Craig Parks has been named associate vice president for health sciences academic programs and policy within Washington State University Health Sciences, effective Sept. 1. He will retain his current role as vice provost for system innovation and policy on a part-time basis until Jan. 1, 2023, as well as continue to act as the university’s accreditation liaison officer (ALO) in the Provost’s Office on a part-time basis.
“Dr. Parks is an accomplished institutional leader with a heart for the health sciences and growing academic programs,” said Daryll DeWald, vice president for WSU Health Sciences and chancellor for WSU Spokane. “His expertise is vital to our health sciences colleges’ successful accreditation processes. I look forward to working with him as we continue our collective vision for expanding WSU Health Sciences across Washington State.”
Parks arrived at WSU in 1993 as a visiting faculty member in the Department of Psychology, where he later received a permanent appointment. He joined the Office of the Provost in 2015 and has been serving as the vice provost for system innovation and policy since 2019, where he supports academic initiatives across the WSU system and oversees federal and state academic policy. In his new role, Parks will be responsible for supporting academic program development as well as the accreditation processes for the colleges of Nursing, Medicine, and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Parks received his doctorate and master’s degrees in psychology from the University of Illinois Urban-Champaign and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Prior to arriving at WSU, Parks was an assistant professor at Siena College. He has also served as a visiting scholar at Michigan State and Purdue University.
“With nearly 30 years of service to the institution, I am grateful for Dr. Parks’ continued dedication to WSU,” said Elizabeth Chilton, provost and executive vice president for WSU and chancellor for WSU Pullman. “His demonstrated leadership and commitment to the success of our colleges and campuses embodies our institutional mission of service to society.”
