Mercy College of Health Sciences has appointed its first academic dean, Glenda Gallisath. She will work to ensure that Mercy College continues to meet the academic and workforce needs within Des Moines and the region. Gallisath most recently was the associate vice president for accreditation and assessment at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Ill. She has extensive experience in academic affairs and has held membership and leadership positions on several boards pertaining to health care and human services, fine arts, nonprofit agencies and community development. Gallisath received her doctorate in higher education from Iowa State University. In 2005, she completed the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management, a nationally recognized leadership program for senior-level administrators in higher education.  She spent the first 15 years of her career in Sioux City, where she held academic leadership positions at Morningside College and Western Iowa Tech Community College. “I’m thrilled to be back in Iowa and begin this new role at Mercy College,” Gallisath said in a news release.