ASU Professor Named Regional Director for Laura Bush Institute

SAN ANGELO, TX  – An Angelo State University professor has been appointed regional director for the Laura Bush Institute and will begin her new job starting Tuesday.

According to Angelo State University, on Jun. 1, Dr. Dinah Harriger Cummings, an associate professor in Angelo State University’s Department of Health Science Professions, has been appointed the new regional director of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health(LWBIWH) at ASU.

Cummings is replacing Dr. Susan Wilkinson, who is retiring from ASU after serving over 25 years on the nursing faculty, including six years as chair of the Department of Nursing, and serving as LWBIWH regional director from 2019-21.

“As the new regional director of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health, I feel honored to be carrying on the legacy of both Dr. Susan Wilkinson and Dr. Linda Ross,” Cummings said. “In the last two years, Dr. Wilkinson has done an amazing job building support for the institute’s community-based initiatives, along with our Women’s Health Mammogram Program for West Texas. I am eager to continue the long-standing tradition of enriching the lives of women of all ages in West Texas through gender-based medicine and educational programming. With the recent collaboration with Shannon Medical Center as our exclusive healthcare partner, this is an exciting time to be stepping into this new role to serve our community.”

An ASU faculty member since 2011, Cummings previously taught in the Department of Nursing. She also developed courses in research and evidence-based practice for advanced nursing, health promotion and the cultural aspects of nursing, and statistical techniques for healthcare professionals. She was also appointed a Community-Engaged Faculty Fellow, joining a cadre of professors charged with developing curriculum that engaged ASU students in the community.

Starting in 2015, Cummings played an integral role in developing the courses and curriculum for ASU’s Bachelor of Science in Health Science Professions degree, which launched in 2016 and continues to be one of fastest-growing academic programs at ASU. She will remain on the faculty and continue to teach courses in the health science professions program.

In addition to teaching and curriculum development, Cummings has conducted grant-funded research on meeting student health needs, the Texas WIC program, the Texas Healthy Marriage Initiative and behavioral addiction. She has presented her research in healthcare industry journals and at numerous professional conferences.

Also active in the community, Cummings has been involved with the American Heart Association, Children’s Miracle Network, San Angelo Young Life, San Angelo Symphony, Ballet San Angelo and the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. She has also served on the LWBIWH Community Advisory Board since 2014.

Cummings has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies and is a member of the National Wellness Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in health education from Texas A&M University and is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She is married to Dr. David Cummings and has three daughters, Lenox, Lyle and Ellery.

ASU’s regional office of the LWBIWH opened in 2010. Since then, it has impacted the lives of over 30,000 individuals; raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support research, education and outreach in the Concho Valley; and provided free breast and cervical cancer screening services for over 2,000 clients in need.

The institute also collaborates with ASU’s Archer College of Health and Human Services and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) to cultivate research that impacts women’s health issues.