Christine Spencer Appointed Dean of Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences
January 10, 2017
Contact: Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
Christine S. Spencer has been named dean of the University of Baltimore's Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, following a stint as interim dean of the college and a national search for a permanent dean. Her appointment was announced by UB President Kurt L. Schmoke just before the holiday break.
"Chris Spencer has done an outstanding job as the interim dean. [UB Provost Darlene Smith and I] look forward to working with her in this new capacity," Schmoke said.
Dean Spencer has been a faculty member at the University of Baltimore since 2007, serving as a professor in the School of Health and Human Services and the School of Public and International Affairs in the College of Public Affairs. Her research expertise is in disparities in quality and access to health care among vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities.
"Access to higher education is a key determinant of health status, so I see this as a perfect transition to pursue my long-term passion for improving the health of our communities," Spencer said of her new position as dean. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this committed and passionate group of faculty, staff and students in the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences."
Spencer also has written about various aspects of the history of medicine, such as the use of electricity as a cure-all by doctors in the 19th century. She is focused on contemporary issues such as the economics of health care; while she was in graduate school at the Harvard School of Public Health, she served on the research team that developed the physician payment system for Medicare, which is still in use today.
The Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences consists of four schools and divisions, including the Division of Applied Behavioral Science, the Division of Legal, Ethical and Historical Studies, the Division of Science, Information Arts and Technologies, and the Klein Family School of Communications Design. Within these areas are nearly two dozen undergraduate and graduate programs, including Applied Psychology, Legal and Ethical Studies, Digital Communication, Creative Writing & Publishing Arts, Environmental Sustainability and Human Ecology, Jurisprudence, Philosophy, and more.
Spencer holds a doctoral degree and a master's degree in health policy and management with a focus on health economics, both from the Harvard School of Public Health, She also earned an A.B. from Bard College.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.