Posted Nov. 21 - I’m grateful this Thanksgiving season for innovation and innovators at Manchester. Several faculty have brought forward or are exploring new curricular ideas this fall:

• Jeff Osborne, associate professor of chemistry, proposed a new major in global health, bringing an interdisciplinary approach to the complex social and medical issues shaping health care around the world.
• Jeff Beer, associate professor of exercise science and athletic training, suggested bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition, noting that nutrition is growing as an area of emphasis in promoting health and well-being.
• Scott DeVries, associate professor of Spanish, and Thelma Rohrer, dean of arts and humanities, are developing a proposal to strengthen our programs in modern languages.
• A committee including Mark Huntington, Jeff Osborne, Kim Duchane, Cheryl Krueckeberg, Jennifer Henriksen, Susan Klein, Raylene Rospond and Whitney Caudill is exploring opportunities in nursing.
• Tommy Smith, dean of pharmacy, and a small working group are examining possible degrees and certificates in precision medicine and bioinformatics, building on our growing program in pharmacogenomics.

All of these are simply ideas at this point, but they reflect a growing energy at Manchester around strengthening our academic programs and extending our mission. Thank you, all, for your passion for Manchester and our students!