Many of the current biomedicine students at EMU did not pursue majors in college that would lead to health-care careers but decided later that’s what they wanted. In some cases, like his own, it will mean further study after EMU at the doctoral level. “Our master’s in biomedicine is a good way to get into the healthcare field, whether as an administrator, teacher or healthcare provider,” said Miller. A member of EMU’s faculty for 29 years, Miller is the Daniel B. He earned his PhD in biomedical science at Kent State University in Ohio. Miller, who is EMU’s longtime director of the pre-med program, is himself the graduate of a biomedicine program. “We were looking for a physician or other healthcare provider with connections to Virginia’s hospitals, medical schools and healthcare leaders as well as the ability to wisely guide us in further development of our program.”

“This is a big deal to have clinical expertise on our leadership team,” said Miller. It will be comprised of experts in the healthcare field. Longacher will also lead a consulting biomedicine team that will be set up this fall. Longacher will serve a two-year term, with the possibility of renewal.

In his part-time volunteer role with the biomedicine program, he will advise the professors and consult with students on their research projects. Longacher retired in February 2013 and moved with his wife Constance to Harrisonburg, where they live near the EMU campus. Since the majority of the students in the two-year-old program are headed to careers in healthcare, it makes sense that the first scholar-in-residence would be a healthcare provider, said program director Roman Miller, PhD. The graduate program in biomedicine at Eastern Mennonite University has appointed its first “scholar-in-residence.” He is Joseph Longacher, a physician who spent most of his career in Richmond, Virginia.

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