At the beginning of this academic year, I shared two letters with the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) community where I reflected on who we are, the challenges we face and the kind of college we should aspire to become together. Those letters were rooted in reflection on courage, compassion, accountability, psychological safety and the importance of building a culture grounded in trust, openness and shared purpose.

As I reflect on the year, I am extremely proud of how our college collaboratively transformed reflection into action. Across MCHHS, faculty, staff, students and community partners all demonstrated what is possible when we move forward together with purpose, commitment and care.

A few highlights

One of the most exciting milestones this year was the opening of the Collaborative Care Clinic. This initiative represents the very best of interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. The clinic clearly reflects a commitment to preparing students for team-based care while also providing meaningful services to the communities we serve. Watching this vision become reality reminds me of what we can achieve when we work together with innovation and a shared mission.

FY 2026 also marked exciting progress at the Alliance for Healthcare Education and the continued growth of nursing education partnerships that are helping address workforce needs across our region. Welcoming the first two cohorts of nursing students represented a significant milestone. These students symbolize not only the future of healthcare in Missouri but also the power of collaboration between education and community healthcare systems. Their success reinforces our commitment to expanding access to healthcare education while preparing compassionate, highly skilled professionals who will serve communities throughout the state.

Additionally, this year brought tremendous success in accreditation efforts. Our programs in anesthesia, audiology, public health and speech-language pathology each completed highly successful accreditation reviews. These accomplishments reflect the dedication, professionalism and tireless work of faculty, staff, students and leadership teams across the college. Accreditation successes like these affirm the quality of our programs and our continued commitment to academic excellence and student success.

Throughout the year, the McQueary Minute highlighted the heart of our college through stories of student achievement, faculty scholarship, innovative teaching, clinical partnerships, outreach efforts and service to communities across Missouri and beyond. These stories consistently reminded me that our work extends far beyond classrooms and clinics. Every interaction, mentorship opportunity, research project and act of service contributes to transforming lives and strengthening communities.

Fostering open communication

In my letters, I also discussed the importance of transparency, dialogue and creating spaces where people feel heard and valued. This year, I have been encouraged by the ways our college community embraced opportunities for collaboration, conversation and relationship building. Whether through formal initiatives or everyday interactions, I have seen people come together with a shared commitment to strengthening our culture and supporting one another.

We saw this spirit reflected in the most attended MCHHS Awards Banquet in college history, where faculty, staff students, and partners gathered to celebrate excellence and community. We saw this when more than 80 MCHHS faculty members attended spring commencement in support of our students and their accomplishments. We saw this at the first ever all college staff retreats, which created meaningful opportunities for collaboration, dialogue and shared problem solving. We saw this as MCHHS faculty and staff collectively welcomed over 1,000 high school students to our spaces, during our monthly Friday high school visits and showcases. To me, it is during moments like these where we clearly demonstrate that our culture continues to grow stronger through shared experiences, recognition and collective pride in one another’s success.

As we prepare for the next academic year, I remain extremely optimistic about the future of MCHHS. The accomplishments we celebrate today are not endpoints … they are foundations for what comes next.

The completion of Phase 2 of Ann Kampeter Health Sciences Hall represents another transformational investment in the future of healthcare education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Next year, we will continue expanding services across our clinics while building upon important milestones, including the 10-year anniversary of the MSU Care Clinic and the 25-year celebration of the Ozarks Public Health Institute. These accomplishments reflect not only our growth as a college, but also our enduring commitment to serving communities, improving health outcomes and creating opportunities for students to learn through meaningful engagement and practice.

Most importantly, this year reaffirmed for me why we do what we do. Education is not only about knowledge. No, education is about people, purpose, compassion and hope grounded in integrity. I passionately believe that MCHHS is a place where we will continue to strive to model collaboration, care and courage in ways that positively impact our students and communities for generations to come.

Thank you for everything you have contributed this year. Because of you, MCHHS continues to demonstrate that education itself can be a living love letter to our students, communities, colleagues and ourselves.

Dr. Mark A. Smith, Dean