Dr. Vaughn brings 15 years of progressive leadership in campus health services—first at The Ohio State University, and now at Duke University—to his work with K&A. He currently serves as Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Student Health Director, and Associate Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health at Duke, where he oversees primary care and population health services to approximately 17,000 students. 

John has developed non-traditional, cross disciplinary approaches to delivering health and wellness services. He works in multifunctional health and wellness teams that include medical, counseling and psychological, nutrition, case management, health promotion, academic, and specialty referral stakeholders to create transformative health and wellness experiences at both individual and population levels. Driven by a strong belief that modern college primary and mental health care must remain rooted in a humanistic approach while constantly evolving in response to how and where students are best served, John has focused his attention on innovative strategies for optimizing care delivery and student access, from revamping clinician staffing and appointment access models to expanding telehealth services. 

Overseeing the administration of a student health insurance plan with more than 8,000 enrollees has enabled him to see the challenges facing students in our current healthcare system. His engagement in the design and construction of a new 72,000 square foot wellness center gave him unparalleled insight into how physical space influences overall wellbeing. Working in an environment with highly visible and often acute demands from constituents, particularly during the COVID pandemic, elevated his insight into the challenges of meeting the needs of a culturally and generationally diverse workforce and a student population in crisis.

John earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and Doctor of Medicine degrees from The Ohio State University. His academic interest lies in the field of Narrative Medicine, specifically how the development of narrative competence informs and enhances medical education, clinician satisfaction, and patient outcomes. He served as Executive Editor of the Journal of American College Health for six years and is the co-editor of the textbook Principles and Practice of College Health. His writing on the doctor-patient relationship has appeared in national publications and has been anthologized in a college level Composition and Rhetoric textbook. John currently resides with his family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

• Health, Counseling, and Well-Being
• Strategic & Sustainability Planning
• Student Affairs