The office of graduate programs is a division of the School of Medicine office of research and graduate programs, headed by Dr. John Crissman, associate dean and chair of pathology. "There simply could not be a better fit than Ken Palmer in this position," said Dr. Crissman. "He brings a great level of knowledge about graduate education at the School of Medicine, and he has a strong vision for program development."

An associate professor of pathology, Dr. Palmer has been director of the pathology graduate program since 1981, and has served as director of pre-clinical curriculum development in the office of academic and student programs for the School of Medicine since 1994. During his 19 years of teaching at WSU, Dr. Palmer has been extensively involved in curriculum and professional development through service on many academic committees and advisory panels, including service on the President’s Task Force on Computer-Based Education at WSU.

Dr. Palmer joined the WSU faculty in 1981 as assistant professor of pathology and chief of the division of pulmonary pathobiology. He was recruited from Boston University School of Medicine and the Mallory Institute of Pathology, where he was a research associate and environmental health and safety officer.

A Massachusetts native, Dr. Palmer received his BA from Merrimack College, North Andover, Mass.; his MS in developmental biology from Villanova University in Villanova, Penn.; and his PhD in pathology from Boston University.

Dr. Palmer’s current National Institutes of Health-funded research interests include the cell biology of airway lining cells and their function in health and disease, on which he has published and presented extensively.