Dr. Yasmen Simonian
Dean of the Weber State University Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions
Dr. Yasmen Simonian is the dean of the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions at Weber State University (WSU) in Ogden, Utah. Prior to her appointment, she was the chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at WSU, has more than 28 years of experience as a faculty member, academic leader and health care practitioner.
Professor Simonian joined the WSU faculty in 1981. She has received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions three times and was honored as the 2004 Crystal Crest Master Teacher. In addition to teaching clinical laboratory sciences, she and her colleagues pioneered the development and delivery of entirely online clinical laboratory sciences associate and bachelor’s degree programs. In 2005, Dr. Simonian received WSU’s John S. Hinckley award for excellence in teaching, service and scholarship, and later that year was recognized as Utah’s Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. In 2007 she was appointed as a WSU Presidential Distinguished Professor.
Dr. Simonian is the author of numerous articles in professional journals and regularly presents at state, regional, national, and international conferences on hematology, education, and patient cancer education topics. She serves on several professional boards at the state and national level, including past president of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science-Utah. She currently serves on the American Caner Society (ACS) Leadership Council; National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science Executive Board and various higher education and hospital board of directors.
Dr. Simonian earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in medical laboratory sciences (abnormal hematology) and her doctoral degree in patient education and counseling at the University of Utah. She attributes her love and base knowledge of hematology to Dr. George Cartwright’s and Dr. Maxwell Wintrobe’s teachings.