Meet Dr. Ebere Ume, New Nursing Dean

Meet Dr. Ebere Ume, New Nursing Dean

Dr. Ebere Ume’s contagious smile says it all when it comes to the future of USF’s nursing program. Ume, a trained nurse with a focus in psychiatric/mental health and geriatrics, was recently named dean of the Cecily & John Leach College of Nursing (LCON). She comes enthusiastically to the USF from the Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, California. USF’s mission and values were what “sold” Ume on making the long distance transition.

“The mission of USF was in alignment with my personal mission to serve the underserved. Nursing and teaching is a call to ministry, and every day, I want to work with students and faculty to support people who may not have advocates,” she said.

Ume says she has started out jumping. She walked into this academic year as preparations for LCON’s spring re-accreditation with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) were getting underway. She says her primary goal right now is to ensure that the college has a successful re-accreditation.

Her second goal is to be sure all nursing courses continue to be staffed with great faculty “in order to give students the quality education they came here for.” Ume already feels LCON is staffed by a committed, dedicated faculty members who are highly experienced in their fields, so she

hopes to keep building her alreadystrong and supportive team.

She also hopes to secure moregrant funding to add new andinnovative programming in thecollege. Some initiatives she’santicipating are expandedrelationships with USF’s communitycollege partners, so students canobtain their ADN from theircommunity college, while earninga BSN at University of St. Francis.“That would help provideIllinois with more BSN-educatednurses, which are hugely lackingright now,” she said.

Finally, Ume, from Nigeria,Africa, hopes to enhance LCON’scurricula with more internationaland global health programming.“Over fall break, we will beheading to Uganda, Africa, with theDiocese of Joliet’s Office of HumanDignity to explore relationshipswith a Catholic-based hospital andnursing school there. We want toexpose our students and faculty toglobal health experiences. Perhapsas early as next year, we will beable to do a faculty-supervisedstudents’ clinical mission trip aspart of our clinical courses, in bothour undergraduate and graduatenursing programs.”

In the meantime, Ume plans tokeep her bright and sunny L.A.attitude, even though she admitsshe’s slightly fearing her firstMidwestern winter. Welcome toUSF, Dr. Ume!

At right: Dr. Ebere Ume, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., PHN, new dean of the Leach College of Nursing.

Celebrating Our Centennial in 2019–20209