Longtime cardiopulmonary sciences professor heads to teaching position at University of Texas

Faculty and staff of the School of Allied Health Professions gathered June 8 in Nichol Hall to send off one of their longtime colleagues with good wishes and a full stomach.

After teaching here since 1979, Bob Wilkins, PhD, RRT, professor of cardiopulmonary sciences, is leaving California to become a professor of respiratory care at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

As professor, Dr. Wilkins has particularly enjoyed working with students who enjoy learning, helping them develop critical-thinking skills. He says he’s had fun reviewing case studies with the students, which helps them connect classroom learning with clinical work.

“I have probably worked with about 800 students over the past 27 years,” he says.

Previous to becoming a teacher at LLU, Dr. Wilkins was a student here. He graduated with a bachelor of science in 1978 and worked at Loma Linda University Medical Center for a year before beginning his teaching responsibilities.

For the immediate future, Dr. Wilkins plans to take some vacation and then prepare for moving and his new job. As he points out, he is not the only one thinking about the upcoming changes.

“My two boys are 22 and 24, and they have told me that if I buy a cowboy hat or cowboy boots, they will never come to visit and simply pretend I don’t exist,” Dr. Wilkins says.

By Heather Reifsnyder