Lindenwood University names dean of nursing program

Lindenwood University has announced the hiring of Peggy Ellis, PhD, as the dean of its planned Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Program, which is slated to launch in fall 2013 at the former site of Barat Academy in Dardenne Prairie. The property was purchased by the university last month.

The program will begin with a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree completion program for students who already possess a two-year RN degree from a community college. James D. Evans, president of the university, said a master of science in nursing and programs for occupational therapy assistant, physical therapy assistant, and emergency medical technician are also being considered conceptually.

Ellis holds a baccalaureate degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s degree in nursing with a focus on nursing education from the University of Central Arkansas, and a PhD in curriculum and instructional design from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill.She completed post-master’s programs as an adult nurse practitioner and later family nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama Birmingham, and has been in nursing education for over 35 years at all program levels including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor of nursing practice degree programs and has experience in program development.

She has taught at Southeast Missouri State University, University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Missouri-St. Louis and, most recently, served as the associate dean for graduate education at Saint Louis University. Her experience includes teaching in the classroom and online. Ellis is an active member of nursing’s honor society Sigma Theta Tau, the American Nurses Association, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She serves as a program evaluator for the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education, which accredits baccalaureate and higher degree programs.

Ellis said she is excited about launching a nursing program at Lindenwood University.

“Lindenwood’s mission of concern for the worth and integrity of the individual, along with its reputation for innovation, makes it a great environment for educating nurses,” she said. “Nationally, we need nurses who can provide high quality health care with concern for the worth and value of the individual patient. We also need to consider innovative ways of providing that education in light of the limited resources of faculty and clinical sites in nursing today. Lindenwood University can provide the foundation needed for building quality nurses for the future.”

Evans applauded the choice of Ellis to head the new program.

“I could not have asked for a better dean to launch Lindenwood’s programs in nursing and allied health sciences,” Evans said. “Dr. Ellis has impeccable credentials, and she understands both the challenges and the opportunities we face as we develop much-needed nursing programs. Dr. Ellis shares the vision of our administration and Board of Directors for this exciting new development, and she has the experience required to establish not only a first-rate BSN completion program, but also a master’s level nursing degree.”