Colleagues,
I am pleased to share that Vinciya Pandian has been appointed as the next dean of the College of Nursing. She will also hold the Lisa and Greg Reed Endowed Dean’s Chair.
Dr. Pandian is the associate dean for graduate education and professor of nursing at Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and holds a joint appointment with the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in the Penn State College of Medicine. She is an internationally recognized leader in nursing research, education, and patient safety whose work focuses on critical care, tracheostomy care, and improving outcomes for mechanically ventilated patients.
Supported by federal funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Dr. Pandian leads Penn State’s Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation. She has also received research funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Pandian is widely recognized for her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, mentorship, and global engagement, with partnerships in Nigeria, India, and Portugal and leadership roles including president of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative.
Among her many honors, Dr. Pandian was named a Fulbright Specialist by the U.S. Department of State and received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps and the Office of the President of the United States for her commitment to volunteer service and community impact.
Dr. Pandian earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Baltimore.
Dr. Pandian’s appointment will begin July 1, 2026. Her role also includes serving as associate senior vice president for nursing academic-practice partnerships at UT Medical Center.
I offer my appreciation to search committee chair Steve Mangum, dean of the Haslam College of Business, and search committee members Amy Alspaugh, Diannah Eagle, Steve Johnson, Lisa Lindley, Jennifer Miller, Phillip Moore, Debra Moser, Sarah Neller, Katherine Newnam, Jia-Rong Wu, and Tami Wyatt from the College of Nursing; Lisa Reed, College of Nursing Advisory Board member; and Sandy Leake, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at the UT Medical Center.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Pandian to the university.
John Zomchick
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor