Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – New executive leadership is coming to the Arkansas State University with the appointment of Dr. Stacy Walz as dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CONHP), after serving the school as interim dean.
“I’m honored to serve the college and university as a dean. I plan to continue to align the college with campus wide initiatives and support our faculty as they continue their scholarly inquiry and teaching excellence,” said Walz.
A-State Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Calvin White Jr. announced the news ahead of the Spring Commencement ceremonies.
“Over the past year, Dean Walz has served the college with distinction in the role of interim dean and has demonstrated outstanding leadership and progress throughout that period. She has been charged to be an agent of change, and earned the opportunity to continue leading the college as dean,” said White. “I look forward to working with her in the coming years as we continue moving the college forward and advancing its mission through a comprehensive strategic plan that will benefit our students, faculty, staff, and state.”
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Most recently, Walz served as interim dean of the CONHP, a position she’s held since 2025. She previously was associate dean and department chair of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. She also served as assistant dean for special projects at CONHP.
After the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences merged with the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences to form the Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences, Walz stepped into the role of associate dean.
Before joining A-State, Walz was on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
With recent record-breaking student admissions, Walz expresses her intention to “roll out the red carpet for the next generation of healthcare professionals, through unparalleled educational and research opportunities .”
“Students can expect a responsive dean who has an open-door policy and a willingness to listen. Students and faculty should notice a positive difference in how the college is led and how they are supported, particularly in opportunities for scholarship,” she added.
Walz plans to continue and advance ongoing college initiatives while exploring additional ways to enhance student success and further strengthen CONHP’s academic and research opportunities. She will oversee the construction of a new Healthcare Simulation Building that will help address maternal and infant health workforce shortages and regional health disparities, made possible through a $9 million federal appropriation.
“I will work closely with university leaders to operationalize university and state initiatives and goals. I will work to maintain existing, and build new, partnerships with clinical and community partners, for mutual benefit,” Walz said.
Walz earned her undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees from UW-Madison. She joined the A-State CONHP faculty in January 2011. She will officially begin in her new role on July 1.
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