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President's office

Candid ATSUs President, Dr. Craig Phelps. Welcome to A.T. Still University of Health Sciences!

Since joining the ATSU family more than 30 years ago, I am proud to have witnessed my alma mater transform from the founding school of osteopathic medicine, established in 1892, to a leading health sciences university that today spans two campuses and online. This growth is a testament to the University’s commitment not only to our osteopathic heritage, but also to educating our students to become tomorrow’s healthcare leaders.

Supporting ATSU’s legacy is an inclusive campus community that is student-centered and service-focused. Our dedicated faculty and staff, along with supportive alumni, ensure students are actively engaged in their studies and have the resources, knowledge, and experience necessary to succeed. Innovative programs and state-of-the-art technology optimize learning and keep our students current with trends in healthcare. Furthermore, the University fosters an environment that values differences, encourages collaboration, and promotes a well-rounded and healthy lifestyle.

Please explore our website to learn more about ATSU and how we are preparing our students to become the next generation of healthcare leaders and professionals.

Yours in service,

Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84
President
Phone: 660.626.2391

Learn more about President Phelps

Office Staff +
- Norine Eitel, MBA
  Assistant to the President, Secretary to the Board
  
  Phone: 660.626.2391
  Email: neitel@atsu.edu
  
  Norine Eitel, MBA, serves as assistant to the president, secretary to the board, and University liaison to the Higher Learning Commission. Employed with the University since 1984, Eitel worked in human resources and sponsored programs prior to her appointment to the president’s staff. In 2009, she was awarded KOAA honorary membership.
  
  Eitel received a certificate and two undergraduate degrees from Truman State University and her master’s degree from William Woods University. Eitel served four terms on the La Plata R-II school board.
  
  Amanda Anders
  Senior Executive Assistant
  
  Phone: 660.626.2391
  Email: amandaanders@atsu.edu
  
  Lindsey Blake
  Executive Assistant
  
  Phone: 660.626.2880
  Email: lindseyblake@atsu.edu
  
  Cynthia (Cindy) Kaye
  Senior Executive Assistant
  
  Phone: 480.219.6010
  Email: ckaye@atsu.edu

President's cabinet +
- Bob Behnen, MBA
  Interim Vice President for University Advancement
  
  Phone: 660.626.2395
  Email: rbehnen@atsu.edu
  
  Bob Behnen, MBA, is ATSU’s interim vice president of university advancement. In this role, Behnen oversees University development, alumni relations, and the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine. He has a master of business administration degree from William Woods University and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri.
  
  Behnen previously served as ATSU’s associate vice president of university advancement since November 2016, as well as director of development since January 2007, and as assistant director of development from 1997-2000. In the intervening years, Behnen was elected to and served northeast Missouri residents as a member of the Missouri State House of Representatives. While in the House, he chaired the Licensing & Registration committee and worked to establish the Missouri Rural Enterprise and Innovation Center (MERIC), which promotes new technologies and businesses in rural parts of the state. Behnen has served on the MERIC board since 2007, and is currently board president.
  
  Behnen has been involved with several successful fundraising campaigns at ATSU, including projects for the Thompson Campus Center, Connell Information Technologies Center, and renovation of the Centennial Park clock. He has been honored by the Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association with the Distinguished Service Award (2013) and Honorary Member Award (2018).
  
  Gary Cloud, PhD
  Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
  
  Phone: 480.219.6013
  Email: gcloud@atsu.edu
  
  Gary Cloud, PhD, is vice president for strategic partnerships at A.T. Still University. Dr. Cloud earned his doctorate in philosophy with an emphasis on ethics and health policy as well as his bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis on personnel and health administration from Arizona State University. He completed his master of business administration with an emphasis on health administration from University of Phoenix.
  
  Dr. Cloud oversaw construction of the Mesa, Ariz., campus and the surrounding Health and Technology Park that houses the ATSU-Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health community clinic and one of the Valley’s newest YMCAs. He also helped initiate efforts to design and establish ATSU’s Arizona-based dental and medical schools and the National Center for American Indian Health Professions.
  
  Having written on several topics, including federally qualified health center tort and community health center finance, Dr. Cloud has presented on graduate health professions opportunities for children from underserved communities, key theories for the community health center movement, population-based health promotion, and innovative learning models at ATSU.
  
  Dr. Cloud has served on Health Resources and Services Administration grant review teams, the board of the Western Clinician’s Network, and advisory councils for the Bureau of Primary Health Care and the National Association of Community Health Centers’ National Health Service Corps. Currently, he serves on the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Educational Health Center Task Force and the board for Adelante Healthcare.
  
  Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA
  Chair, University Faculty Senate
  
  Phone: 480.219.6009
  Email: rdanielsen@atsu.edu
  
  Norine Eitel, MBA
  Assistant to the President, Secretary to the Board
  
  Phone: 660.626.2391
  Email: neitel@atsu.edu
  
  Norine Eitel, MBA, serves as assistant to the president, secretary to the board, and University liaison to the Higher Learning Commission. Employed with the University since 1984, Eitel worked in human resources and sponsored programs prior to her appointment to the president’s staff. In 2009, she was awarded KOAA honorary membership.
  
