Teresa Conner

Teresa A. Conner, PhD, PT, MBA, joined North Dakota State University in 2024 as the founding dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. She has over 32 years of experience in higher education and previously served as the inaugural Dean of the College of Health at Idaho State University, Associate Provost of Health Sciences at Radford University-Carilion Clinic, and Dean of the College of Health Professions at the University of North Georgia. Dr. Conner has extensive experience managing multi-site health science programs, developing external partnerships, securing initial program specialty accreditation and launching undergraduate and graduate programs. An expert in institutional accreditation and academic quality, she has served as a SACSCOC site visitor and consulted nationally and internationally as a graduate program reviewer. Her leadership extends to national boards, including past executive board roles with the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care, the American Board of Wound Management, and the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP). Dr. Conner has also served as a special project consultant for major wound care companies, developed preclinical and clinical trials for wound care technology, and traveled to Italy as a Wound Care Ambassador for the HMP-ConvaTec international educational outreach program. She holds a patent on a pressure ulcer simulator and has secured funding from federal agencies and private foundations to study skin tissue biomechanics, the effects of low-frequency ultrasound on wound healing, and virtual simulation technologies in healthcare education. Currently, her work is funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust to develop a diagnostic medical ultrasound educational program supporting rural health.