Ithaca College’s Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life would like to announce to the campus community a key staffing update within the Center for Counseling, Health and Wellness, as Jennifer Metzgar, a long-time colleague in the Hammond Health Center, has been promoted to the new role of Director of Student Health Services. Metzgar officially assumed her new role and title on Sunday, January 16, 2022.
The announcement of Metzgar’s promotion follows the previous announcement in November that Ellyn Sellers-Selin, MD, will be resigning her role as Medical Director within Ithaca College’s Hammond Health Center and will be departing the college at the conclusion of February. Sellers-Selin will be pursuing a new opportunity as a part-time family physician with the William George Agency, which will afford her more time to spend with her family, including her two school-age sons.
“I would like to thank Ellyn Sellers-Selin for her dedication and commitment to providing the highest level of support to our students during her tenure at Ithaca College,” said Bonnie Prunty, Dean of Students. “Although we will miss her tremendously, we hope this new position will provide her with ample time to spend with her family.”
Metzgar brings over 30 years of professional experience in health care to this new role, which includes the past 10 years serving as a Nurse Practitioner within Ithaca College’s Hammond Health Center. During this period she has been involved in direct patient care, provided medical support for international students and students traveling abroad, and prepared documentation for the Health Center’s AAAHC accreditation. Metzgar also pioneered and was the lead clinician for Ithaca College’s STI Express Clinic, which streamlined STI screening and support services for IC students.
Most recently, Metzgar has been an integral part of Ithaca’s COVID-19 Response Team over the past two academic years. She was key liaison between the Health Center, IC’s Health and Safety Advisory Group, various departments on campus, as well as outside partners such as the Tompkins County Health Department and Cayuga Health System. She played a key role in the data collection and management of Ithaca College’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement. She also supported contact tracing, quarantine and isolation, and symptomatic testing, while also helping to shape health and safety COVID-19 policy recommendations.
“We are excited to have someone of Jennifer’s expertise and experience to be able to step into this crucial role at the college,” said Bonnie Prunty, Dean of Students. “Jennifer’s strong administrative background and her involvement in coordinating much of Ithaca College’s COVID-19 response, working side-by-side with Ellyn, make her a great fit for this new position. We are fortunate to have Jennifer and her presence will help make this a smooth transition for the Hammond Health Center and our students.”
Metzgar holds both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Nursing from the SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, New York. She is a certified Nurse Practioner in New York State, while she also holds active certifications/licenses from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), National Provider Identifier Standard (NPI), Basic Life Support (BLS), and the American Nurses Credentialing Service.
“As the Director of Student Health Services, I am excited to continue providing excellent health care and support for our students,” Metzgar said. “I also look forward to continuing to collaborate with our on-campus and local partners to explore creative ways to enhance health and wellness support services.”