  Eitel received a certificate and two undergraduate degrees from Truman State University and her master’s degree from William Woods University. Eitel served four terms on the La Plata R-II school board.
  
  Dana Funderburk, CPA, MBA
  Vice President for Finance/CFO
  
  Phone: 660.626.2781
  Email: danafunderburk@atsu.edu
  
  Dana Funderburk, CPA, MBA, joined ATSU in 2016 as associate vice president for finance. With more than 30 years in public accounting, corporate finance, and higher education administration, she will provide leadership and oversight for all aspects of the University's comprehensive financial administration and human resources.
  
  Funderburk earned her bachelor of science in accountancy degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Illinois, and master of business administration degree from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. She is a registered certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Prior to joining ATSU, she served as vice president for finance/CFO at Greenville University in Greenville, Illinois.
  
  Norman Gevitz, PhD
  Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
  
  Phone: 480.219.6111 or 660.626.2726
  Email: ngevitz@atsu.edu
  
  Norman Gevitz, PhD, is A.T. Still University’s senior vice president of academic affairs. Dr. Gevitz earned a BA and an MA in political science from New York University and a PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining ATSU, he was professor of history and sociology of medicine, Department of Family Medicine, at New York Institute of Technology, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he also served as director of the Academic Medicine Scholars program and associate director of the Health Policy Fellowship certificate program.
  
  Dr. Gevitz served as co-director of the undergraduate Rehabilitation Counseling program at the Illinois Institute of Technology and as director of the Medical Humanities program within the Department of Medical Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. He served for 12 years as chair of the Department of Social Medicine at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
  
  Dr. Gevitz is the author of the book “The DOs: Osteopathic Medicine in America,” published by John Hopkins University Press. He is the editor of two other books.
  
  Dr. Gevitz has obtained grants from the National Institutes of Health (Library of Medicine), the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the U.S. Department of Education. He has received seven honorary doctorates and public service awards for his activities related to the osteopathic medical profession.
  
  Dr. Gevitz was named the American Osteopathic Foundation’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The award was established in 2006 to honor an individual who has made significant, fundamental contributions and whose work has had a notable, lasting impact on the osteopathic profession, its principles, and practice.
  
  Lori Haxton, MA
  Vice President for Student Affairs
  
  Phone: 660.626.2236
  Email: lhaxton@atsu.edu
  
  Lori Haxton, MA, is ATSU’s vice president for student affairs overseeing Admissions, Enrollment Services, Learning & Disability Resources, Behavioral Health Wellness Counseling, Wellness Programs, the National Center for American Indian Health Professions, Student On-campus Housing, and Student Life. Employed with the University since 1988, her focus in higher education includes residential life, admissions, alumni services, and student affairs.
  
  Haxton holds a faculty appointment with the ATSU-KCOM Family Medicine department. She is active with numerous University committees and professional organizations and is a faculty adviser for student governance and multiple student organizations.
  
  Haxton was honored with a Distinguished Service Award from ATSU and the Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association (KOAA) and was awarded a KOAA honorary membership. She is also the recipient of the MAOPS Medallion Service Award.
  
  Haxton received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and her master’s degree from Truman State University.
  
  Matthew R. Heeren, JD
  Vice President and General Counsel
  
  Phone: 660.626.2522
  Email: mheeren@atsu.edu
  
  Matthew R. Heeren, JD, received his undergraduate degree from Truman State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Prior to joining A.T. Still University, Mr. Heeren served as general counsel of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and deputy general counsel to the governor of the state of Missouri.
  
  Mr. Heeren has served as vice president since 2008, overseeing legal affairs for A.T. Still University campuses and the Board of Trustees, compliance, risk management, and Missouri and federal legislative affairs.
  
  Mr. Heeren currently serves on the board of directors for the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce and is vice president on the Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc. board of directors. Mr. Heeren supports local youth soccer, coaching several teams in the Northern Missouri Futbol Club.
  
  Bryan Krusniak, MBA
  Vice President of Information Technology
  
  Phone: 660.626.2364
  Email: BKrusniak@atsu.edu
  
  Mr. Krusniak joined the ATSU family in November 1998 as director of information technology and services (ITS). Since 2005, Mr. Krusniak has served as assistant vice president for ITS. Throughout these years, he has developed a team of professionals who has guided the University though significant technology changes and institutional growth. Mr. Krusniak and the ITS team have worked with a variety of vendors to prepare the technology infrastructure necessary for new facilities/services and with students and faculty to integrate iPads into the curriculum of several programs. Mr. Krusniak and the team are increasingly building processes to secure ATSU data and address complex compliance requirements. In addition to his years at ATSU, Mr. Krusniak has worked in the automotive industry and as a management consultant. He has a bachelor of science in engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Krusniak’s experience, commitment to service, and ability to integrate people, technology, and processes will help guide ATSU into a world that continues to blend the human touch with technology.
  
