Valenta appointed associate dean for health informatics and technology
Dean Toby Tate and the College of Applied Health Sciences are pleased to announce the appointment of Annette Valenta, DPH, as associate dean for health informatics and technology in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences.
Dr. Valenta, professor of health informatics and formerly head of the college’s Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS), comes to this position with extensive experience in synthesizing health informatics endeavors across campus. She helped write the business plan for UIC’s intercollege Institute for Patient Safety, and continues to work with the institute as the expert in informatics information and application.
She also revitalized the college’s VRMedLab (virtual reality in medicine lab), operated in partnership with the College of Engineering's Electronic Visualization Laboratory, by initiating new projects and identifying opportunities for collaboration between the VRMedLab and the Institute for Patient Safety. The collaborative VRMedLab is home to many groundbreaking projects, including the Virtual Eye/Virtual House, winner of the prestigious 2007 Dr. Frank H. Netter Award for Special Contributions to Medical Education.
As head of BHIS, Dr. Valenta produced with her faculty the nation’s first online-only advanced degrees and certificates in health informatics. She also developed the College of Applied Health Sciences’ two joint-degree programs: the MS in health informatics paired with either an MS in nursing administration or a doctor of pharmacy.
“In her role an associate dean, Annette will advance her health informatics initiatives throughout the college, across the campus and into the community,” says Dean Tate. “Her leadership is imperative for UIC to remain at the forefront of healthcare research, education and practice.”
Dr. June Wencel-Drake, the college's executive associate dean, will simultaneously serve as the acting head of BHIS in Dr. Valenta's absence. Dr. Wencel-Drake has a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center (now UIC) and is a tenured professor in the BHIS department.
To contact Dr. Annette Valenta, call (312) 996-6695 or e-mail valenta@uic.edu.
