TAMIU Names Walker Dean of College of Nursing and Health Sciences

There’s a new nurse in charge.  Dr. Glenda C. Walker is the new dean at Texas A&M International’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing.

TAMIU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Pablo Arenaz, said Dr. Walker’s selection after a national search keenly advantages the growing College.

“Dr. Walker brings a remarkable history of teaching, research and community collaboration with her that will help to move our College of Nursing and Health Sciences forward.  Her multiple publications, funded research and grant experiences with program and outreach offerings provide additional depth to our growing College of Nursing,” Dr. Arenaz said.

Dr. Walker said she is both humbled and eager for the TAMIU challenge and impressed with both students and faculty.

“It’s a terrific College, poised for growth and with a gifted faculty finely attuned to real-world nursing and its challenges.  The students are bright, industrious and, I believe, among the most impressive nursing students I’ve ever encountered.  I’m humbled by the opportunity to lead the College forward, but very eager to do so.  I am especially excited to continue our early embrace of technology and expand our online capabilities,” Dr. Walker explained.

Originally from Fyffe, Ala., Dr. Walker was most recently director of Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Nursing.  Additional posts have included serving as associate dean for Clinical Affairs and Community Services for the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) School of Nursing, Houston, and director of nursing research, a joint appointment with UTHSC, at the Harris County Psychiatric Center, also in Houston.

She holds her doctorate (DSN) in Community Mental Health from the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) and her MSN in Psychiatric Nursing, also from UAB.  Her BSN was earned at Troy State University in Alabama.

Among her many career highlights are her development of the nation’s first graduate program focused on family violence at Vanderbilt University; the establishment of UTHSC’s UT Nursing Services as a national model, and a pioneering use of service learning as a teaching method at Stephen F. Austin -- which was selected as a showcase school for the former National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission’s (now the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.)  Vision Project.

She received six major Innovations in Nursing Grants from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, totaling $4.9 million, and established the East Texas Nursing Education Consortium to share resources and develop partnership grants with 11 East Texas nursing programs.

Dr. Walker has over 30 refereed publications including national journals, books or book chapters and 74 local, state or national presentations.

For additional information, contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.

Information on the College of Nursing and Health Sciences is available on the web at www.tamiu.edu/cson

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu