College of Education and Health Professions Adds Dynamic Leaders to Executive Team

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The College of Education and Health Professions Executive Leadership Team. Top, from left: Matthew Ganio, Michelle Gray, Marilou Shreve, Harry Patrinos. Middle, from left: Michael Hevel, Suzanne Kucharczyk, Steven Wheeler. Bottom, from left: Kay Brusca, Paul Calleja, Kate Mamiseishvili, Kristin Higgins.

The College of Education and Health Professions' executive leadership team is embarking on a new academic year, eager to build upon last year's successes. 

"The college's executive leadership team, made up of individuals who are passionate about our students, faculty and staff, has become even stronger with the addition of several new members," said Dean Kate Mamiseishvili. "I'm looking forward to working with these amazing leaders to continue improving health and education across Arkansas and beyond."

In July, Steven Wheeler assumed the role of head of the Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy. Wheeler is an occupational therapist with 30 years of experience in brain injury-related teaching, research and clinical work. He was previously chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at West Virginia University. Before that, he was a tenured professor and founding director of the occupational therapy program at the University of Cincinnati.

The Department of Education Reform is under new leadership with the addition of Harry Patrinos, who serves as the 21st Century Endowed Chair in Education Policy following a successful career at the World Bank. Patrinos most recently held the role of senior adviser for education and is a renowned scholar. His research has been cited nearly 23,000 times, making him the seventh most cited scholar at the U of A. 

Suzanne Kucharczyk is beginning a five-year term as head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction after serving in an interim role for the past year. Kucharczyk joined the U of A in 2015 as a faculty member in the special education program. She has received several multi-million-dollar grants, most recently a five-year, $6 million ELEVATE grant to assist with transitions to adulthood for youth with disabilities and a $9.9 million STAR grant to help improve the economic self-sufficiency of Arkansas' teens with disabilities.

Marilou Shreve has been appointed interim executive director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing and Boyce W. Billingsley Endowed Chair in Nursing. Shreve joined the U of A in 2012 and has over 25 years of pediatric experience in acute and primary care settings. She specializes in pediatric and adolescent obesity and opened and maintained one of Arkansas' first nurse practitioner-owned clinics. 

Kristin Higgins and Michelle Gray continue to provide steady leadership in their respective roles as heads of the Department of Counseling, Leadership and Research Methods and the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation. Higgins joined the counseling faculty in 2006 and served as program coordinator before being appointed department head. Gray is a professor of exercise science, researching age-related ailments to increase the quality of life among older adults.

The college's associate deans, appointed to five-year terms in 2023, remain fundamental to its success. Paul Calleja continues as associate dean for administration, Matthew Ganio as associate dean for academic and student affairs, and Michael Hevel as associate dean for research, strategy and outreach. Kay Brusca continues to serve the college as the dean's chief of staff and executive assistant.

Dean Kate Mamiseishvili enters her third academic year as dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. She works in collaboration with the executive leadership team to advance the college's WE CARE strategic plan. The plan's three priorities revolve around tangible ways faculty and staff can collaborate within the college and across the state to address complex challenges in education and health.

About the College of Education and Health Professions: The College of Education and Health Professions' six departments prepare students for a range of careers in education and health. In addition to its longstanding role of preparing educators and educational leaders, the college trains nurses, speech-language pathologists, public health specialists, recreation and sports professionals, counselors, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and exercise scientists.