Seton Hall University has appointed Dr. Jayne Brandel, a highly accomplished clinician, higher education administrator, and speech-language pathology scholar, as the new Dean of the School of Health and Medical Sciences. The appointment is officially effective July 1, ahead of the upcoming academic year.
Brandel steps into the leadership role with an established track record of growing graduate enrollment, streamlining health care curricula, and securing substantial research funding. Over the past decade, her academic and clinical research initiatives have garnered more than $1.8 million in competitive grant funding.
“Seton Hall’s sterling reputation in the health and medical sciences speaks for itself,” Brandel said. “I am thrilled to lead the school at a time when the need for well-trained healthcare practitioners is growing. We will meet this need with graduates whose comprehensive knowledge and expansive training place them among the nation’s best.”
Brandel joins Seton Hall from West Virginia University (WVU), where she has served since 2016. At WVU, she made significant administrative waves as the inaugural Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs within the School of Medicine’s Health Professions division, while concurrently serving as the Chair of the Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
During her tenure at WVU, Brandel oversaw two major accredited clinical programs: the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (M.S. SLP) and the Doctor of Audiology (AuD).
Her $1.8 million in research and programmatic funding since 2016 was primarily awarded by the West Virginia Department of Education to advance speech-language development and clinical training. Before her time at WVU, Brandel served as the chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
Brandel earned her entire academic pedigree at the University of Kansas, completing her bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Hearing, followed by both her master’s degree and her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology.
“The health sciences are constantly evolving to better meet the needs of patients,” Erik Lillquist, interim provost and executive vice president at Seton Hall said. “With Dean Brandel leading the School, I am confident our students will be exceptionally prepared to meet and exceed the demands of today’s fast-moving health care fields.”
