Skip to main content

Christopher W. O'Brien, Ph.D.

Christopher O'Brien, Ph.D.
Dean of Health Sciences
Office of Academic Affairs

Alley Center for Health Sciences 214

Expertise: clinical education, higher education administration

Biography

Christopher W. O'Brien, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, FASAHP, FNAP, has been the inaugural Dean of Health Sciences at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, since 2017. He collaborates with more than 30 faculty in eleven health sciences programs from the baccalaureate to the doctoral level across six disciplines, including the development of innovative programs in exercise science, nursing, nutrition, and occupational therapy and the transition of the athletic training program to the master’s degree level.

Dr. O’Brien is a Distinguished Public Policy Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP) Athletic Training Academy and a Fellow of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP). He is the Chair of ASAHP’s Clinical Education Committee, a peer reviewer for the Journal of Allied Health, and the liaison between the NATA and ASAHP. He is an active volunteer and peer reviewer for the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). He regularly presents and publishes about clinical education across disciplines and relationships between academic programs and industry partners. He is actively involved in more than $4 million of externally awarded grants. He is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

Outside of his professional life, Dr. O’Brien enjoys spending time with his two daughters and volunteering with his parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Peckville, Pennsylvania.

Education

  • B.S., Health Sciences / Athletic Training, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
  • M.S., Athletic Training, California University of Pennsylvania
  • Ph.D., Human Development - Higher Education Administration, Marywood University

Publications

  • O’Brien, C.W. & Novak, R. (2024, June 26). Meeting the Needs of the Healthcare Industry: Preparing New Professionals for Changing Practice. Oral presentation at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, New Orleans, LA.
  • Boyd, A., Dailey, L., McLaughlin, R.J., Breitbach, A.P., O’Brien, C.W., et al. (2023, Winter). Health Professional Perspectives about the Future of Clinical Education: An ASAHP Clinical Education Committee Report. J Allied Health: 52(4), 213E-216E.
  • Knettle, M., O’Sullivan Maillet, J ., O’Brien, C.W., Chew, F., Boyd, A., Dailey, L. (2023, Fall). Making the Evidence-Based Case for Clinical Site Participation in Clinical Education – An ASAHP Clinical Education Committee Project: J Allied Health: 52(3), 157E-161E.
  • Breitbach, A., O’Brien, C.W., & Swann, E. (2023, June 23). Ready for Interprofessional Collaboration? Promoting Dialogue Between Academic/Healthcare Stakeholders to Improve Readiness for Entry-level Practice. Oral presentation at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, Indianapolis, IN.
  • Knettle, M., Boyd, A., Dailey, L., O’Brien, C.W., O’Sullivan Maillet, J., et al. (2022, October). Making the Evidence-Based Case for Clinical Site Participation in Clinical Education. Oral presentation at the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) Annual Conference, “Leading the Charge - Advancing Innovation in Higher Education and the Health Professions,” Long Beach, CA.
    Ewing, S., Butina, M, O’Brien, C.W., et al. (2021, October). Clinical Education in a Pandemic: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Presentation at the Association of Schools Advancing Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) 2021 Annual Conference: Leadership in Higher Education and Health Care in a Post-COVID World (virtual presentation originally accepted for in-person platform presentation in Long Beach, CA).
  • O’Brien, C.W., Breitbach, A., & Dailey, L. (2021, May). Connecting Academic Programs and Clinical Practice Together to Inform System Improvement. On demand oral presentation at the 2021 Virtual Athletic Training Educators’ Conference (VATEC).
  • O’Brien, C.W., Breitbach, A., & Dailey, L. (2020, July). Connecting Academic Programs and Clinical Practice Together to Inform System Improvement. Video presentation at the Virtual National Athletic Trainers’ Association 71st Clinical Symposia & AT Expo (originally accepted for in-person platform presentation in Atlanta, GA).
  • Dailey, L., Hu, P., O’Brien, C.W., O’Sullivan-Maillet, J., Simonian, Y., & Weinstein, M.
    (2020, May 1). Clinical Education in the Time of COVID-19. Live webinar presented by the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP).
  • McLaughlin, R., O’Brien, C.W., Weinstein, M., et al. (2019, Winter). Clinical Education in Transition: Recommendations and Strategies. J Allied Health: 48(4), 237-247b.

Awards and Designations

  • Distinguished Public Policy Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (FNAP) Athletic Training Academy
  • Fellow of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (FASAHP)

CV / Website