Susan Dean-Baar has been named the new dean of the College of Nursing at UMSL. (Courtesy of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee)
A new dean has been chosen to lead the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Susan Dean-Baar is currently the interim dean of the Zilber School of Public Health and associate dean and former acting dean of the college of nursing at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
“I am excited about joining the UMSL College of Nursing to work with a tremendous group of faculty, staff and students who are committed to excellence and shaping the future of nursing and health care,” Dean-Baar said. “The college and UMSL have such strong collaborative partnerships with health-care organizations and the broader community that the opportunities to contribute to improving health within the region and beyond through research and education of the future nursing work force are endless.”
Dean-Baar will take over the UMSL post on July 1. She received her BSN and PhD from Loyola University Chicago and a MS with a major in rehabilitation nursing from Rush University in Chicago. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She has a distinguished record of administration, teaching, research and service.
“Dr. Susan Dean-Baar will be an excellent fit for the College of Nursing,” said Lois Pierce, chair of the search committee that looked for a new dean and director of the School of Social Work at UMSL. “She will provide the leadership and energy necessary for the college to continue to move forward as a key player in regional and national nursing education.”
Pierce said Dean-Baar’s extensive administrative background gives her experience in solving many of the problems currently facing UMSL’s College of Nursing.
“Her impressive record in research and curriculum development and her strong commitment to community engagement made her the committee’s first choice,” Pierce said.
Sandy Lindquist, associate dean for the undergraduate program and a teaching professor of nursing has been acting as the interim dean for the College of Nursing. She filled in for Julie Sebastian, who served as dean for five years.
Dean-Baar is a certified rehabilitation registered nurse. She’s been actively involved in the field for 30 years. She is a past president of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and has served as chairperson of the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation Board of Trustees and editor of Rehabilitation Nursing. In October, she received the Sigma Theta Tau International Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for Excellence in Fostering Professional Standards and the Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award.
