Dean Bill Farquhar discusses his vision for the College of Health Sciences

Q:  You’ve been dean for 10 months, but you’ve been a part of the College of Health Sciences for more than 20 years — what do you see as the college’s biggest strengths that you hope will continue to thrive under your leadership?

Farquhar: Without question, our people are our greatest strength, year after year. We have curious, engaged students, expert, compassionate faculty, and dedicated, hardworking staff who collectively bolster the college’s positive reputation on campus, throughout Delaware, and across the country. Our people have created innovative learning experiences, engaged in meaningful health and life-enhancing research, and cultivated strong relationships with healthcare providers, laboratories, and other community partners to develop a pipeline of talent. Our people have also played a critical role in elevating several of our programs to national prominence, allowing us to recruit top talent for prospective students and faculty.

Q: With the strength of the people who make up the College of Health Sciences, what are the greatest opportunities you hope to collectively address in the next two to four years?

Farquhar: We know the work we do matters. Our clinical programs produce much-needed healthcare professionals in a variety of specialties and areas of focus; our research programs are cutting-edge, as demonstrated by the numerous externally funded grants we are successfully awarded; and our community clinics support both student training and research while also caring for our neighbors. But there are certainly opportunities to increase community engagement across Delaware and throughout the region. I’d like to see the work of UD’s Partnership for Healthy Communities expand and allow our departments to connect with more community-based organizations and state agencies that share an interest in promoting health. I’d also like to see our UD Health clinics increase their capacity to serve more patients and provide the highest level of personalized care close to home. We are devoting a lot of energy towards building the infrastructure needed to support the clinics, and I’m certain our clinics will be even more successful in the future. Also, there are untapped, interdisciplinary funding opportunities associated with research translation and corporate engagement, and our college is well positioned to advance in this space, which fits with University-wide efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among faculty and students.