  Clinton J. Normore, MBA
  Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion
  
  Phone: 623.251.4705
  Email: cnormore@atsu.edu
  
  Clinton Normore, MBA, is the Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion. He began as the inaugural director of diversity at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) in September 2013, and was promoted to associate vice president in 2016. Mr. Normore leads a University-wide diversity effort, working with faculty, staff, students, deans, and leadership at the University’s highest levels in support of ATSU’s mission of providing healthcare to the underserved. Mr. Normore was a National Institution on Minority Health Disparities Scholar in 2015. He is a trained Civil Rights Investigator and is a certified Campus Security Authority. Since joining ATSU, Mr. Normore has been instrumental in developing a framework for diversity and a diversity strategic plan. Under his leadership, the University was the first health professions university to receive the coveted Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Since August 2014, he has been a faculty member of ATSU’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, and is currently conducting research on cultural proficiency. He chairs ATSU’s Advisory Council On Diversity, and serves on many University-level committees and task forces. Normore worked at Oklahoma City University from 2001-13, and was a member of the 1988 University of Kansas national championship basketball team. He has also served as a police officer, owned several businesses, taught and coached at the high school level and was an assistant women’s basketball coach for Oklahoma City University’s 2012 national championship team.
  
  Gaylah Sublette, MBA
  Vice President of Research and Sponsored Programs
  
  Phone: 660.626.2860
  Email: gsublette@atsu.edu
  
  Ms. Sublette has more than 30 years of leadership experience in sponsored programs, sponsored research, and research support and development. Ms. Sublette holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Truman State University and an MBA from William Woods University. In her former position as associate vice president, Ms. Sublette established ATSU’s Department of Sponsored Programs while playing a key role in the formation of ATSU’s Department of Research Support, A.T. Still Research Institute, and Interdisciplinary Research Committee. Her areas of proficiency include pre-award development and support, strategic planning, departmental and grant budgeting, subrecipient and contract negotiations, grants and research policies and procedures, grants and research compliance, internal control systems, and cross-functional team engagement. Ms. Sublette has been an active member of the Society for Research Administrators International, National Council of University Research Administrators, and National Grants Management Association. In spring 2019, Ms. Sublette received ATSU’s 2019 Distinguished Service Award for dedication to faculty, staff, and students.
  
  O.T. Wendel, PhD
  Senior Vice President, University Planning & Strategic Initiatives
  
  Phone: 480.219.6011
  Email: twendel@atsu.edu
  
  Ted Wendel, PhD, is the senior vice president for university planning and strategic initiatives at A.T. Still University and is responsible for exploring and developing major projects that will impact the future of the University. Dr. Wendel earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Andrews College in North Carolina and his master’s and doctoral degrees in pharmacology from Wake Forest University.
  
  For five years, Dr. Wendel was on faculty at Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine and published several papers in the area of neuropharmacology. During this time, he worked as a physician assistant (PA) faculty member to begin the second PA program in the United States and published the first comprehensive curriculum for the education of PAs.
  
  Dr. Wendel joined the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) in 1979 before moving to the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) in 1986. While at COMP, he served as an associate professor of pharmacology and an assistant dean of medical education. In 1991, he was promoted to dean of the School of Health Professions at Western University (formerly COMP) and then served as vice president for planning and assessment.
  
  In 1998, Dr. Wendel joined ATSU’s Mesa, Ariz., campus (formerly Southwest Center for Osteopathic Medical Education and Allied Health Sciences) as associate provost and dean of the faculty. Additionally, he held the position of vice president for operations on the Arizona campus prior to his current role.

Past presidents +
- A.T. Still University
  
  2008-2012 W. Jack Magruder, EdD
  
  1997-2008 James J. McGovern, PhD
  
  Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
  
  1996- 1997 Phyllis J. Blondefield, PhD (Interim)
  
  1984- 1996 Fred C. Tinning, PhD
  
  1983-1984 Max T. Gutensohn, DO (Interim)
  
  1973-1983 H. Charles Moore, PhD
  
  1972-1973 Morris R. Thompson, DSc (Hon.)
  
  Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery
  
  Aug 1946-July 1972 Morris R. Thompson, DSc (Hon.)
  
  June 1944-Aug 1946 Morris R Thompson, DSc (Hon.) (Executive Vice President and Acting President)
  
  1926-1943 George M. Laughlin, DO
  
  Combined School (Kirksville Osteopathic College)
  
  1924-1926 George M. Laughlin, DO
  
  A.T. Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery
  
  1922-1924 George M. Laughlin, DO
  
  American School of Osteopathy
  
  1922-1924 Summerfield S. Still, LLM, DO
  
  1919-1922 George Still, MD, DO
  
  1918-1919 George Still, MD, DO (Vice President and Acting President)
  
  1892-1917 Andrew Taylor Still, DO

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A.T. Still University

Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery

Combined School (Kirksville Osteopathic College)

A.T. Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery

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