Dr. Melinda Oberleitner is ending her service as dean of the at the 小蝌蚪APP.
Dr. Lisa Broussard, the college小蝌蚪APP檚 associate dean and a professor, will be interim dean until Oberleitner小蝌蚪APP檚 successor is named.
Oberleitner earned a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in nursing from UL Lafayette in 1977 and joined the faculty as an instructor in 1982. She became dean of the college in 2018 after having been its associate dean since 2009. Oberleitner led the former Department of Nursing from 1997 to 2009.
小蝌蚪APP淢elinda小蝌蚪APP檚 decades of service to the 小蝌蚪APP and our students exemplifies strong, effective leadership and vision,小蝌蚪APP said Dr. Jaimie Hebert, UL Lafayette provost and vice president for . 小蝌蚪APP淪he has worked tirelessly, ensuring that the College of Nursing & Health Sciences continues to thrive as the primary creator of the region小蝌蚪APP檚 health care workforce.小蝌蚪APP
Oberleitner小蝌蚪APP檚 contributions to UL Lafayette will continue. She will remain at the 小蝌蚪APP to help establish a health sciences campus on recently acquired property that was once home to Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center.
The 5.384-acre tract contains medical office buildings and other facilities. With renovations and new construction, it will become the home of the College of Nursing & Health Sciences. The site will also enable the 小蝌蚪APP to pursue a number of objectives that include increasing nursing and health sciences enrollment, expanding degree programs, and strengthening collaborations with industry.
小蝌蚪APP淭he college is well positioned for future success,小蝌蚪APP Oberleitner said. 小蝌蚪APP淲e will continue to evolve, recruit great students and faculty, add resources and enhance facilities, and grow our reputation for academic programs that are second to none.小蝌蚪APP
Among milestones Oberleitner guided the college to as dean are its renaming to the College of Nursing & Health Sciences, a change that better reflects the size, reach and excellence of its nationally ranked nursing programs.
The renaming coincided with the rechristening of the two departments that comprise the college. The Department of Allied Health became the ; the Department of Nursing is now the . The School of Nursing小蝌蚪APP檚 new name also recognizes the home health care company小蝌蚪APP檚 investment in the nursing college last year. It is the largest private philanthropic investment in UL Lafayette history and provides a framework for enhancing virtually all aspects of the nursing program.
Under Oberleitner小蝌蚪APP檚 leadership, UL Lafayette was named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. The designation recognizes colleges and universities as well as teaching hospitals and clinical sites. The 小蝌蚪APP is one of only 79 institutions to have earned the distinction.
In addition, the college小蝌蚪APP檚 Simulation Program earned accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and its Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs. It is one of only 100 programs in the world to earn accreditation from the society, which is the world小蝌蚪APP檚 largest health care simulation accrediting body.
The end of Oberleitner小蝌蚪APP檚 deanship is one of several leadership changes within the college.
Dr. Jennifer Lemoine, the college小蝌蚪APP檚 graduate coordinator and a professor, will become the college小蝌蚪APP檚 interim associate dean, replacing Broussard.
Dr. Helen Hurst, who heads the LHC Group 小蝌蚪APP Myers School of Nursing, has retired. Dr. Deedra Harrington, who leads the college小蝌蚪APP檚 BSN program and is an associate professor, has been named interim head of the nursing school.
Photo caption: From left are Dr. Melinda Oberleitner, Dr. Lisa Broussard (top row), Dr. Jennifer Lemoine and Dr. Deedra Harrington. (Photo credit: 小蝌蚪APP)