Dr. Sathees Chandra Joins SMU as the New Dean for the College of Health Sciences
Samuel Merritt University announces the appointment of Dr. Sathees Chandra as Dean for the College of Health Sciences, effective January 6th, 2025. In this role Dean Chandra will lead strategic planning, academic excellence, community engagement and fundraising for the college.
A scientist, researcher, administrator and mentor, Dr. Chandra brings a wealth of knowledge and more than two decades of academic experience as well as steadfast commitment to preparing the future healthcare leaders. He currently serves as the Associate Dean for the College of Health and Wellness (CHW) at Barry University, Miami, where he provides administrative leadership to an array of healthcare programs. Dr. Chandra previously served as the Director for the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program at Barry University for more than 6 years. Under his leadership, the BMS graduate program maintained top rankings as one of the best specialized graduate biomedical science programs in the nation. In addition, he developed a great working relationship with many medical and dental schools throughout the country leading a significant number of BMS graduates to matriculate at top-tier medical and dental schools.
“I am honored and thrilled to join Samuel Merritt University’s College of Health Sciences as a Dean,” said Dr. Chandra. “In the current healthcare environment, I believe that it is our duty to develop competent and compassionate healthcare professionals who can use their skills and lived experiences to transform the experience of care. I eagerly look forward to working collaboratively with faculty, students, and the community to enhance health education”.
A lifelong learner, Dr. Chandra got his doctoral degree in Biological Sciences/Genetics from The Ohio State University, Columbus. He holds a Master of Science degree from Wageningen University, Netherlands and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India. “SMU is ideally located in the Bay Area offering exciting and much needed health care programs and currently it is in its growth phase. I believe that SMU is the right place for bringing my entrepreneurial approach to academics,” said Dr. Chandra.
Chandra did post-doctoral training at the University of California, Davis. He then joined Roosevelt University in Chicago as a tenured faculty member and served as the Coordinator for the Bioinformatics Graduate Certificate Program for more than a decade. During this time at Roosevelt University, he collaborated extensively with biotech/pharmaceutical industries in the Chicago area as well as medical institutions in India. He also served as Academic Affairs Administrative Fellow in the provost’s office at Roosevelt University. He has an active research interest in Genetics, Bioinformatics and Medical Science (Anesthesiology). He has published over 55 research articles in various biomedical peer-reviewed journals and presented his research at national and international conferences globally.
Samuel Merritt Universities’ College of Health Sciences include Department of Basic Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Department of Physician Assistant, Department of Social Work and partnerships with healthcare providers across California.
