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From the McGoogan Health Sciences Library Special Collections and Archives
“Have pride in your school, pride in your ability to practice nursing, and pride in each other’s achievements in the nursing world.”
– Charlotte Burgess, PhB, RN, at her retirement in 1946
Charlotte Burgess, PhB, RN, was the founding superintendent of the University of Nebraska School of Nursing. Her leadership laid the groundwork for the renowned, nationally-accredited College of Nursing we know today.
In 1946, the School of Nursing came under new leadership in the form of Irma Kyle Kramer, RN, MS. During the next two decades, the School of Nursing initiated a nursing degree program, gained national accreditation, and began providing continuing education opportunities for registered nurses in the state.
Rena Boyle, PhD, was instrumental in transforming a nursing school under the College of Medicine into an autonomous College of Nursing and a major component of the medical center. Under her leadership, the master's program in nursing began, enrollment increased from fewer than 100 students to more than 700, and the College of Nursing building at 42nd Street and Dewey Avenue was constructed.
From the McGoogan Health Sciences Library Special Collections and Archives
In 1979, Rosalee Yeaworth, RN, PhD, was hired as the fourth dean of the College of Nursing. During her tenure, she guided the establishment of nursing campuses in Scottsbluff (1987) and Kearney (1991), which improved access to nursing education across the state. She also facilitated expansion of degree offerings at Kearney, and developed the Faculty Assistance for Doctoral Study program, where qualified faculty members could take a leave of absence for one year at half salary while pursuing doctoral studies. As a result, many College of Nursing faculty were able to pursue graduate degrees.
In 1995, Ada Lindsey, PhD, became the new dean of the College of Nursing. Under her leadership, the college expanded access to nursing education across the state through distance learning and found new focus in research initiatives. Under Dr. Lindsey's leadership, the College of Nursing pioneered new distance learning technology methods such as teleconferencing, desktop video conferencing, and asynchronous and synchronous internet courses. The College also received major research funding from federal and private foundations. During her tenure, the College of Nursing attained national recognition for its nursing education programs.
In 2003, Virginia Tilden, DNSc, took the helm as the sixth dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. As dean, Dr. Tilden led several initiatives that grew the college in the number of campuses, the number of programs, and funding dollars. Dr. Tilden was instrumental in the addition of the fifth campus in Norfolk and a new nursing science facility in Omaha. She also gained approval from the Board of Regents for a new facility for the UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division. Under her leadership, two new accelerated degree programs and a post-doctoral research program were also developed. Dr. Tilden developed many funding opportunities at the college, including numerous federal training grants. The college also endowed three chairs and saw an increase in private gifts. During all this growth, she also led the college through a successful national re-accreditation process.
Courtesy of the UNMC Department of Strategic Communications
Juliann G. Sebastian, PhD, RN, FAAN, was appointed dean and professor of the UNMC College of Nursing on October 15, 2011. As dean, Dr. Sebastian continued to support growth in the College of Nursing’s programs across the state. Most notably, she oversaw major building projects on both the Lincoln and Kearney campuses. In 2015, the College of Nursing Kearney Division moved into the Health Science Education Complex, a state-of-the-art facility shared with the College of Allied Health. In 2018, the Lincoln Division moved into a new cutting-edge facility that is shared with the University Health Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, was appointed dean of the UNMC College of Nursing on July 3, 2023. She came to UNMC from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts where she served as dean of the College of Natural, Behavioral and Health Sciences at Simmons University from 2019-2023. Dr. Sharp-McHenry previously served as dean of the College of Nursing at Oklahoma Baptist University and assistant director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas. Through her expertise in higher education, health care and regulation, Dr. Sharp-McHenry is recognized as a leader in her field and an enthusiastic advocate who actively supports initiatives to ensure the highest quality education and accessible health care.
