IUP selects leadership for new College of Health Sciences
INDIANA, Pa. — Indiana University of Pennsylvania has selected the interim leadership for its new College of Health Sciences.
Dr. Hilliary Creely, dean of the IUP School of Graduate Studies and Research, has been named interim dean of the College of Health Sciences, and Dr. Lisa Newell, chair of the IUP Department of Psychology, has been named interim associate dean of the College of Health Sciences.
These appointments begin on July 1 and will continue through the 20252026 academic year.
“Dr. Creely and Dr. Newell are strong, experienced, and respected leaders in the university community, known for their commitment to collaboration, who are focused on the success of our students and elevating IUP’s stature,” IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll said. “I am very pleased that they have agreed to serve in these key roles, and I am confident that they have the skills and abilities to develop new and unique opportunities for our students and faculty in the health sciences as part of IUP’s leadership team.”
The College of Health Sciences includes the departments of Allied and Public Health, Nursing, and Psychology and will have close ties to the proposed college medicine.
The new College of Health Sciences was developed following the year-long, university-wide Academic Review and Restructuring process; the new university academic structure goes into effect on July 1.
“While the Academic Review and Restructuring Process includes reconfiguration of some of the colleges and departments, the College of Health Sciences is a new innovation for IUP, designed to advantage our students with more cross-departmental opportunities and to address workforce needs in the health sciences,” IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lara Luetkehans said. “This new college will continue to complement our already strong health sciences programs as well as the proposed college of osteopathic medicine.”
“Dr. Creely and Dr. Newell will provide excellent leadership for this new college, and I appreciate their commitment to this initiative,” she said. “I also thank Dr. Lynanne Black for her outstanding service as interim dean of the College of Health and Human Services. She has done an excellent job in this position and in her leadership role in the Academic Review and Restructuring Process,” Provost Luetkehans said.
Dr. Black will return to of osteopathic her role as a faculty member in the IUP Department of School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology.
Part of the Academic Review and Restructuring Process included finding areas of growth. Nursing (at both the undergraduate and graduate levels), public health, and health services administration were all identified as potential growth areas.
“I have quickly come to deeply respect Dr. Creely and Dr. Newell for their work, their ability to build bridges, and for their innovative thinking,” Dean of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine Dr. Miko Rose said. “Incorporating psychology into the health sciences is an impotent component of taking care of people; having psychology in this new college shows that IUP recognizes this critically important part of addressing health and wellness.”
In addition to her role as interim dean, Dr. Creely will serve as Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, leading the university’s research and innovation area, including supervising the director of research compliance, research support services, the university libraries, and will be the liaison with IUP Research Institute. The responsibilities of the School of Graduate Studies will transition to various academic affairs offices and to individual academic departments as part of the Academic Review and Restructuring process.
Dr. Creely has been at IUP since 2010. Prior to her current position, she held a number of positions in the School of Graduate Studies and Research, including as interim dean, associate dean, and assistant dean.
“This interim role is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” Interim Dean Creely said. “This position allows me to really focus on the health and wellness of our region – one of my ongoing passions – and closely partner with the proposed college of osteopathic medicine,” she said.
Dr. Newell joined the IUP Department of Psychology in 2007 and has held the rank of professor in the department since 2019. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she has served on numerous interdepartmental and university-wide committees, including her current role as the co-chair of the Council of Chairs.
“The new College of Health Sciences, and its collaboration with the proposed college of osteopathic medicine, brings our faculty and students together in new ways with the potential to provide important benefits for our local community,” Dr. Newell said. “I am thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Creely to build this endeavor from the ground up.”