3:04 p.m., May 12, 2009----Kathleen S. Matt, associate vice president for biomedical affairs and clinical partnerships at Arizona State University, has been named dean of the College of Health Sciences and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at the University of Delaware, Provost Dan Rich has announced. Her appointment is effective July 1.

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In her current position at ASU, Matt serves as a liaison between the university and various community partners in facilitating clinical collaboration and innovation. In addition, she is the Franca G. Oreffice Dean's Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology at ASU and a professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, in partnership with ASU.

Matt, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from UD, received her Ph.D. in endocrine physiology from the University of Washington, Seattle. Her research, which focuses on the effects of stress, diet, aging, and exercise on the neuroendocrine system, has been funded by the National
Institutes of Health, the National Arthritis Foundation, NASA, and the Arizona Center for Disease Control.

From 1998-99, Matt served as an Endocrine Society Health Policy Fellow for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in the office of the committee chair, Senator James Jeffords (1998-1999). In that position she was instrumental in writing and introducing the Medicare Wellness Act and the Patch Act, a home health bill.

“I am honored and excited to be appointed as dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware,” Matt said. “The college is composed of a variety of fine programs covering a range of professional, research, and academic disciplines across healthcare. I look forward to expanding and strengthening linkages established through the Delaware Health Sciences Alliance, as well as to enhancing the clinical partnership programs and thereby greatly accelerating the speed of translation from discovery to practice. ”

“The possibilities and the opportunities to make a difference at UD, in Delaware, and in changing healthcare excite me,” she continued. “The sky is the limit. President Harker has set an exciting agenda with the Path to Prominence, and I look forward to leading the College of Health Sciences in achieving our goals as a part of the plan. The college is poised for great things. The future of healthcare lies in creating strong interdisciplinary teams that can work with individuals to help guide them in building and maintaining their health.”

“Kathy is a highly accomplished scholar and experienced academic leader,” Rich said, “and she has a documented record of success in the development of large-scale clinical partnerships. President Harker, Tom Apple, and I are confident that the College of Health Sciences will prosper under her leadership, and we look forward to working with her to generate even higher levels of accomplishment in the future.”

Apple, who is currently dean of the College of Arts and Sciences but will assume the position of Provost on July 1, referred to Matt as “a great addition to the University of Delaware.”

“A UD alumna, she returns to Delaware with a very distinguished record of scholarship and teaching,” he said. “Her administrative accomplishments are remarkable and include the formation of research and clinical partnerships. Her expertise will be crucial as we forge ahead on the Path to Prominence in creating clinical and translational health science initiatives.”

In addition to her service on dozens of professional and academic committees and societies, Matt has done extensive community service, including work for health-related organizations serving women, children, and seniors.

Matt credits UD with providing a strong foundation that has helped her throughout her career. “I had excellent mentors and teachers -- scholars and scientists after whom I have continued to model my career,” she said. “I am a product of the wonderful undergraduate research honors program at UD, and I also studied abroad as an undergraduate.”

“All of these experiences shaped in a very strong way the path I took through academia,” she added. “I am very grateful for all the people who mentored me along the way at UD, and returning here is my chance to give back to an institution that has given me so much.”

The UD College of Health Sciences has 130 faculty and staff members and approximately 1,600 students. The college consists of three departments -- Medical Technology, Physical Therapy, and Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences -- as well as the School of Nursing and the Division of Special Programs. In addition, a number of health sciences faculty participate in the interdisciplinary Biomechanics and Movement Science (BIOMS) program. The college offers nine undergraduate degrees and six graduate degrees with eight different areas of concentration.

Article by Diane Kukich