Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., today announced Leigh Small will become the next dean of the Michigan State University College of Nursing. Small’s appointment was approved Friday by the MSU Board of Trustees. 

Small has served as interim dean since November 2021, after coming to MSU in 2020 to serve as a professor and associate dean of academic affairs.

“I am so grateful that Dr. Small will lead the college in its mission to transform the health of individuals and communities,” said Beauchamp. “I am truly thankful to the search committee and everyone who took part in the process by attending focus groups, listening sessions and interviews, and by giving their time and feedback. I am also grateful to the search committee co-chairs for their commitment to the inclusion of the college community in this process.”

 

Throughout her career, Small has integrated and applied her passion for high-quality health care and stimulated the intellectual curiosity of nurses, students, faculty and staff. She has fully embraced the academic mission of education, research and service, working as a nursing educator for more than 20 years and holding multiple leadership roles in several professional nursing organizations, colleges and universities, and continuously engaging in scholarship.  

With nearly 30 years as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner, Small’s research portfolio is based on positive approaches to parenting, child development, motivational interviewing and interactions between parents and young children. Given that foundation, she is committed to the health and well-being of families, studying child maladaptive responses to hospitalization as well as obesity interventions with young children and their parents.  

“After an extensive national search and with input and support from the college community, we are proud to support Dr. Small,” said Denise Hershey and Prabu David, search committee co-chairs. “Her vision, leadership and commitment to inclusion will move the college forward as a leader in nursing education, research and practice.”

During her tenure as interim dean, Small has supported many faculty accomplishments, including the launch of holistic admissions, an innovative approach to reviewing student applications aimed at building a more diverse student body to ensure future nurses are better prepared for the communities in which they will serve.

“Dr. Small is an extraordinary leader who is purpose driven and partnering, dedicated to building a collaborative community where individuals are respected, and she will continue to uphold the principles of equity and openly valuing inclusivity and belonging,” said Beauchamp.

In partnership with the College of Human Medicine and under her leadership, the college was awarded a five-year, $1.3 million National Institutes of Health grant focused on increasing the number of nurses and medical doctors prepared to provide mental health care services in Michigan’s underrepresented and rural communities. The college also received $1.6 million in funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to increase mental health-prepared nurse practitioners to work with underserved populations across the state.

“I am honored to have been named dean of the Michigan State University College of Nursing,” Small said. “We have achieved a great deal as a college in a short period of time while continuing to navigate the pandemic. Through positive, collegial support of one another, the opportunities to impact care and address health disparities are endless.”

Small earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1981 from Keuka College in New York and her master’s and doctoral degrees in 1993 and 2003, respectively, from the University of Rochester. Her commitment to the health care of children and families has been recognized by fellowships in the National Academies of Practice, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing.