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School of Health Sciences Faculty

Welcome! The School of Health Sciences (SHS) at Stephens College is home to exciting undergraduate and graduate programs focused on propelling our students into their futures. We know from long experience our graduates will make their mark on this world by making a difference in their communities.

The talented faculty and staff in our school are dedicated to the success of their students, are committed to providing the highest quality education, and are compassionate leaders in their disciplines. We seek to prepare students for fulfilling and thrilling careers in the basic sciences, the health sciences, psychology, equestrian studies, and as the next generation of health care professionals in our physician assistant, nursing, and counseling programs. Our talented team joins health sciences students on whatever journey they imagine for their lives. And the classroom is just the beginning.

We fulfill our mission and commitment to students through intensive, focused study that includes hands-on research, immersive and experiential opportunities, and the application of hard-won knowledge to real world problems

Want to join a tight-knit group of students in an innovative Nursing program that partners with Boone Hospital, includes state-of-the-art simulation, and has a 100% licensing pass rate?
Prefer to pursue a career in scientific or biomedical research in the Life Sciences, or pursue advanced study in our Women in STEM Research program, WiSR, on your way to top-notch medical, veterinary, or graduate schools?
Dedicated to animals and interested in a degree that turns that passion into a career? Then, our Animal Behavior program is for you.
Need to feed your passion for horses and pursue riding or an exciting career in the equine industry via personalized, one-on-one training with our Equestrian faculty and staff at our impressive stables? You’ll be industry-ready if you do.
Are you driven to be a helping professional and assist others as they navigate their lives? If so, consider our graduate Counseling program and select from Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling.
Or, is it the Psychology program where you need to start that journey, or one of the other hundreds of careers in the social sciences?
Think it might be in your future to apply to our competitive Master of Physician Assistant program, where you’ll transform yourself into a clinician with compassion and a leader in your profession? Our 27-month program includes 14 months of clinical training in women’s health, pediatrics, general surgery, & internal, family, behavioral, and emergency medicine.

Whatever your educational mission and professional goals, we can assure you that Stephens’ students don’t sit on the sidelines: they learn, grow, and lead. I invite you to explore all that Stephens College and the School of Health Sciences have to offer and make the time to come visit us.

Michael Barger, Ph.D.
Dean, Women’s College

About The Dean

Before becoming Dean of the Women’s College, which comprises the School of Integrative Studies and the School of Health Sciences at Stephens College, Dr. Michael Barger was Dean of the School of Health Sciences. Dr. Michael Barger earned his B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Parasitology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He completed his Ph.D. at Wake Forest University on the spatial ecology of fish and parasite communities in Appalachian streams. He spent 18 years at Peru State College in Nebraska and one year at Westminster College before coming to Stephens. His research interests include all aspects of the biology of parasitic worms and their hosts. Along with undergraduate student colleagues, his lab has completed major projects such as biodiversity analytics in the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas funded by the National Science Foundation, long-term ecology of creek chub parasites in Nebraska, and taxonomic resolution of acanthocephalan parasites of turtles throughout North America. His current projects include the role of competition in regulating parasite communities, the influence of parasitism on host behavior, and various efforts to elucidate the life cycles of helminth parasites. He enjoys backpacking, fishing, gardening, cooking, reading, writing, and just about anything that keeps him outside and busy.