Associate Dean to Lead College of Health and Human Services

Associate Dean to Lead College of Health and Human Services

Dr. John M. Laux, senior associate dean of academic affairs, has been named interim dean of the College of Health and Human Services at The University of Toledo.

Laux will lead the college effective June 1. He succeeds Dr. Mark Merrick, who has served as the college dean since 2020 and recently accepted an offer to become dean of the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

"I want to express my sincere appreciation to Mark for his leadership of HHS," said Dr. Mitchell S. McKinney, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "I am particularly grateful for his steadfast commitment to - and genuine care for - our faculty, staff and students. His thoughtful leadership during a period of transition has positioned the college exceptionally well for continued progress and success in the months and years ahead."

During his tenure, Merrick oversaw the merger of the College of Health and Human Services and the College of Nursing and the launch of the health sciences undergraduate degree program. While at UToledo, he also was selected as a fellow of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions and Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.

Laux will serve as interim dean of the College of Health and Human Services for the next year, as a national search is conducted for the leader of the college.