After nearly 20 years as Dean of the ETSU College of Public Health, Randy Wykoff announced his retirement, effective at the end of the academic year.
“I’m excited for the future. We’ve got great folks. We’ve got nearly 94 faculty and staff, so one person leaving isn’t going to make that big a difference. I hope [The College of Public Health] continues to grow and impact the region,” said Wykoff.
Wykoff himself has impacted the college in many ways during his time at ETSU. The first health-related degree at ETSU was introduced in the 1930s as a minor in health. The health program continued to expand until a College of Public and Allied Health was created in the 1980s. In 2007, the college split in two, and Wykoff became the founding Dean of the College of Public Health. The ETSU College of Public Health was the 43rd accredited College of Public Health in the country and only the second at a regional university. It is now the largest college of public health in Appalachia and Tennessee.
Wykoff recalls the college’s growth.
“The year we started, we had 345 students and this year we have, I believe, 974,” he said. “We’ve brought in over $50 million in externally funded research since we’ve been accredited, we’ve won a national award for innovative curriculum twice, we’ve won the national award for outstanding community service and our faculty have won the university-wide teaching award five times in the last 15 years.”
Not only has the ETSU College of Public Health experienced growth and praise, but Wykoff himself has also been awarded with high honors. He has received the Surgeon General’s Medallion and in 2022, he was inducted into the Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame. On Feb. 23, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring Wykoff on the occasion of his retirement.
Wykoff also shares advice for the next Dean.
“Trust the faculty and staff. Value the students. My motto is ‘the truth is the truth no matter who speaks it,’ and what that means is anyone may come to you with the best idea…it might come from the president of the university, it might come from an angry parent, you never know. Approach every issue as you want to hear the best idea,” Wykoff said. “I’d Encourage any new dean, not just here, anywhere, not to be in a rush to make changes. Learn what’s going on, learn what works, learn what doesn’t work. Most of the time, people are doing something or not doing something for a reason. Take some time, get to know people, trust people and have a good time.”
ETSU officials stated that a national search will soon be underway for the new Dean for the College of Public Health.
“I’m really proud of all the things the faculty and staff have done, and I am proud of the impact we’ve had in our region,” Wykoff said. “ I am sure it will continue on to grow and become bigger and more effective, and I will be watching from the sidelines.”
