Charles Drum to Lead UNH Institute on Disability

August 17, 2010

Charles E. Drum, MPA, JD, PhD, a leader in the fields of public health and disability, has been named director of the Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire, announced Barbara Arrington, dean of the UNH College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Drum's appointment is effective January 2011.

Dr. Drum will join the IOD from Oregon Health and Science University's Institute on Disability and Development, where he is currently the assistant director for public health, community outreach, and policy and the founding director of the Center on Community Accessibility at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center.

"Dr. Drum is a natural fit for the IOD, having extensive familiarity with and involvement within university and community settings," says Arrington. "Along with his demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and to act as a visionary and a leader, he is well-connected and respected nationally in the disability arena. We look forward to the impact he will have not only on the IOD but on the individuals both the institute and college serves."

Dr. Drum is widely published, authoring more than 45 articles, reports, and monographs on disability issues; seven training curricula; and the first textbook on disability and public health. His expertise linking the areas of disability and public health align with the IOD's mission and goals.

"I am excited to be joining the IOD and to build upon its longstanding tradition of excellence in the field of disability," says Drum. "I look forward to exploring new and creative partnerships both on and off campus that will further the institute's mission and work."

In addition to directing the IOD, Dr. Drum will also serve as professor of health policy and management at UNH. Currently, he is an associate professor in the department of public health and preventive medicine at OHSU.

The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to strengthen communities to ensure full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a New England liberal arts college and a major research university with a strong focus on undergraduate-oriented research. A land, sea and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.