Appointment of Dr. Jack Dennerlein as Dean of the College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
From Dr. Kenneth Lutchen, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer ad interim
Last fall, we launched a national-level search for a new dean of the College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. Given Sargent College’s stature as one of the nation’s premier schools in health science, it was essential that we identify candidates with the dynamic leadership experience and reputation for clinical and scholarly excellence necessary to guide the college forward. We have completed a competitive search process, and after thorough consultation with the search advisory committee, President Brown and I are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jack Dennerlein as the next dean of Sargent College, effective August 1, 2023.
Dr. Dennerlein comes to BU from Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences, where he has been a professor of physical therapy, movement, and rehabilitation sciences since 2012, most recently serving as his department’s interim chair and as program director of its PhD and MS programs in human movement and rehabilitation sciences. Dr. Dennerlein has spent over two decades as an internationally respected scholar, researcher, and innovator in the field of occupational safety and health – primarily in ergonomics, where his federally-funded research investigates interventions to improve worker safety, health, and well-being. These interventions include how the design of human computer interaction devices affects posture and muscle efforts related to injury risk factors and through worksite programs how changing the conditions of work (physical, psychosocial, and organizational factors) improve the safety climate and health of construction, healthcare, and transportation workers. His research has also focused on the development and use of wearable sensor technology to measure injury risk factors. Supported by ongoing grants from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario, his recent research applies implementation science approaches to translate findings from these interventions into practice. In addition, he is contributing to the development of research priorities examining the impact of artificial intelligence in the workplace on worker safety, health, and well-being. Prior to joining Northeastern in 2012, Dr. Dennerlein spent 13 years as a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he led the Occupational Injury Prevention Research Training Program.
Dr. Dennerlein has been an active leader and contributor in the development of NIOSH’s Total Worker Health Program, which NIOSH defines as policies, programs, and practices that integrate safety protection and health promotion efforts to create safe and healthy workplace environments that advance worker well-being. He is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, a member of the International Commission of Occupational Health, and a founding member of the Society for Total Worker Health™. He has published numerous books, book chapters, and journal articles on occupational safety and ergonomics, is on the editorial boards of top field publications including Human Movement Science, Applied Ergonomics, and Safety Science, served on committees of the National Academies, and is on the scientific advisory boards for industry groups and government agencies devoted to occupational safety and health. Dr. Dennerlein’s academic background is in mechanical engineering, and he holds a PhD from University of California, Berkeley, an SM from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a BS from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. He completed postdoctoral training at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Through extensive conversations with him about his vision and ambitions for Sargent College, it became clear that Dr. Dennerlein’s research credentials, demonstrated leadership in engaging and motivating diverse teams, and exceptional ability to develop new interdisciplinary programs and connect personally with research-active and clinical faculty, students, and staff were an ideal match for our needs at Sargent. He officially begins his duties on August 1, 2023, and also holds a faculty appointment as professor of physical therapy.
I’d like to express my gratitude to the members of the dean search advisory committee (listed below), to the members of the University Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee, and to the Sargent College community for their assistance throughout this process. I would like to also give special thanks to Dean Christopher Moore for his continued service over these last several months and for his efforts in helping to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.
I hope you will join me in welcoming Jack Dennerlein to Boston University.
Search Advisory Committee for the Dean of the College
of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Chair:
John White, Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Members:
David Chard, Dean, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Terry Ellis, Associate Professor and Chair of Physical Therapy, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Jana Iverson, Associate Dean for Research; Professor of Physical Therapy, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Christopher Robertson, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives; N. Neal Pike Scholar in Health & Disability Law; Professor of Law, School of Law; Professor of Health Law, Policy & Management, School of Public Health
Emily Rothman, Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Leslie Will, Anthony A. Gianelly Professor and Chair of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Ziming Xuan, Professor of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health
Staff Liaison:
Gina Ford, Project Manager, Office of the Provost