The University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) has selected Dr. Jacob C. Warren, Ph.D., M.B.A., C.R.A., as the new director of its Center for Rural Health (CRH). Warren comes from Wyoming, where he was most recently dean and tenured professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected as the next director of the Center for Rural Health,” said Warren. “CRH is known throughout the country for its decades of cutting-edge work in advancing the health of rural communities in North Dakota and across the U.S. I myself have relied upon the expertise and resources of CRH throughout my career, and I look forward to working with the stellar staff and faculty of CRH, as well as partners throughout North Dakota, to continue its mission of strengthening the health of people in rural and tribal communities.”
Warren has 20 years of leadership experience and has been awarded over $28.5 million in rural health-focused funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, state agencies, and private foundations. He has experience as a rural health researcher and academic administrator.
Prior to Wyoming, Warren spent a decade at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Ga., in a variety of positions advocating for rural health, including being an endowed chair and director for the Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities. He was also the founding co-executive director for the Rural Health Research Institute at Georgia Southern University.
Warren received his doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Fla. His first day at CRH was Dec. 16, at which time he began working a hybrid schedule until he relocates to Grand Forks in February.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Warren to the University of North Dakota and the Center for Rural Health,” said Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, dean of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences and UND's vice president for Health Affairs. “Dr. Warren’s exceptional track record in rural health research and leadership will undoubtedly strengthen the CRH’s mission to address the unique challenges of healthcare delivery in rural communities. His vision and expertise will be instrumental in building on the Center’s legacy and driving innovative solutions that improve health outcomes for North Dakota and beyond.”
Warren will be responsible for overseeing one of the nation’s most experienced rural health organizations. Since its inception in 1980, CRH has developed a full complement of programs to assist researchers, educators, policymakers, healthcare providers and, most importantly, rural residents. CRH is designated as the North Dakota State Office of Rural Health, a federal-state partnership that helps rural communities build their healthcare services through collaborations and initiatives with a wide range of partners across the state. CRH employs 72 employees with a total budget around $10 million and operates six national programs, including two that are focused on Native American health.
Brad Gibbens, M.P.A., has served as acting director of CRH since early 2020. Gibbens, who has been with CRH in various leadership capacities for more than 39 years, is retiring in early 2025.
“I am very happy to welcome Dr. Jacob Warren to be the CRH director,” Gibbens said. “He has the right skills – not only academically with a background in public health, epidemiology, health equity, and other experiences, but also because his approach and philosophy matches well with CRH. I feel confident he will be collaborative in searching out solutions to rural health issues. He will build capacity within the Center but also for rural communities. He will forge partnerships, and he will represent the values of rural health. I will leave with optimism for the Center for Rural Health and rural North Dakota.”
