Dean of Health Professions Honored in Women of Weber Exhibit

February 2, 2022

OGDEN, Utah – With more than 40 years changing lives as a teacher and administrator at Weber State University, Yasmen Simonian has built a legacy that has impacted both the WSU community and the field of medicine.

Simonian, the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions dean, has always valued learning and stewardship — passion that is evident in decades of achievement.

Weber State is honoring Simonian as part of the “Women of Weber” project, which focuses on extraordinary women whose service, accomplishments, careers and philanthropy have enriched lives and educational experiences at the university. Each month throughout the academic year, one woman’s photos and stories are displayed outside Archives on the first floor of the Stewart Library.

Journey to WSU

Yasmen Simonian began her life far from the Wasatch Mountains; she was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Early on, her parents knew they wanted to give her and her younger brother a different life. When Simonian’s brother was born, her mother applied for immigration to the United States, making monthly trips to the American embassy to check on their application status.

After 12 years of waiting, her family was finally able to leave Iran. With the help of an uncle, who had emigrated years before and then graduated from Utah State University, her family came to the U.S. and settled in Utah. Simonian was just 15 years old at the time.

Only five days after arriving, she began 10th grade at West High School in Salt Lake City. Knowing almost no English, American high school was daunting. But Simonian was no ordinary young woman. Already a high-achieving student, she quickly found clever ways to overcome any obstacle. She took up Spanish as a way to improve her English grammar and language skills.

After high school, Simonian pursued higher education at the University of Utah. The first in her family to attend college, she threw herself into her studies with a passion that is still present in her work today.

While in college, she found a love for medicine — specifically, hematology oncology, the study of cancer in the blood. Her interest in cancer research began years earlier when her grandmother was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. At just 8 years old, Simonian made the brave promise that she would come to the U.S. and study to find a cure for cancer one day. When the time came, she changed her major to focus on cancer research — a path that would eventually apply to her own life more personally.

“I know we immigrated for education,” Simonian said during a 2020 Weber State Stewart Library oral history project interview. “We immigrated to the United States, so we could have a better life, so we could be free, so we can advance. I felt like I owed it to my family, everyone around me, to do the best I could do. To be the best I could be.”

Her tenacity and determination meant Simonian excelled in college, even while working multiple jobs to help pay for her education. Her hard work paid off when she earned three degrees from the University of Utah: a bachelor’s and master’s in medical laboratory sciences (MLS), followed in 1998 by her doctoral degree in patient education and counseling.

As she was graduating with her MLS master’s degree, she was approached by Gary Nielsen, a former WSU MLS professor. He explained that Weber State needed someone with an understanding of hematology to teach. Simonian applied for the position and then accepted the job offer, joining the WSU faculty in 1981.

From Teacher to Administrator

While teaching was not new to her, Weber State was. Previously, she had taught clinicals, which were far different from the classroom of 200 students that made up her first course at WSU.

“The first time I stood there, I looked up and 200 pairs of eyes were looking back at me. I said, ‘What have I gotten myself into? What am I going to do?’” she said recalling the scene.

In true Weber State fashion, the faculty around her jumped in to help. Gary Neilsen took her to the bookstore to help supply her office, while Kathleen Lukken, a faculty member in the Dumke College of Health Professions, guided her as she navigated her first years as a professor.

“She [Lukken] helped me through all the processes and procedures here because I was hired on the tenure track. I got my tenure, I got my promotion, I did everything at the right time at the right moment, watching her,” Simonian said.

From there, Simonian flourished. She joined committees, campaigned for new buildings, advocated for women’s health and helped pioneer programs and initiatives — all while teaching classes, mentoring students and working on her doctorate degree.

With her energetic personality and innovative teaching methods, she easily connected with students. One of her most memorable classroom techniques is her frequent use of food analogies. With doughnuts, potato chips, pepperoni and more, she helped students forever remember and differentiate the morphology of blood-forming cells in order to diagnose a disease.

“She knows how to make difficult scientific content easier to understand and remember,” said Josh Pulido, WSU alumni. “When I took my national boards exam, I remember sitting there thinking of her food analogies. It helped me pass the test.”

Pulido graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory sciences, as well as a master’s degree in health administration. Simonian mentored him both in and out of the classroom, helping him discover a love of medicine similar to hers. He now works in healthcare marketing, but is still active in the Weber State community.

