Trine names health professions college, building in Brooks’ honor

Trine University’s new Fort Wayne facility and the academic division it houses will be renamed in honor of retiring university President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., and his wife Melanie.

At a reception Friday in Club Z on Trine’s Angola campus, Dr. Rick L. James, chair of the university Board of Trustees, announced that the College of Health Professions and the Fort Wayne facility will be designated the Dr. Earl and Melanie Brooks College of Health Professions.

The Board of Trustees voted to bestow the honor in recognition of their transformational leadership, commitment to excellence and impact during Dr. Brooks’ 23-year tenure.

“Earl Brooks is an education entrepreneur. He thinks differently than most college presidents,” said James as he made the announcement. “He has a business approach to running this school and he’s always looking for new ways to achieve better outcomes.”

In response, Dr. Brooks credited many who have partnered with Trine University to expand its programs and facilities.

“It’s one thing to have ideas; it’s another thing to get people to believe and trust in the vision of what you’re doing and invest their hard-earned dollars to make it happen,” he said.

“Great things are going to happen with that facility and what we’ll do in Fort Wayne. There couldn’t be a more incredible future ahead for this university in terms of where it’s positioned now and going forward.”

Launched under Brooks

Dr. Brooks has overseen the birth and meteoric growth of health professions at Trine University.

The college began with the university’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, which launched in fall 2014 on the campus of Parkview Randallia Hospital, the current home of Trine’s health professions programs.

The DPT program and Trine’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program accept direct entry and other students from Trine’s undergraduate health sciences programs, which in turn has spurred growth on the Angola campus. A second expansion to Best Hall of Sciences will open this fall to accommodate growth in the Rinker-Ross School of Health Sciences.

The Dr. Earl and Melanie Brooks College of Health Professions facility, scheduled to open in fall 2024, was developed in close partnership with Parkview Health. It will employ 100 faculty and staff and serve nearly 700 students. The new space will allow the Brooks College of Health Professions to add new programs including occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, medical science and emergency medical sciences.

The new facility will offer state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories and feature, in partnership with the Parkview Mirro Center, an innovative Simulated Patient Care Center (SimCenter) including mock surgery and Emergency Room suites and exam and patient rooms. The building also will contain ample resources for student support, including a library, bookstore, gathering area, academic support and counseling services.

Dr. Brooks officially retires May 31, 2023 and will be succeeded by John Shannon, Ph.D., president-elect and provost.