Solberg named chair of M.L.S. for UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Brooke Solberg, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate program coordinator in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science (M.L.S.) at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS), has been named the new chair of the M.L.S. department. Solberg, who has been with UND since 2007, will assume the position long held by Ruth Paur, Ph.D., on January 1, 2018.

“Dr. Paur established such a strong foundation for M.L.S. at UND over the last several years,” Solberg said. “I am excited for the opportunity to help build upon her success and expand the national reputation this program has earned.”

Among other responsibilities, in her new role Solberg (right) will oversee the department’s budget, program accreditation, curriculum, scholarship, and personnel matters relating to human resources and service. She will also contribute to the mission of the department, School, and University as well as the profession of Medical Laboratory Science, mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students on an ongoing basis. Solberg will report to Tom Mohr, Ph.D., the School’s associate dean for health sciences.

“I know I speak for the other SMHS department chairs when I say that I look forward to collaborating with Dr. Solberg,” added Mohr. “There is a critical need for Medical Laboratory Science graduates nationwide, and our M.L.S. program is poised to play a major role in building the future lab science workforce for North Dakota and the entire country.”

Solberg is an award-winning educator who earned her master’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science in 2007 and doctoral degree in Teaching & Learning in 2011, both from UND. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science, and serves on the North Dakota General Education Council.

In addition to traditional Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree offerings, UND’s M.L.S. program has a cohort program with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and other affiliation agreements with institutions in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Montana. The program has more than 70 clinical affiliates in 15 states and offers programs that issue a bachelor’s degree and certificates in M.L.S. through six different routes of study. The program is one of the largest in the country, typically graduating 90 undergraduate and graduate students each year.

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Brian James Schill
Assistant Director, Office of Alumni & Community Relations
University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
701.777.2733
brian.schill@UND.edu | med.und.edu