Engaging Health Administration Alumni in Student Lifecycle

Saturday, April 11, 2026

9:45am - 10:45am East Coast USA Time

Author(s)

Cameron G. Parkins, MA (he/him/his)

Program Manager
Virginia Commonwealth University - Department of Health Administration
North Chesterfield, Virginia, United States

Please provide a one-paragraph overview of the session.‎ (200 words or less): Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Health Administration has an excellent reputation for engaging program MHA and MSHA alumni in the full student lifecycle with a “pay it forward” mentality. Learn about how we engage our alums and students through admissions, mentoring, networking, and philanthropy in order to strengthen the program, student outcomes, and alumni success in the field of health administration.

Session Agenda/Outline (200 words or less): A. Quick dive into health administration history and where VCU fits in that story
B. Engaging alumni through our full student lifecycle
-Recruitment
-Interview Day
-Mentor Matching
-Mock Interviews
-Preceptors
-Philanthropy
-Alumni Advisory Council
C. Questions/Comments

Learning Objectives:

develop a plan to connect with their alumni community and develop strategies to engage in the student lifecycle.
collaborate with engaged alumni, through an advisory council model, to gain insights into trends and needs in the field.
connect students to alumni in order to develop a cyclical long-term relationship that benefits both populations.