Dr. Courtney Lyder, who has been a registered nurse for 20 years, became a professor and the new dean of the UCLA School of Nursing in early August.
Lyder said his job as dean is to strategically lead the School of Nursing and to make positive changes, specifically in the fiscal realm.
“I can’t speak for all the other deans, but as you can imagine as the state moves to reduce its support (for public universities), we have to look for other financial options like scholarships,” he said. “We need to find other venues beyond just the state, and I see my role as the cheerleader to hopefully bring resources to the school.”
Lyder said he is enthusiastic and ready to tackle his new position. But despite Lyder’s positive attitude, he faces certain challenges in his transition to dean.
The former dean of the UCLA School of Nursing, Marie Cowan, passed away in February after a battle with cancer. Cowan died unexpectedly several months before her announced retirement. After Cowan’s death, Adeline Nyamathi, a professor of nursing at the school, took over as dean during the interim, said Deborah Koniak-Griffin, a professor of nursing in the school. Lyder applied and interviewed for the position, and many students are interested in seeing what role he will take in improving the School and what vision he will bring to the School.
“I’m really excited to see what direction he’ll take the school in. I think he has a really challenging opportunity with Dean Cowan’s passing,” said Darlene Tyler, a doctoral student in the school.
Lyder is qualified for the job of dean, and his extensive background in nursing will help him to successfully lead the school, Tyler and Koniak-Griffin said.
He received his bachelor of science, master’s and doctorate in nursing from Rush University’s College of Nursing in Chicago and his undergraduate degree from Beloit College in Wisconsin.
Prior to his arrival at UCLA, Lyder was a faculty member at Yale University’s School of Nursing and then a tenured professor at the University of Virginia. Lyder has identified several goals for the UCLA School of Nursing, using his personal experience as a nurse to guide his leadership style, he said. He seeks to enhance its research enterprises, develop curricula that prepares students for future demands of health care, increase financial aid and expand the school’s presence in the Los Angeles community and nationally.
UCLA’s school of nursing is ranked 12th by the U.S. World Report, and there is always room for improvement, Lyder said. But Lyder does not want to get too far ahead of himself; instead he is choosing to take things slowly and to get to know the school before making too many drastic changes.
“My focus right now is really understanding the UCLA culture, understanding the School of Nursing, what some of our challenges are, and moving forward to figure out where we can excel.”