Message From the Executive Dean

Welcome to the College of Health Professions at Pacific University’s campus in Hillsboro, Oregon.    

The College of Health Professions began in Forest Grove, Oregon, in 2004, when Pacific University’s schools of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Graduate (formerly Professional) Psychology joined together in a collaboration intended to provide health professions students with a premier education in integrated, team-based healthcare.

Since we opened the Hillsboro Health Professions Campus in 2006, we have many successes to celebrate. We have grown to include eight schools, adding the schools of Audiology, Dental Hygiene Studies, Healthcare Administration and Leadership, and Pharmacy. We have also expanded our offerings to include an undergraduate pre-health professions program, post-professional graduate certificates, internships and fellowships in areas of specialized practice, and post-professional continuing education for the maintenance of professional licensure. We now have master’s, doctoral, and PhD degree programs that emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion, immersive scholarship, service, and research, and academic leadership. Our reputation and influence are growing through the outstanding scholarship and advocacy of our distinguished faculty and staff.

The faculty and staff of the College of Health Professions mentor and inspire our students to think, care, create, and pursue justice in our world. We do this by preparing the next generation of leaders to practice innovative, evidence-based healthcare for our diverse global community. Our students are fully engaged throughout the learning process in their in-person and virtual classrooms, through interprofessional patient scenarios in our simulation facility, in our clinics and research labs, and in community outreach and advocacy.

We are committed to strong academic programs leading to licensure in healthcare practice at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We are dedicated to preparing students for contemporary healthcare practice, including an interprofessional, team-based approach to person-centered care, and we join with community partners in downtown Hillsboro’s Health and Education District to provide our students with rich educational and practical experiences.

I hope you will explore our website to discover your future path in healthcare. On our main webpage, you will find our recent State of the College Report and our year-by-year College of Health Professions Curriculum Vitae, which showcase the considerable accomplishments of our esteemed students, faculty, and staff.

As we mark the many achievements of our almost twenty years in Hillsboro, we look forward to an even brighter future in the College of Health Professions.

Mary E. Von, DHEd, PA-C, DFAAPA
Vice Provost and Executive Dean
College of Health Professions