Administrative Structure
Dr. Kenneth White serves as the Dean of the School of Nursing. He is responsible for the overall direction and management of the School. Working with the faculty, Dr. White is responsible for the content, scope, and quality of the curriculum, academic standards, and the degree requirements of the programs, including both clinical and academic components. He hires, evaluates, and supports the development of faculty in teaching, scholarship/research and service. As a member of the Institute’s senior administrative team, he works closely with the Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs on the development and administration of the academic programs in the School of Nursing and in coordination with the other academic programs of the Institute. Additionally, he provides leadership in professional and academic areas through active involvement in external educational and professional organizations, representing the Institute in these endeavors.
Dr. Patricia Reidy serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. She has broad responsibility for providing leadership in curriculum development, evaluation, and revision for all programs; for providing leadership in evaluation of all aspects of the SON; and in mentoring faculty in teaching and scholarship. As Associate Dean, Dr. Reidy is also responsible to the Dean for faculty development, serves as a student and faculty liaison coordinates new faculty orientation and development, assists in the development and revision of nursing program policies and has final oversight and responsibility of program innovation.
Dr. Ruth Palan Lopez serves as the Associate Dean for Research and the Jacques Mohr Endowed Professor in Gerontological Research. She has overall leadership and responsibility for research and scholarship within the School of Nursing. She also provides mentorship to faculty and students in research.
Steven Ciesielski serves as the Assistant Dean for Student Success. He has leadership and administrative responsibilities for student recruitment, admissions, and retention, through purposeful student engagement, advocacy, and advisement. He also provides oversight of academic support services and interfaces with faculty on student academic issues.
The Graduate Programs are led by Dr. Margie Sipe, Program Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, Dr. Jason Lucey, Program Director of the Advanced Practice Nursing and CAS Programs and Dr. Rebecca Hill, Program Director of the Prelicensure Programs.
The Associate Deans, Assistant Dean and the Program Directors serve as administrators and report to the Dean of the School of Nursing and are members of the School of Nursing Dean’s Council.
The Clinical Education Department consists of Linda Henry, Kathleen Socha and Joan Blue with oversight from Associate Dean Reidy. This department develops contacts with a wide variety of clinical venues that serve as sites for student learning at both prelicensure and advanced practice levels to appropriately match students and clinical sites.
Academic Support Services are available to all School of Nursing students. Eliza Cutler, Karen Flaherty and Shauna Worrell-Waldron join Steven and offer individual and group study skills, test-taking strategies and organizational models to complement program and course-specific requirements. Individual behavioral health counseling is provided through the Student Assistance Program.
In the prelicensure program, there are four Semester Coordinators: Dr. Kaveri Roy (Semester One), Dr. Abraham Ndiwane (Semester Two), Dr. Oluwatomisin Olayinka, (Semester Three) and Dr. Debra Kelly (Semester Four). The Semester Coordinators participate in the planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation of all prelicensure courses in a given semester (Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the ABSN program and Semester 1, 2, or 3 in the DEN program) and associated clinical experiences. In addition, the Semester Coordinators also oversee the orientation and advisement of prospective and current students in specified courses and ensure the development and maintenance of a student-centered environment and inclusive environment.
In the Advanced Practice program, Track Specialization Coordinators are faculty with expertise and certification in a specific advanced practice specialty. These faculty monitor certification requirements for the specialization and provide guidance on curriculum and content issues appropriate to the specialization. The Specialization Coordinators are: Dr. Joshua Dion (Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP); Dr. Antonia Makosky and Professor. Kathryn Hall (Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP); Dr. Clara Gona (Family Specialty NP); Dr. Rita Olans (Pediatric Specialty NP); Dr. Susan Stevens (Psychiatric/Mental Health-Lifespan NP) and Dr. Katherine Simmonds (Women’s Health NP and Dual Adult Gerontology/Women’s Health NP).
In the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, there are three Semester Coordinators: Dr. Suellen Breakey (Semester One), Dr. Roksolana Starodub (Semester Two) and Dr. Patrice Nicholas (Semester Three). The DNP Semester Coordinators participate in the planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation of all integrated content and/or DNP courses in a given semester (Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4) in collaboration with the program director and course faculty. The Semester leads also contribute to the design and course revision as warranted by new evidence, national trends, best practices in nursing education, and evolving feedback of doctoral students.