CHHS Spotlight: 3 Questions With 3 New Chairs

A bustling campus and (slightly) cooler temps mean fall is on its way.

So before the leaves begin their chlorophyllic metamorphosis, we also caught up with three CHHS faculty members stepping into new chair roles to get their take on the road ahead.

What are your priorities heading into the year?

Erin Seedorf, Dr.P.H. – Department of Health Professions:
We want to center the diversity of our students, the richness of the communities we serve, and the dynamic nature of health and healthcare services. These really are the foundations of our innovation and impact.

Prabhdeep Sandha, Ph.D. – Department of Nutrition:
Our main focus is on student success, specifically on recruitment and retention. We’re launching targeted communication with community colleges, high schools, and internship sites to strengthen the pipeline into our programs, while also supporting students throughout their studies through tutoring, textbook, and laptop rental initiatives.

Marcia Walsh-Aziz, Ph.D. – Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences:
Creating an authentic sense of belonging is really important. Some of the ways we’re doing this is focusing on building community among graduate and undergraduate students, strengthening our clinic’s presence in the community, and preparing for our full accreditation site visit this spring.

What challenges or opportunities do you see ahead?

ES: There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. But while healthcare and public health face funding and equity challenges, these barriers can also serve as catalysts for innovation and community empowerment. I believe we can be the place for that.

PS: Enrollment trends, political shifts, and budget pressures are real challenges. At the same time, they also push us to be innovative in our approach to student support and partnerships.

MWA: Our biggest opportunity is the upcoming accreditation review, which will affirm the high quality of our program and dispel any potential misconceptions. We’re also expanding bilingual programming, alumni engagement, and community partnerships – there’s lots of exciting things happening right now!

What’s one thing about your department you’d like others to know about?

ES: Our faculty are the best – they bring real-world experience that directly connects students with healthcare and public health communities. It’s from this experiential learning, networking, and global opportunities that our students really do become leaders who transform communities.

PS: Our tutoring and student accessibility initiatives stand out as proven success pathways. These programs directly support students in completing their degrees and thriving at MSU Denver, as well as community Changemakers.

MWA: Our graduate program clinic provides no-cost speech and language services to the community via the Bookhardt Family Speech-Language Clinic. It’s mutually beneficial: students gain hands-on experience while community members receive critical support they might not otherwise access.