Hillsdale College Professor of Chemistry Christopher Hamilton has assumed duties as president of the Central Association of Advisors for the Health Professions.

CAAHP serves as a group for health professional advisers from universities throughout the central region, which includes schools from 12 states in the Midwest. The group also provides professional development opportunities and conferences every other year.

“In my role, it’s my job to oversee the board as a whole and to plan the board meetings throughout the year and make the plans for the organization as a whole,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that being part of CAAHP makes him better at his job as professor and adviser for Hillsdale. 

Even though what he does for CAAHP focuses on advising instead of research, Hamilton said there is some overlap with his duties as a professor because both positions allow him to connect students with medical schools. He said that being a member of the association also allows him to be one of the first to know about changes in health professions and better prepare his students for the medical field.

Hamilton went to the first national meeting for CAAHP in 2012. 

“I was able to meet and connect with many people early,” he said. “Michigan has a lot of advisers that like to help other advisers.” 

Hamilton said he wanted to give back by working to thank the advisers that had helped him. He began assisting the regional planning team in 2015. A year later he joined the board, and continued to become more involved as he rose to the position of president.

Hamilton said one of his duties on the board is to plan conferences for CAAHP. The group provides grants each year to present data and projects on the effectiveness of health professions advising. This information is then presented at conferences or published in journals. 

Valerie Bennett, former president of CAAHP, said she remembers working with Hamilton during his previous years on the board.

“In his role as vice president for the last two years, he was really the person in charge of planning our 2023 conference,” Bennett said. “He did a fantastic job of leading the conference planning team and doing everything from putting together the website and running registration to collecting the call for proposals for different presentations at that conference alongside organizing the social events and meals.” 

Laura Hetzler, CAAHP secretary, has also spent many years working alongside Hamilton. She helped plan a regional conference with Hamilton and said he does a great job building community. 

“He is laid back and always there to answer questions and provide support,” Hetzler said.

According to Hamilton, being involved in CAAHP is worth the substantial time commitment. 

“My department was very generous and let me have a light teaching load,” Hamilton said. “I’m definitely thankful to have a department who is considerate and values what this role brings to our students.”