Jacksonville University named Christine Sapienza its senior vice president of academic affairs and provost, the chief academic officer of the university.
“Dr. Sapienza has been a creative and passionate advocate for the outstanding work of our talented faculty. Her consistent orientation toward partnership, progress and innovation will serve us well in achieving our institutional ambitions in the years ahead,” said JU President Tim Cost in a news release.
Sapienza joined JU as associate dean in 2013 and has served as interim provost since May 2018.
In six years at JU, Sapienza has developed industry and community partnerships and launched an undergraduate and graduate academic program in communication sciences and disorders.
She also led the effort to establish the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences. It is the fastest-growing college at JU and secured research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Before coming to JU, Sapienza taught for 20 years at the University of Florida for 20 years, including eight years serving as chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
She has a Ph.D. in speech science from the University at Buffalo, as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in communication sciences. Her areas of specialization include voice, respiratory muscle strength training, swallow function and neurodegenerative diseases.