Commencement/Graduation

Commencement Speaker:

Michele Maiers, DC, PhD, MPH,

Executive Director, Research and Innovation at NWHSU
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Michele’s professional goal is to facilitate the pragmatic use of research to both inform clinical practice and shape public health policy. In her role as Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Northwestern Health Sciences University, Michele leverages high quality research to inform healthcare policy and innovation initiatives on local, regional and national levels. Her own research utilizes mixed methods to inform a rich understanding of non-pharmacological treatment options for spine-related pain and disability, especially among older adults. Michele was also recently appointed Co-Director of the RAND Center for Collaborative Research in Complementary and Integrative Health, where she facilitates research activity both within and across partnering institutions. Michele is a proud graduate of the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Northwestern Health Sciences University (2000). She has also attained a Masters of Public Health with emphasis on administration from the University of Minnesota (2006) and PhD in clinical research and biomechanics from the University of Southern Denmark (2015).

Michele holds several leadership positions in professional associations, including her current role as President of the American Chiropractic Association. Some of her greatest professional satisfaction has come from mentoring students and early career practitioners and building capacity for integrative care professions to be at the leading edge of healthcare transformation. In her personal life Michele enjoys running, baking pies, and keeping up with two young sons.

Student Speakers:

To Be Announced