Outside of teaching and mentoring, Simonian steadily worked her way through the ranks, and became the chair of the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences — a position she held for 12 years. In 2008, she was unanimously approved by WSU’s Board of Trustees to lead the College of Health Professions as its dean. 

A Battle for Women’s Health

As an expert in the field of hematology, Simonian found herself on the opposite end of the microscope in 2005. In the height of her career, with the weight of her department and college on her shoulders, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Thanks to early detection, Simonian’s prognosis was good. However, she had to make the difficult decision of how to treat the cancer. With guidance from her doctor, she chose to have a mastectomy to remove the cancerous tissue, later undergoing reconstructive surgery and chemotherapy.

A life-long advocate for women’s health, her diagnosis gave her a renewed energy to encourage and help women find the strength to prioritize their health.

“I always had a voice, but it has magnified my voice,” Simonian said during an interview with Intermountain Health in 2020. “I'm not afraid to do things. I was afraid when I was diagnosed; not because I was afraid of dying, but I was afraid of not being around for people who needed me…It's given me a liberty and a freedom to talk to people, to be a real advocate of early detection of breast cancer.”

Simonian has been cancer free for 17 years, but her fight for women continues. In both her teaching and her administrative work, she continuously puts an emphasis on advancing women in the field of medicine in any way she can — from advocating for equal pay to providing mentorship.

 “If you are educated, it affects everything; you can make sound choices,” she said. “You can educate your kids, you can educate anyone around, you can find employment and improve your lives. You know, it’s powerful.”

Lifetime of Achievements

With a career that spans almost half a century, it’s no surprise that Simonian’s relentless advocacy for education has earned her an impressive array of awards and honors. Outside of the classroom, her professional achievements include serving as president of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science, commissioner on the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and representative for the Association of Schools of Advancing Health Professions. She has authored numerous articles in professional journals and regularly presents at state, regional, national and international conferences with her students. Her involvement in these arenas has helped her stay current in the field of healthcare and brings recognition to Weber State.

She received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions three times and was honored as Crystal Crest Master Teacher. In addition, she received WSU’s John S. Hinckley Award and the Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor award, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Utah Professor of the Year, and the Kendall Award for Professional Achievement in Hematology/Hemostasis and Education awards.

Along with her colleagues, Simonian pioneered the development and delivery of the first entirely online clinical laboratory sciences programs in the nation, which became an example for many other institutions. During her tenure as dean, the college went from offering one master's degree program to five. In 2021, the inaugural Doctor of Nursing Practice cohort graduated - the first of their kind at WSU.

“Receiving permission to offer Weber State’s first doctorate degree was one of the most satisfying and greatest achievements,” Simonian reflected. “It took many years of hard work and persistence by so many people to make it happen. When we received word that ‘it’s a go,’ we were all together and we were dancing in the halls. It was a victory, and our graduates are making such a difference now.”

A Legacy for the Future

Simonian’s achievements are almost innumerable, but they would not be complete without the crown jewel: her students. Simonian’s dedication has created a network of capable, confident and compassionate healthcare professionals that reaches far beyond Weber State.

“She is an amazing teacher,” Pulido said. “She taught me about medicine, but she also helped me see the value of being genuine in everything I do. I'm where I am today because of Yas and her influential power and endless encouragement.”

Her enthusiastic and caring approach to learning has helped thousands of students like Pulido, all while nurturing bonds that have lasted beyond the classroom. Many former students are still in touch with Simonian as colleagues, practitioners, physicians, clinicians, faculty and friends. Their constant contributions to healthcare locally, nationally and globally validate the value of their Weber State education and demonstrate the differences they continue to make in the communities they serve.

As both an educator and administrator, she has served up a passion for education.

“Teaching what I know, the best way I know how, and getting the students interested, giving them appetizers so they can go for the full course, that’s what I like. I like helping the students be lifetime learners,” Simonian said.

Women of Weber

Weber State University is proud to honor Yasmen Simonian as part of “Women of Weber,” which was an outgrowth of a collaboration with Weber State Archives, Special Collections and the Museums at Union Station called “Beyond Suffrage: A Century of Northern Utah Women Making History.” The project was a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in 2020. Although the pandemic put a hold on the celebration, it did not dampen the enthusiasm to share the stories of outstanding women who changed lives.

For photos, visit this link.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

Author:

Shaylee Stevens, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7972 •  shayleestevens@weber.edu

Contact:

Allison Barlow Hess, Public Relations director
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu