Whitney Nash, Ph.D., APRN, has been selected as Dean of Georgia Southern University’s Waters College of Health Professions. She will begin leading the college on Aug. 1.
She comes to Georgia Southern from the University of Louisville (UofL). UofL is a highly-ranked research institution with a strong reputation in the health professions.
It was there where she served as a professor in the School of Nursing. Additionally, she also served as associate dean of practice and service, and associate vice president of interprofessional practice.
“Dr. Nash brings to Georgia Southern University a strong record of extramural funding and scholarship and a significant understanding of healthcare delivery and curricular alignment to better serve the community,” said Carl Reiber, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs.
As associate dean of practice and service, she was responsible for the oversight of advanced registered nurse practitioners and clinical practice opportunities. In this role, she developed and oversaw the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center and the University of Louisville Care Partners, which are both interprofessional in scope.
As associate vice president of interprofessional practice, she facilitated student and faculty engagement in grant and non-grant funded activities. These activities promoted the development of their roles as current and future health care providers.
Nash says these roles allowed her to grow personally and professionally. She also appreciates the contributions of each profession in which she worked.
Additionally, the experience has also informed her research and formed the foundation for her new role as the Dean of the Waters College of Health Professions.
“It is my hope to use this experience to build upon the existing successes at Georgia Southern and create new opportunities to prepare the next generation of critical-thinking, global citizens to address the challenges of the future,” said Nash.
International service-learning also has been a longstanding passion of Nash’s. She has been involved in the coordination and implementation of programming in at least eight countries, with a strong interprofessional approach.
Nash also holds an executive team member position for Trager Optimal Aging Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky.
She has served as a principal investigator or co-investigator on impressive research grants for projects addressing rural geriatric integrated behavioral health and primary care training, and enhanced interprofessional collaborative practice between nursing and dental students.
Nash received a Ph.D. in nursing, MSN in adult nurse practitioner and BSN from the University of Louisville. She began her career as an emergency room nurse and later worked as a nurse practitioner.
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140 different degree programs. It also serves almost 27,000 students through 10 colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
