Life After DMU: Life of a Scientist

10 DMU Degrees. 10 Alumni Stories. 10 Ways to Make a Difference.

by Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences

WEST DES MOINES, IA (09/10/2026) Whether they studied osteopathic medicine, public health or biomedical sciences at 722 Sixth Avenue, 3200 Grand Avenue or the new campus at 8025 Grand Avenue, graduates of Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences share one thing in common: the degrees they earned prepared them to care, to lead and to serve.

It's a physical therapist helping patients regain balance and confidence after the disorienting effects of dizziness.

It's a plastic surgeon restoring form, function and a sense of self.

It's an occupational therapy graduate just beginning her career, working toward becoming a Certified Hand Therapist.

Each path is distinct, and each calling is deeply personal. At DMU, those callings are first shaped in the classroom and continue in clinics, hospitals and communities near and far.

Through our Life After DMU series, we celebrate 10 alumni who exemplify the many ways a DMU degree can make a difference.

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The Life of a ... Scientist: Shaping a Program - and Herself

Through a bit of fate, Elizabeth McConnaha, PhD'25, discovered the Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences program website at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences the week it launched. She applied right away and began her studies in January 2021, just weeks after being accepted.

As the program's first student, she regularly shared input that led to tangible curriculum changes.

"I didn't feel like I had to fit into a box," McConnaha says. "The program fit around me."

While pursuing her PhD, she had two children and defended her dissertation while seven and a half months pregnant. At one point, she also had three jobs: teaching human anatomy and physiology at Des Moines Area Community College, working as an autopsy technician at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner and doing tissue recovery at the Iowa Donor Network.

McConnaha emphasizes that DMU's PhD program maintained high academic standards while also being flexible and supportive.

"They didn't lower expectations, but they worked with me," McConnaha says.

Inside DMU's cardiovascular lab, McConnaha researched the link between estrogen and cardiac function. Reflecting on that experience, she says one of the most valuable outcomes of the PhD program was learning how to manage complexity.

"Research trains your brain to untangle chaos - to look at problems from multiple angles and find paths forward," she says.

That mindset translates directly into her teaching methodology as a professor at DMACC and North Iowa Area Community College, where she manages large online course loads and varied student needs. At peak times, McConnaha has taught up to seven courses simultaneously.

Academically, the depth of knowledge she gained during the PhD dramatically changed how she teaches foundational science courses.

"When I teach things like Western blotting, I understand every detail in a way I never could before," she says.

Ultimately, McConnaha feels her experience at DMU was both deeply personal and deeply formative.

"They cared about me as a person, not just a student."

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This story was originally published in the August 2026 issue of DMU Magazine.

Located in West Des Moines, part of Iowa's capital metro, Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences offers graduate-level professional degree programs in anatomy, biomedical sciences, health care administration, medical science, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, podiatric medicine and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' scores on national examinations, pass rates on board certifications and match rates for medical residency programs are consistently higher than national averages and rates at peer institutions.

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