Emporia State has begun narrowing its search for the Dean of the School of Applied Health Sciences with campus open forums for each candidate. Thomas Bertoncino out of the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. is one of three considerations for the role. Currently, Paul Leubbers, a professor of health, physical education, and recreation at ESU, serves as the school’s interim dean.
Bertoncino currently serves as Saint Mary’s chair of the Health Sciences Division There, he manages the school’s healthcare education programs and works with fellow administrators to push new initiatives and programs that further develop the division. His department serves approximately 300 full-time students in the fields of exercise science, athletic training, occupational therapy and physical therapy. According to his resume, he is “a relationship-driven administrator” with over 25 years of experience in educational leadership, and he describes himself as an “innovative” and “proactive” leader.
Bertoncino began his career as a clinical practitioner of athletic training in 1989, when he began providing in-season and out-of-season rehabilitation and treatment for NCAA Division II athletes as an intern. He then spent two years assisting with pre-practice and pregame treatment of the Kansas City Chiefs as part of an athletic training fellowship. As a certified athletic trainer, Bertoncino has cared for patients in a Kansas City high school, a rehabilitation corporation, and served as head athletic trainer at Park University in Missouri before transitioning to primarily educational and administrative positions.
Bertoncino has directly educated college students for decades according to his detailed work experience. He began as an adjunct instructor for athletic training courses for Park University in 1998, becoming a clinical instructor and assistant professor at the college two years later. During this time, he developed new athletic training courses, learned from healthcare professionals in the Kansas City metro area, and ensured the university’s compliance with the accreditation standards for athletic training. His resume also shows that he personally founded and developed the university’s Department of Athletic Training and its corresponding degree program, reviewing the curricula and assessing data to ensure that courses taught met institutional learning standards.
After receiving his doctorate in higher education policy and leadership from the University of Kansas in 2010, Bertoncino served as associate professor of exercise science at Park and at Saint Mary. He moved to the latter university in 2015, where he also served as program director of athletic training and exercise science and went on to achieve a full professorship and tenure. At Saint Mary, Bertoncino founded and developed the university’s Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, as well as the Master of Science in Athletic Training. He took on the role of chair of the Health Sciences Division in 2018.
Bertoncino is active within his academic community, having reviewed five books related to athletic training and health for publication. He has also analyzed a range of athletic education programs for adherence to institutional standards.
Bertoncino’s full resume can be found here.