As a Winchester native, transferring to Shenandoah University was a logical choice for Devin Bowers ’12 after graduated from Lord Fairfax Community College with an associate degree.
In 2010, Bowers came to Shenandoah as a Biology major with a minor in English. During her two years at the university, she traveled to Mozambique as a participant in the 2012 Global Citizenship Project and was awarded second place in the Golden Link Poetry Contest. “Shenandoah University provided me with the opportunity to travel to Mozambique, which I will always cherish as the defining experience behind my decision to pursue a career in the field of public health,” said Bowers.
After graduating from Shenandoah, Bowers attended George Mason University and received a Master of Public Health degree in global and community health. She then went on to earned a post-baccalaureate graduate certificate from Virginia Commonwealth University in aging studies.
Prior to joining the College of Humanities and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University in May of 2018 as a grant writer/developer, she worked with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). While at the DARS, Bowers had various roles, her most notable was serving as the dementia services coordinator.
In this position, Bowers led a statewide initiative to improve quality of life for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. As the project director and administrator for $2.8 million in federal and required matching funds, Bowers executed and monitored sub-awards with community partners across various regions of the Commonwealth, tracked expenditures, completed grant reporting and closeout requirements, handled no cost extension requests and budget reallocations, and was responsible for ensuring all deliverables were met. In addition, Bowers was the primary author and developer for a portfolio of grants totaling $2.7 million that provided federal funds to DARS and other stakeholders.
Written by Harley Ryan ’16
Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs