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Ken Zakariasen, PH.D., DDS, M.S., M.S. (ODA)

Professor - Health Policy and Management

kzakaria@kent.edu

Master of Public Health

Dr. Ken Zakariasen is a Professor in the College of Public Health at Kent State University. He is the Director of the Health Policy and Management MPH Program (Concentration in Leadership and Organizational Change) at the new Twinsburg Regional Academic Center. Dr. Zakariasen has served as an academic in six universities, including 13 years as a Dean of colleges of dentistry and health professions. Dr. Zakariasen’s academic and consulting work is in the area of leadership and organization development, particularly in healthcare and universities. He focuses on innovative whole systems approaches to organizational change, and leadership and leadership team development. He currently has funding from Health Canada First Nations and Inuit Health Branch for developing the use of virtual communities of practice to connect reserve healthcare workers and leaders in widely dispersed communities for professional development, problem solving, idea exchange, etc. He also recently completed a Worldwide Universities Network-funded project with colleagues from the University of Leeds and the University of Wisconsin looking at the development of future public health leaders who can function effectively at the highest levels of multi-sectoral collaboration for public health improvement. When not enthusing about the wonders of the “human equation”, Dr. Zakariasen can be found totally captivated by his little granddaughter Lily, swimming or covering long distances on his favorite motorcycles.

Education

B.A., DDS, M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota

Advanced Management Program Certificate, Harvard Business School

M.S. in Organization Development and Analysis and the Certificate in Developing Leadership through Emotional Intelligence, Case Western Reserve University