ISU names Christopher Owens as new associate vice president for health sciences in Pocatello

ISU officials selected Owens, who chairs the Department of Pharmacy Practice, after a national search.

"I am very excited to have been selected for this position and to be able to continue working with the many departments and programs that make up the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences,” Owens said.

“We have a wonderfully committed group of faculty and staff who are dedicated to the students and whose clinical service, community outreach, and research activities are outstanding. It is truly an honor to serve with them in this position," he added. 

Owens assumed his new role Aug. 28. His duties include providing leadership and support for all academic programs within the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, managing the Division’s day-to-day operations on the Pocatello campus, and promoting faculty development and research.

An accomplished researcher and clinician, Owens joined ISU’s College of Pharmacy faculty in 2003. A tenured associate professor, he’s lectured extensively on neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, pain management, alternative and complementary medicine, and health-care ethics. His published work has appeared in peer-reviewed pharmacy and medical journals, including the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, Clinical Therapeutics and the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.

From 2003-08, Owens served as the staff coordinator for the Idaho Drug Utilization Review  project, which conducted educational interventions and collected and analyzed drug use data for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Owens, who spent eight years in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a hospital corpsman, holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a master’s degree in public health from ISU and a bachelor’s degree in German with a minor in philosophy from Utah State University.

"Dr. Owens brings a tremendous understanding of interdisciplinary practice and teaching as well as knowledge of ISU to this new role. We're fortunate to have him on board," said Dr. Rex Force, ISU’s vice president for health science.