Dean's Corner
Stuifbergen Appointed Interim Dean of The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing
The School of Nursing welcomes Dr. Alexa Stuifbergen as the interim dean. Dr. Stuifbergen formerly served as director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research in Underserved Populations (CHPR) in The University of Texas at Austin's School of Nursing and Associate Dean for Research from 1998-2009.
Provost Steven W. Leslie said the appointment, which became effective Sept. 1, would provide leadership for the School of Nursing while a national search is conducted to permanently fill the position. Leslie described Stuifbergen as "a distinguished educator and administrator" who also had served for 10 years as associate dean for research and director of the school's Cain Center for Nursing Research.
"Dr. Stuifbergen is a highly recognized researcher and the recipient of numerous research awards over the course of her academic career," said Leslie. "As we begin the process of assembling a consultative committee to conduct a national search for our permanent dean of our distinguished School of Nursing, we are fortunate, indeed, that Dr. Stuifbergen has agreed to serve as interim dean."
"During her 20 years of leadership, Dean Sands built a strong infrastructure for the School of Nursing that fosters excellence in all our endeavors," said Stuifbergen. "We have an outstanding faculty, dedicated staff and exceptional students and I am confident that the School of Nursing will continue to build on earlier accomplishments and excel in the research, teaching and service missions of the university."
Stuifbergen, the James R. Dougherty Jr. Centennial Professor in Nursing, received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Crieghton University School of Nursing in Omaha, Neb., her master of science in nursing from The University of Texas at El Paso College of Nursing and her doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing.
Stuifbergen is the 2009 recipient of the "Nursing Research Award" presented by the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses and in 2007 was inducted into the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Health Care Provider Hall of Fame. Her numerous awards also include the 2003 Distinguished Alumna Award and the Faculty Research Award (2004 and 2006) presented by the School of Nursing. She also is a member of the American Academy of Nursing.
Dolores Sands Retired after 20 Years as Dean
Dolores Sands dean of The School of Nursing for the past twenty years retired on August 31. In recognition of the contributions Dean Dolores Sands has made to the profession of nursing, the Texas flag that flies over the Texas State Capitol was flown in her honor on Monday, August 31. The flag was later given to her as a keepsake.
Sands said her decision to retire stems from a desire to spend more time with her family. She plans to move to The Woodlands near Houston to enjoy spending time with some of her children and grandchildren.
"Dolores Sands has left a remarkable legacy as our university's dean of the School of Nursing during the past two decades," said William Powers Jr., president of the university. "She has earned the respect of her colleagues as our university's senior dean and the admiration of the many people she has helped prepare to become a part of our nation's healthcare system. I feel fortunate to have worked with Dolores over the years and I assure you that her leadership, her compassion and her wisdom will be greatly missed by all of us."
"As dean, Dolores Sands has led with a very special blend of kindness, care giving and humor but also firmness, high expectations and a persistent focus on excellence," said Provost Leslie. "These leadership qualities have served her well as she guided the building of the School of Nursing to where it is today, one of the very best schools of nursing in our country.”
Sands, who has been dean of the School of Nursing since 1989, is holder of the Laura Lee Blanton Chair in Nursing and is the Joseph H. Blades Centennial Memorial Professor in Nursing.
Sands said her greatest achievement at the university has been to help create the organizational infrastructure that maximized the school's faculty development in teaching, research and service. The School of Nursing is now ranked 10th in National Institutes of Health funding among more than 650 schools of nursing in the nation.
"We have a great faculty, they deserve the credit," Sands said. She said she "fell in love with this wonderful faculty and this magnificent university" when she arrived on campus and is optimistic for the future of the School of Nursing. She said she hopes its PhD program will become a Mecca, drawing brilliant researchers and faculty to meet the enormous need for people well prepared in the management and administration of hospitals.
Sands said she has observed that students entering the nursing profession share a "calling to help others" and has found that "nurses essentially have a love for humanity."
Sands received her bachelor of science and master of science degrees in nursing from Wayne State University and her PhD in higher education/administration from Arizona State University. After her appointment as director of the Graduate Program in Nursing Administration, she also was acting dean, assistant dean for research and resources, and assistant dean for the baccalaureate program at Arizona State. From 1984-1989 she was professor and director of the Center for Health Care Research and Evaluation at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing until she was appointed dean in 1989.