health Professions. Scalise-Smith currently serves as vice president of the Utica (N.Y.) College School for Online and Extended Studies and External Partnerships. She will begin at NKU Aug. 1.
“I look forward to collaborating with faculty and partners in the healthcare community in transforming health care in the Northern Kentucky region,” she said.
President Geoffrey Mearns said Scalise-Smith will play an important role in the creation of the Health Innovation Center.
“Our center will integrate a broad range of existing and new programs to meet the health and wellness needs of the residents of our region by developing human and knowledge resources concentrated on population health, while also enhancing our programs in individual health, drawing upon analytics, informatics, policy leadership, and the liberal arts,” Mearns said. “Dale will contribute to these efforts, helping us to stimulate behavioral change and promote healthier living.”
In the 2013 United Health Foundation health rankings by state, Kentucky rated 45th in the country in terms of overall health. The Cincinnati metropolitan region is trending better, but the state of Ohio ranked only slightly better than Kentucky. Scalise-Smith will work to expand and enhance the NKU College of Health Professions to meet the needs of the population, shift care toward prevention and champion an integrated approach to healthcare and healthcare education.
Scalise-Smith previously served as vice president for programs and partnerships; dean of the School of Health Professions and Education; interim chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy; coordinator of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, Summer Institute; and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, all at Utica. She is also a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.
She earned a doctor of physical therapy from Utica; a Ph.D. in education and a master’s in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina; and a bachelor’s in physical therapy from Northeastern University.
Scalise-Smith and her husband Christopher have three children, Jillian, Brendan, and Emily; and two grandchildren, Madison and Nixon.
From NKU