The board of trustees of Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) appoints Steven C. Combs, PhD, as the university’s president and chief executive officer. An experienced leader in academic affairs, administration and teaching, Dr. Combs will preside over MUIH’s future growth as one of the nation’s pioneers at the forefront of integrative medicine. He begins his new role on April 1, 2017.

“Dr. Combs has devoted the majority of his professional life to the field of higher education, with more than 18 years in leadership positions. He has been a lifelong learner, faculty member, researcher, academic administrator, published author and scholarly presenter,” said Adele Wilzack, MS, RN, chair of MUIH’s Board of Trustees. “During Dr. Combs’ exemplary career, his demonstrated successes and chosen priorities are beautifully aligned with the strategic imperatives for MUIH and will serve us well in the coming years. He is the right leader at the right time to help this university fulfill its noble mission.”

Dr. Combs most recently served as provost and executive vice president at Drury University in Springfield, MO, where he oversaw several strategic initiatives designed to advance the university’s offering and operations, including faculty and student recruitment, community engagement and development, the creation of six new academic programs, and the construction of an animation lab and performing arts center, among other facilities. During his tenure, Drury University experienced a rise in both student revenue and enrollment, and it implemented its first salary increase for faculty and staff in eight years.

Before Drury University, Dr. Combs held positions as dean at Hawai?i Pacific University in Honolulu, where he managed a 21% increase in enrollment in just two years, and as founding dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Earlier in his career, he was on the faculty of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA, where he helped expand the number of majors from 80 to 350.

MUIH brings Dr. Combs on at an important time in its 43-year history. The traditional higher education model is rapidly evolving to keep pace with the opportunities technology affords for delivering education, such as online degree programs, and to accommodate the expanding interests of students in more progressive fields of study. MUIH is not only in the process of expanding its programs but is leading innovation in integrative health research and training As such, Dr. Combs will approach his role as both an institutional leader for the MUIH community and as a visionary for the future of integrative health.

“I am honored and humbled by the Board’s faith in me to lead MUIH at this moment in the university’s history. It is clear that I stand today between a vibrant past and a future filled with promise and potential,” said Steven C. Combs, PhD, incoming president and CEO of MUIH. “I was immediately drawn to the bold vision of the university to promote a new kind of healthcare and progressive educational programs in natural medicine. Even more, in this new role, I actually see how my professional work and life’s work can come together in service to MUIH. I am fully committed to leading the university to maximize its ability to shape the landscape of healthcare for future generations.”

Dr. Combs succeeds MUIH’s second President and CEO Frank Vitale who presided over several major milestones including earning the approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to offer three professional doctoral degrees in acupuncture, Oriental medicine and clinical nutrition in January 2015. MUIH’s first class of doctoral students will graduate in June 2017.

The selection process for president began in September 2016 when MUIH launched a search committee led by Dr. Anne Lin, a member of MUIH’s Board of Trustees and a founding dean and professor at the School of Pharmacy at Notre Dame of Maryland University. In January 2017, four finalists were selected and each visited MUIH to meet with students, alumni, faculty, staff and board members. Dr. Combs was appointed president and CEO by the Board in March. For more information about the selection process, visit http://www.muih.edu/about/leadership-faculty-staff/presidential-search.

About Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH)

Maryland University of Integrative Health is one of the nation’s leading academic institutions for natural medicine. For nearly 40 years, MUIH has educated and informed practitioners and leaders in health and wellness through transformative and relationship-centered programs that draw from traditional wisdom and contemporary science. Progressive graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines are offered both on campus and online. In the on-campus Natural Care Center and community outreach settings, MUIH provides compassionate and affordable healthcare from student interns and professional practitioners, and delivers more than 30,000 clinical treatments and consultations each year. For staff and faculty, MUIH offers a collaborative and vibrant work environment that is mission and values-driven. For more, please visit www.muih.edu