Dear Howard University Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Felecia M. Banks, Ph.D., as interim dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences effective July 1, 2025. A respected clinician and alumna, Dr. Banks has served in various positions at Howard University, including assistant dean of academic affairs in the division of allied health sciences and most recently as the chair of the department of occupational therapy in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.

Dr. Banks earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Howard University. She then earned a master’s degree in special education from the School of Education at Howard University and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in adult learning and human resource development from Virginia Tech. She is also a graduate of the Allied Health Coalition Leadership Certificate Program sponsored by the Association for the Schools of Allied Health Professions and has worked across disciplines as a part of the Interprofessional Education Committee and General Education Committee at Howard.

Dr. Banks is the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the Arthritis Foundation's Distinguished Service Award, Most Outstanding Service Award from the National Society of Allied Health, the Service Commendation Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Outstanding Mentor Award from the National Institutes of Health Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions Program, and the Professor of the Year Award and Most Outstanding Chairperson Award from the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. Dr. Banks is a fellow in the American Occupational Therapy Association and was inducted into the Occupational Therapy Leaders and Legacies Society. She also serves on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Programs and the board of directors of the Rebuilding Together Foundation and is the former chief editor of the Journal of the National Society of Allied Health.  

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Dean Gina Brown for her outstanding service as dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences for the past decade. Dean Brown has been appointed to serve as the first female president of Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. While Dr. Banks serves as interim dean, the search for a permanent dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Services will continue. 

Committed to Truth and Service,

Ben Vinson, III, Ph.D.
President