Trine to dedicate Brooks College of Health Professions on Sept. 27

FORT WAYNE — Trine University will formally dedicate its new Dr. Earl D. and Melanie N. Brooks College of Health Professions (BCHP) facility, located at 12817 Parkview Plaza Drive, Fort Wayne, on Sept. 27.

Developed in close partnership with Parkview Health, the BCHP opened for classes this month, with final work ongoing.

The university’s Board of Trustees voted in May 2023 to name the facility and the academic department it houses in honor of Trine University President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., and his wife Melanie, in recognition of their transformational leadership, commitment to excellence and impact.

“The Brooks College of Health Professions is the most ambitious single building project in the history of Trine University. It’s been very exciting to see this facility take shape, and we’re even more excited to share it with our students and the Greater Fort Wayne community,” Dr. Brooks said.

“Melanie and I are honored and humbled to be recognized in this way, and proud to be connected with a project that will greatly impact Trine students, the community and the regional economy for many years to come.”

Largest in Trine history

Featuring 110,000 square feet of space, the BCHP is by far the largest building project in Trine University’s history.

It offers state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories and features, in partnership with the Parkview Mirro Center, an innovative Simulated Patient Care Center (SimCenter) including mock surgery and Emergency Room suites and exam and patient rooms.

Parkview will use the SimCenter and other facilities in the BCHP for training its staff.

“We’ve been proud to partner with Trine University for more than a decade to help the university produce healthcare professionals who benefit from the quality education Trine offers,” said Rick Henvey, CEO of Parkview Health and a member of Trine University’s Board of Trustees. “With the Brooks College of Health Professions, we not only are helping Trine continue to expand its programs, we’re providing another state-of-the-art avenue of training for our dedicated professionals at Parkview.”

“We look forward to continuing to partner with Trine to meet healthcare needs, produce well-trained medical professionals and improve the quality of life overall in this region.”

The building also contains ample resources for student support, including a library, gathering area, academic support and counseling services.

The new $42.5 million facility, which eventually will employ 100 faculty and staff and serve nearly 700 students, is home to Trine’s programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy and surgical technology. Additional degree programs are planned.

BCHP programs offer opportunities for health sciences students on Trine’s Angola campus to continue on to graduate school and health professions careers. Several programs offer 3+3 options, which allow Trine students to count their first year of graduate classes toward their undergraduate degree.

Experienced health educator

Lisa Clemens, DMSc, PA-C, a longtime medical professional with extensive ties to health education and the Fort Wayne area, serves as dean for the Dr. Earl D. and Melanie N. Brooks College of Health Professions.

A New Haven High School graduate, Clemens worked for Parkview Health as a physician assistant for more than a decade before joining Trine.

She also served Parkview as director of provider professional development and director of simulation education. In that role, she led the provider educator and simulation educator teams, performing professional development and onboarding needs assessments for Parkview service lines and external customers. She also planned and executed professional development courses and events for physicians and advanced practice providers and oversaw the accreditation and research endeavors of the accredited education institute at the Parkview Mirro Center.

She holds a Doctor of Medical Science with a specialization in education from A.T. Still University, a Master of Science in physician assistant studies and an Associate of Science in biology from the University of St. Francis, and certificate in designing and implementing simulation-based mastery learning curricula from Northwestern University.

Health education history, future

The Brooks College of Health Professions began with the university’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, which launched in fall 2014 on the campus of Parkview Randallia Hospital. As Trine added additional academic programs, a larger space was needed.

Trine University purchased an additional 43 acres of land from Parkview Health in September 2023 to continue to grow its health professions programs.