After years of exceptional leadership, Dr. Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing, has announced her plans to retire at the end of this academic year.
For the past fifteen years, she has led the college’s outstanding faculty and staff with vision, compassion, and dedication, transforming the college into a nationally recognized leader in nursing education, research, and practice.
Appointed dean in 2011, Vickie has guided the College of Nursing through a period of extraordinary growth and innovation. Enrollment has nearly tripled. Students have received strong support and performed well on licensure and certification exams. Programs have risen to the top tier of national rankings, and a new state-of-the-art nursing building — the UT Medical Nursing Building — opened just a few weeks ago.
Vickie has established transformative community initiatives such as the Center for Nursing Practice and the Precious Prints Project and developed impactful partnerships with the University of Tennessee Medical Center and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. She has expanded the Vine School Health Center from 1,000 to over 7,000 annual patient visits, improving access to care and health outcomes for underserved children and families.
During her tenure, faculty research and scholarship have grown significantly, and the college has raised over $45 million in philanthropic donations including tripling the College of Nursing’s endowments.
A respected voice in health policy and child health, Dean Niederhauser's work has strengthened not only the college but the nursing profession in Tennessee and beyond.
A national search for the next dean of the College of Nursing will begin this fall, and details about the search committee will be shared soon. In the meantime, please join me in showing heartfelt appreciation to Vickie for her visionary leadership and her many contributions to UT. We look forward to celebrating her extraordinary career in the months ahead.
John Zomchick
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
