Dr. Christopher Renjilian ’05, a physician with more than a decade of experience in supporting the health, development and resilience of young people, has been selected as William & Mary’s associate vice president for health & wellness.
An engaged alumnus of William & Mary, Renjilian currently serves as the medical director for The Lawrenceville School, an internationally recognized independent boarding school in New Jersey. In that role, he oversees the school’s health and wellness center, works with other leaders to implement the school’s strategic plan for community well-being and oversees the school’s medical, nursing, counseling and sports medicine/athletic training teams.
At William & Mary, he will provide leadership and oversight of the university’s health and wellness departments, including the Student Health Center, Counseling Center, Campus Recreation, Health Promotion and the Center for Mindfulness & Authentic Excellence. He will also work with leaders across campus to address the health and wellness needs of the student body, provide guidance on healthcare laws and policies and manage student health insurance contracts, among other duties.
“I am honored to accept the awesome responsibility of advancing William & Mary’s vision for integrative health and wellness,” he said. “I am thrilled to contribute to the health and well-being of new generations of William & Mary students by coming home.”
Renjilian, who will start at William & Mary on Aug. 10, will report directly to Ginger Ambler, senior vice president for student affairs & public safety. He succeeds Kelly Crace, who worked at the university for nearly three decades and greatly expanded health and wellness offerings for students. Linda Knight, executive director of health & wellness and director of campus recreation, filled the role in an interim capacity while a nationwide search was conducted.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Renjilian back to William & Mary to serve our community as AVP for health & wellness,” said Ambler. “As a physician, Chris brings a breadth of perspectives, having specialized in both adolescent and sports medicine. The through line of his life’s work is promoting the holistic well-being of young people. It is clear that his approach to wellness is wholly consistent with our integrative approach to promoting human flourishing at William & Mary.
“I deeply admire the keen intellect and the compassionate heart he brings to this important work. Dr. Renjilian is the ideal person to lead our community forward in our shared commitment to wellness.”
Cultivating resilience and flourishing
Renjilian is board-certified in pediatrics, and he holds subspecialty certifications in adolescent medicine and sports medicine. His career has focused on taking “an integrated and applied approach to cultivating resilience and flourishing in young people,” he said.
“I’m very excited to have Dr. Renjilian join the health & wellness team,” said Anne Ryan Gareis ’25, a member of the search committee. “In addition to his impressive medical expertise, he is kind and truly committed to helping all students learn about their well-being. He not only knows how to teach these skills, but he models wellness through his way of being in the world. I know he will connect with students and help to grow wellness across campus.”
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from William & Mary in 2005 with a degree in government, Renjilian earned a master’s degree in bioethics and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. He went on to a residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, followed by fellowships in sports medicine and adolescent medicine in the same hospital.
From 2018 to 2023, he served as an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and faculty attending physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he held clinical, teaching and leadership responsibilities. While at the top-ranked children’s hospital, he gained valuable experience in systems-based approaches to clinical care, patient safety and continuous quality improvement. While there, he developed “Stronger than Ever,” a clinical initiative that incorporated principles of resilience and expanded care for patients with significant sports injuries to include nutrition and mental health.
He took his current position with The Lawrenceville School in 2023. In that role, he works with others to provide integrated clinical care services to 820 boarding and day students. Since starting at the school, Renjilian has been able to advance the effectiveness of its clinical care, the integration of health services and its culture of well-being.
In addition to his clinical and leadership success, Renjilian is a recognized scholar, who has lectured and published widely. His research has focused on understanding how meaningful interpersonal connections and mentorship along with exercise and fitness can promote resilience and protect young people from toxic stress. His work has appeared in medical and research publications, along with a number of books, and he has appeared on several podcasts. He contributed as an author and assistant editor to “Reaching Teens,” the American Academy of Pediatrics’ toolkit for professionals to develop a resilience-focused approach in their practices.
“Dr. Chris Renjilian’s appointment is absolutely thrilling not simply because of the significant research he’s conducted on adolescent and post-adolescent health and wellbeing, but also because of his deep ties to William & Mary,” said Associate Professor and Director of Hispanic Studies John Riofrio, who served on the search committee. “In so many ways it is a homecoming for him, and us.”
Renjilian says that he first gained an appreciation for the kind of work he now does as an undergraduate at William & Mary.
As a student at the university, he was a member of the men’s gymnastics team and was recognized several times as an Academic All-American. In addition, he was an elected member of student government and served as a President’s Aide, peer health educator for the prevention of sexual assault and president of the Eta Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society.
“The personal growth that I experienced as a student at William & Mary was explosive and wonderful,” he said. “By observing my classmates and teammates, I knew I was not alone. The quality and magnitude of our growth was made possible by the relationships, environment and enduring values that belong to William & Mary.
“The university has since built on its exceptional capacity to foster the development of young people through generational commitments and remarkable innovations in health and wellness.”
Riofrio said that the search process confirmed his sense of the university’s “deep commitment to the values of health and wellness among students but also, within the larger William & Mary community.”
“The applicant pool was exceptional with people applying from all across the nation and with a remarkable range of professional and personal backgrounds,” he said. “It speaks volumes to the growing national recognition of William & Mary as a national leader in campus health and well-being.”
Erin Jay, Senior Associate Director of University News
