Luer Appointed SIUE School of Nursing Interim Dean
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, has appointed School of Pharmacy (SOP) Dean Mark Luer, PharmD, as interim dean of the School of Nursing (SON) effective June 1 after SON Dean Laura Bernaix, PhD, RN, retires. Luer will also continue his duties as SOP dean.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Luer has agreed to serve in this dual role while we search for a new dean for the School of Nursing,” Cobb said. “His background in supporting our mission in the health sciences and his leadership approach will be assets to the School during this transition. He will build on the School’s momentum and be able to serve with a strong leadership team. His experience with faculty engaged in practice and basic research will also serve the School well, as we continue to build on their momentum.
“There are tremendous opportunities to strengthen our health sciences collaborations and interprofessional education practices as we continue our planning for the new Health Sciences Annex. Dr. Luer’s knowledge and advocacy for the Health Sciences Annex is exemplary, and I look forward to working with him and the School’s leadership team as we build toward the future.”
A search committee has been launched and is chaired by Sheri Compton-McBride, DNP, RN, director of the RN to BS program, and Kevin Stein, DNAP, CRNA, director of the nurse anesthesia program.
“We are working on a contract with an external search firm, so the committee will soon have the benefit of a search firm’s full resources,” Cobb said. “Our goal is selection and appointment by early 2022, if possible.”
Luer was named SOP dean in May 2019 after serving a year as interim dean. He is highly regarded as a collaborative and inclusive leader. Under Luer’s leadership, the SOP has continued to produce pharmacy candidates that are among the nation’s best in board pass rates and assessments, ranking number one among pharmacy programs in Illinois and Missouri for first attempt North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® (NAPLEX) board pass rates.
Luer is a professor of pharmacy practice, and previously served as chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and director of clinical programs. He completed the Academic Leadership Fellows Program in 2005-06 at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy in 2004, and is a current member of the Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society in Madison County.
Additionally, Cobb has appointed Becky Luebbert, PhD, RN, chair and professor of primary care and health systems nursing, as SON interim associate dean. She will temporarily assume the role of chief nurse administrator as required through the school’s accrediting body, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). She will continue to serve as co-chair of the Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing (PCHS), continuing to provide critical support for tenure-track and tenured faculty in that department. Compton-McBride will serve as interim co-chair for that department with attention to all other matters. Angela Andrews, PhD, RN, assistant professor, PCHS Nursing, will maintain her role as coordinator of undergraduate programs, and she will have an expanded role in faculty development to provide on-boarding support for clinical faculty throughout the School and other professional development activities. She will also provide assistance to both department chairs, as needed.
Photo: SIUE School of Pharmacy Dean Mark Luer has been named interim dean of the School of Nursing.
