U of M Announces Director of New Center for Allied Health Programs

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (Sept. 5, 2006) -- Charles Christiansen, Ed.D., will lead the Center for Allied Health Programs at the University of Minnesota beginning December 2006.   This center will work collaboratively with Mayo Clinic and MN State Colleges and Universities, to develop this cornerstone of the growing University presence in Rochester.  The newly created center was developed around an innovative educational platform designed to address the need for allied health professionals statewide.  Christiansen comes to Minnesota with extensive expertise and is nationally recognized for his leadership in the allied health sciences.

“The key to building an effective 21st century health care system is having a well-trained, team-oriented and patient-oriented workforce,” said Christiansen.  “I am thrilled to return to the heartland to work at the University of Minnesota to lead a new center dedicated to this objective.  The Board of Regents, President Bruininks, and the Academic Health Center leadership have shown great vision and wisdom in creating it.”       

A professor and therapist for more than 30 years, Christiansen holds degrees in occupational therapy, counseling psychology and educational administration.  Christiansen has served as the dean of the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Allied Health Sciences since 1993.  He received his Ed.D. from the University of Houston and completed post-doctoral certification at Baylor College of Medicine.  Last September he was named a distinguished alumnus of the School of Medicine at the University of North Dakota.  He was recently named to the Ruth Zemke Lectureship, the highest honor of the Society for the Study of Occupation in the United States.

“Minnesota is fortunate to have attracted Dr. Christiansen to this effort.  He will be instrumental in shaping the future direction of this center in its role as a statewide resource in the allied health sciences,” said Barbara Brandt, Ph.D., assistant vice president for education at the Academic Health Center.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact: Molly Portz, Academic  Health Center, 612-625-2640
Jeny Kertz, Office of Education, 612-624-1923