James J. McGovern
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James J. McGovern, Ph.D, is serving his tenth year as president of A.T. Still University, which has campuses in Kirksville, Missouri, and Mesa, Arizona. He’s also a professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Community Health, and he is among the few university presidents in the country who continue to teach.
[edit] Biography
In 2003, he co-authored “Your Healer Within: A Unified Field Theory for Healthcare,” with his wife, Rene, an ATSU associate professor of neurobehavioral sciences. The book’s release coincided with a 2,000-square foot traveling ATSU exhibit on wellness featured at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C.
During Dr. McGovern’s tenure, the founding school of osteopathic medicine in Kirksville was elevated to university status and adopted the name A.T. Still University after its founder. The University comprises the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Health Management, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, and the Arizona School of Health Sciences.
Under Dr. McGovern’s leadership, the University established two new graduate schools: the School of Health Management, and the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. Doctorates in audiology and physical therapy were initiated on the Mesa campus. In Kirksville, the A.T. Still Research Institute was created.
Several construction projects also have occurred. The Kirksville campus opened the Senior Living Center, which includes St. Andrew’s apartments and a community center. The facility offers a multi-disciplinary research and treatment center focused on senior wellness.
In addition, the campus has begun construction on the Connell Information Technologies Center, which will include a library, clinical skills lab, and a patient simulation center. In Mesa, a dental clinic enhances students’ skills and reaches undeserved populations.
Since Dr. McGovern assumed the presidency, the University’s endowment has doubled, and the annual amount of research grants has tripled. In all the programs, he has emphasized the interaction of the body, mind, and spirit in healing. He’s also placed a university-wide emphasis on healthy aging and wellness.
Dr. McGovern, a former high school physics teacher, previously served in administrative positions at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio; Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.; the Illinois and Connecticut Boards of Higher Education; and the State University of New York. He is the former director of health finance for the state of Illinois. A New York native, he earned his doctorate degree from the Department of Administrative and Organizational Studies, New York University, in 1973. He holds a master’s degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree from Iona College, both in New York.
Dr. McGovern has received awards and certificates from organizations such as the Virginia Center on Aging, the Virginia Hospital Research and Education Foundation, the University of Chicago Healthcare Institute, Northwestern University Executive Management Institute, the Mercy Health Care Foundation, and the Illinois Association of Retarded Citizens.
He’s a member of numerous professional organizations, including the New York Academy of Sciences, Virginia Academy of Sciences, American College of Healthcare Executives, Association of American Medical Colleges, Group on Institutional Planning, College and University Systems Exchange, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the American Association of University Administrators.
