Dr. James Bohland
Senior Fellow for Biomedical, Bioengineering, and Health Projects and Executive Director of the Northern Capital Region
Professor James Bohland joined the faculty in Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech in 1980 after serving eleven years at the University of Oklahoma, including time as chair of the geography department. He has been a full professor at Virginia Tech since 1984 and chaired the Urban Affairs and Planning program from 1984 to 1995. He was the founding director of the School of Public and International Affairs and served in that capacity until the spring of 2001. He has been Director of the School’s Institute for Community Health since 2000.
From August 2000 to August 2001 he served as interim provost for Tech where he helped the University begin a number of initiatives in biomedical and public health and guide its strategic planning process. In September of 2001 he was appointed to the position of Senior Fellow for Biomedical, Bioengineering, and Health Projects at Virginia Tech. In that capacity he is responsible for developing coordinating new collaborations in these areas with medical schools including the Biomedical Engineering School with Wake Forest, a biomedical and public health research collaboration with Georgetown, and a collaboration with the new Edward Via School of Osteopathic Medicine. He is also instrumental in creating a new Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences on campus at Tech.
In August of 2002, he was given additional responsibilities when he was named Executive Director of Virginia Tech’s Northern Capital Region. In that capacity he has responsibility for developing stronger research and graduating programming for Virginia Tech in the region and has oversight over the six sites where Virginia Tech currently has program activities.
Professor Bohland’s primary research interests have been in policy and planning, public and population health, and the social aspects information technology, particularly as it relates to health. He has authors over 65-refereed articles, book chapters and technical reports in his fields. In the health field he has published widely on topics ranging from community health, digital divide, and Community Technology Centers. He has grants from NSF, Exxon, National Telecommunications and Information Agency, and NASA. He is founder and president of Health Services Research, Inc., a company that specializes in planning and data analysis services to organizations in the health and social service fields.
Professor Bohland teaches graduate courses in policy analysis, community health, and information technology and society. He is a winner of a University teaching award within the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.
He has served on numerous boards, the most recent being: the Board of Trustees at Montgomery Regional Hospital (President for two years); Fourth Regional Planning Commissions (President for two terms); Data Systems committee for the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Agency; Board of Trustees of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine; and the advisory board of the Prevention Research Center at the University of Kentucky. He also founded and has been president of Health Services Research, Inc., a consulting firm working to support nonprofit health care agencies in strategic planning and development.
Degrees
Ph.D. Geography, University of Georgia, 1970
M.A. Geography, University of Georgia, 1965
B.A. History, Western Michigan, 1963
University Appointments
2002-present Executive Director, Northern Capital Region
2002-2003 COTA Fellow for Health, Virginia Tech
2001-present Senior Fellow for Biomedical, Biomedical Engineering and Health Projects
(Responsibilities are to develop and implement research and graduate degree
programs in these areas and to manage collaborative agreements with selected medical schools.)
2001-present Director, Institute of Community Health, Virginia Tech
2000-2001 Interim Provost, Virginia Tech
1997-2002 Director, School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech (on leave while serving as Interim Provost
1995- Professor, Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech
1984-95: Professor & Chair, Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech
1980-84: Associate Professor and Chairman, Urban Affairs - Virginia Tech
1979-80: Associate Professor, Geography - University of Oklahoma
1977-79: Associate Professor and Chair, Geography- University of Oklahoma
1975-77: Associate Professor of Geography - University of Oklahoma
1969-75: Assistant Professor of Geography - University of Oklahoma
1967-69: Instructor - University of Georgia
Consulting and Professional Appointments
2002-present Board of Directors, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
1995-2003 Founder and President, Health Services Research, Inc.
1995-97 New River Valley Hospice Ethics Board
1994-2000 Fourth Health Planning District, Health System Agency Review Board President (1996-1998)
1996-present Virginia Hospital Association, Panel on Data Quality,
1994-96 Fourth District Planning Commission, Current Chair of Commission
1993-98 Board of Trustees, Columbia - Montgomery Regional Hospital (Chair – 1997-98)
1978-81 Founder and Vice-president of SRA, Inc. Norman, OK.
1982-83 Consultant, Harris Methodist Health Service, F. Worth.
1978-80 Consultant to the Urban and Regional Studies section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory