Jean K. Brown has recently been named the new dean of the School of Nursing at UB after the sudden death of the previous dean, Mecca S. Cranley, in 2006. Previously, Brown served as the interim dean for about two years.
"I think it's a very nice vote of confidence...sometimes when you step back and think about it, it's daunting but also very, very exciting," Brown said of her new position.
Vice President for Health Sciences, David L. Dunn, said that hiring Brown turned out to be an advantage in comparison with the option of hiring outside the University community.
"She really proved her abilities as an administrator first as acting dean, then as interim dean...she was our number one candidate," Dunn said.
According to Dunn, Brown will work with the Nursing School's current issues, which include a lack of funding and facilities to accommodate larger class sizes.
One of Brown's personal goals is to produce more high-quality nurses through the school's programs by overcoming the shortage of staff.
"On the downside, I think, are our efforts to recruit faculty although we're making progress, I'd like it to be faster than it is," Brown said. "It's a very competitive market."
Brown also wants to improve connections between experts and new professionals in nursing.
"One of my very specific plans is a research mentoring program so that our junior faculty assistant professors can really establish a relationship with the superstars in their particular areas," she said.
Brown stated that UB offers the broadest array of programs in New York State. She believes the school needs to improve on several other areas to live up to its full potential.
"Our school of nursing is to advance on many, many fronts," Brown said. "We really are a premier school in the SUNY system," Brown said. "We really have very important programs for people of NYS, as well as the region."
Brown's new duties include meeting with the other deans of Health Sciences to discuss ongoing strategic planning for the future of the university.
"We work as a team and are on the same page. We share the same common visions," said Michael E. Cain, dean of the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Cain said that together with Brown, the health science schools will attempt to improve on three different areas - education, research, and clinical. On the clinical front, there will be a formation of a new company integrating the Kaleida Health System and Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) together to form a university hospital.
The University Hospital is one of the most important developments in progress. Improvements will also be in the area of interdisciplinary research and care. All five of the health schools will integrate to form the University Hospital to improve the health sciences.
"It is a good time at UB for growth and expansion for our integrated academic health center, including all five health schools," Cain said.
Brown says UB 2020 initiatives are important to keep in mind as dean.
"I think the UB 2020 strategic plan is absolutely the right thing to do because
It really helps us focus our strengths," she said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
