The search for a new dean for the School of Nursing is underway, with the appointment of a search committee headed by Jean Wactawski-Wende, dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions.

The search is seeking a successor to Marsha Lewis, who will retire from UB at the end of the academic year after 10 years as dean.

The search committee, appointed by Provost A. Scott Weber, includes faculty from the School of Nursing, as well as other UB and community members whose interests and expertise are relevant to the field of nursing. In addition to Wactawski-Wende, members are:

• Eric C. Alcott, associate vice president for advancement, Health Sciences.
• Cristina de Rosa, PhD student, School of Nursing.
• Grace Dean, professor, School of Nursing.
• Suzanne Dickerson, professor and division chair, Biobehavioral Health & Clinical Sciences, School of Nursing.
• Carolyn Farrell, president and founder, Professional Genetic Interactions, and member, UB Alumni Association Board of Directors.
• Joseph E. Gambacorta, clinical associate professor, Restorative Dentistry, and associate dean for clinical affairs, School of Dental Medicine.
• Susan Grinslade, clinical professor, School of Nursing.
• Amy Hequembourg, associate professor and assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, School of Nursing.
• Steven E. Lipshultz, A. Conger Goodyear Professor and chair, Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
• Gary E. Mahon, associate dean for administrative services, School of Nursing.
• Ophelia Morey, coordinator of community outreach services, Health Sciences Library.
• Patricia J. Ohtake, assistant vice president for interprofessional education and associate professor, Rehabilitation Science, School of Public Health and Health Professions.
• Pamela Paplham, clinical professor and assistant dean for MS/DNP programs, School of Nursing.

The search committee will hold a listening session from 2-3 p.m. Feb. 4 to discuss campus interests and priorities for the search. The session will be held via Zoom: Meeting ID: 920 1742 3664; Passcode: 352450

All interested individuals are encouraged to attend.

Members of the university community who are unable to attend the listening session but would like to offer input to the committee can do so at this link. The survey site will remain open for comments and questions throughout the search; all information collected is confidential.

To assist in the search, UB has hired the consulting firm of Russell Reynolds Associates. Joi Hayes-Scott, the principal from the firm working on the search, specializes in leadership searches at higher education institutions, including recently supporting searches at UB for the dean of the School of Social Work and the dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Weber says the panel will conclude its work by the end of the spring semester. He adds that Wactawski-Wende will update the campus community in the coming months on the progress of the search.

A search website is active now with information on the search process, committee, communications, and application and nomination procedures. Additional information will be posted on the site as it becomes available.