November 4, 2026
The Department of Health Sciences at the University of Missouri has announced the appointment of two faculty members to key leadership positions. Molly Vetter Dreier, PhD, MPH, has been named Coordinator of Curriculum and Programmatic Assessment, and Idethia Shevon Harvey, DrPH, has been appointed Vice Chair for Research.
In their new roles, Vetter Dreier and Harvey will help advance the department’s strategic priorities by strengthening academic programs, supporting student success and advancing the department’s research mission.
As coordinator of curriculum and programmatic assessment, Vetter Dreier will provide leadership for the department’s undergraduate academic programs, which enrolled 3,740 students in Fall 2026. She will oversee curriculum development and revision, guide assessment and accreditation efforts, support student success initiatives, and work closely with faculty to ensure programs continue to meet the evolving needs of students and the health care workforce.
Vetter Dreier has taught in the departments of Health Sciences and Public Health since 2015. Her teaching focuses on health policy, community health promotion and behavior change, and she has played an active role in curriculum development at the department, college and university levels through service on multiple academic committees.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Vetter Dreier as our new coordinator of curriculum and programmatic assessment,” said Botswana Toney Blackburn, PhD, department chair. “She brings years of experience in curriculum design and a strong command of assessment, accreditation and data-informed student success strategies. Dr. Vetter Dreier is well positioned to help guide the academic direction of our programs and will be a valuable addition to the department’s leadership team.”
Harvey assumes the newly created role of vice chair for research, which was established to strengthen the department’s research efforts, expand opportunities for scholarly collaboration and support faculty success in securing external funding.
Her research focuses on improving the health of rural adults, particularly in Missouri’s Bootheel region. Through community-engaged research partnerships with MU Extension, community advisory boards and local stakeholders, Harvey works to develop and adapt interventions that improve health outcomes. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the American Academy of Health Behavior and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
In her new role, Harvey will lead efforts to strengthen research capacity, foster interdisciplinary partnerships and support faculty scholarship. She will also mentor junior faculty in research development and grant competitiveness while helping elevate the department’s research visibility and impact.
“Dr. Harvey has earned national recognition for her scholarship and has a deep commitment to mentoring and faculty development,” Blackburn said. “Her experience building collaborative, community-engaged research programs makes her exceptionally well suited to help advance our research mission and support the continued growth of our faculty and students.”
