UNMC College of Nursing welcomes new leaders

Three college leaders began new roles at the UNMC College of Nursing prior to the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year.

Suzanne Nuss, PhD, became the UNMC College of Nursing-Omaha Division assistant dean effective July 1 and remains in her previous role as assistant vice chancellor of clinical workforce development at UNMC and clinical workforce development officer for Nebraska Medicine.

Tracie Kirkland, DNP, PhD, now is serving as the associate dean for transformational practice and partnerships. She also is a Kenneth E. Morehead Endowed Chair in Nursing and an associate professor.

Kristi Lynch, who holds a Master of Business Administration and previously served as the senior director of graduate, executive and professional business programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration, is the new assistant dean for enrollment management and student success. She began on Aug. 4.

UNMC College of Nursing Dean Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, said, “I am excited to welcome these three phenomenal leaders to join our team here in the college of nursing. We are committed to advancing our mission in nursing education, research and practice, and it is going to require innovative leaders to move this forward.”

As assistant dean of the Omaha division, Dr. Nuss, a UNMC College of Nursing alum, said she hopes to build relationships with faculty, staff and students, promote the college’s mission in the area to increase enrollment, identify opportunities to improve efficiency and support workforce development initiatives. She said the position will allow her to utilize her leadership experience while experiencing a new side of nursing.

“I always envisioned that the last chapter of my career would be in academics so when the assistant dean role was posted, I decided it was a sign for me to make the move from the health system to the academic environment,” she said. “I am excited to continue to support the great work already started in the college.”

Dr. Kirkland, who has 30 years of experience as a nurse, said she was attracted to the job because of the opportunity intersect her clinical skills with the chance to generate new research. In the position, Dr. Kirkland said she hopes to “listen, learn and explore through the development of meaningful relationships with aims to learn the culture and impact change.”

“My experience as a nurse for more than 36 years in a medical surgical unit, public health arena and major research center provided me the opportunity for growth,” she said. “Completing several leadership programs and having excellent mentors provided the confidence I needed to expand my capacity and to parlay into academic leadership.”

Through collaboration with the UNMC College of Nursing in her previous roles, Lynch said she gained an appreciation for the college’s programs, faculty and staff. Now, in a leadership role at the college, Lynch said she hopes to increase the focus on rural recruitment and graduate-level offerings and implement new support initiatives for students.

“What excites me most is that so much meaningful work has already been accomplished and continues to evolve,” she said. “I’m looking forward to contributing to these efforts and exploring new, innovative ways to enhance our impact on the state of Nebraska and the global nursing community.”