Karen Drenkard announced as Acting Divisional Dean of the �鶹��Ƶ School of Nursing

Taylor Thomas — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:59:44 +0000

Karen Drenkard announced as Acting Divisional Dean of the �鶹��Ƶ School of Nursing Taylor Thomas Fri, 03/06/2026 - 11:59

In This Story

Key Takeaways:

Karen Drenkard has been announced as the �鶹��Ƶ School of Nursing Acting Divisional Dean.
Drenkard, a George �鶹��Ƶ School of Nursing alumna (PhD '06), boasts an impressive career as a leader in nursing education and health care innovation across academic, clinical, and organizational settings.
As Acting Divisional Dean, Drenkard's expertise will further the School of Nursing's mission to produce nursing leaders who will contribute to the health of all populations through innovative and impactful research, practice, and service.

Karen Drenkard. Photo provided.

The College of Public Health welcomes Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN as its new Acting Divisional Dean of the School of Nursing. A George �鶹��Ƶ alum (PhD ’06), Drenkard brings exceptional leadership, national recognition, and deep expertise across academic nursing, clinical practice, health care innovation, and strategic program development. As President of Drenkard Healthcare Consulting, LLC, she has guided large integrated health care systems, schools of nursing, technology companies, and national organizations in strategic planning, academic–practice partnership development, quality management, and leadership advancement.

"Dr. Drenkard's distinguished career and transformative leadership in nursing education and health care innovation will help advance key initiatives in the School of Nursing. We welcome her vast expertise and visionary approach, which are well-aligned with our mission to advance health and well-being through education and innovation,” said Dean of the College of Public Health Melissa Perry.

Most recently, Drenkard served as professor and associate dean of clinical practice and community engagement at The George Washington University School of Nursing, where she led major clinical initiatives, including the school’s COVID-19 response efforts. Her prior leadership includes a decade as Chief Nurse at Inova Health System, as well as executive roles at GetWell and the American Nurses Credentialing Center, where she served as Executive Director of the Magnet Recognition® Program.

Drenkard is recognized nationally for her transformative leadership and service. She currently chairs the Inova Alexandria Hospital Board Quality and Safety Committee and serves on the boards of the American Organization for Nurse Leaders, the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board, and the Watson Caring Science Institute. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Councils for the Indiana University School of Nursing and Russell Sage College, and serves as visiting faculty at the UCSF School of Nursing.

Her thought leadership extends across the country through hundreds of keynote presentations and her extensive faculty work with the UCSF Leadership Institute, where she teaches executive sessions on strategic planning, succession planning, and the integration of human caring into leadership practice. She has also developed comprehensive leadership modules for major health care organizations, spanning executive presence, business planning, financial management, career mapping, and media engagement.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Academies of Practice, Drenkard earned her PhD in nursing administration, policy, and ethics from �鶹��Ƶ and is both a Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow and a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow.

Topics

School of Nursing

Nursing Leadership

Nursing Faculty

College of Public Health

Alumni

Faculty and Staff News

Associate Professor Erin D. Maughan receives VDOE Grant to invigorate the future of school nursing

Taylor Thomas — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 17:53:38 +0000

Associate Professor Erin D. Maughan receives VDOE Grant to invigorate the future of school nursing Taylor Thomas Fri, 02/09/2024 - 12:53

Both regionally and across the country, there is a severe lack of programs dedicated to school nursing administrators (i.e. nurses who lead school nursing and school health programs at the district level). Erin Maughan, an associate professor in College of Public Health’s School of Nursing at �鶹��Ƶ, intends to remedy this with a $364,503 grant from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). With the funding, Maughan will establish the School Nursing Leadership Academy.

Erin D. Maughan

"There are over 130,000 school nurses across the nation, who are central to the foundation of the health and well-being of children,” Maughan said. "The goal of the academy is to develop leaders in school nursing who have the knowledge and skills needed to successfully oversee school health programs at the district level, as well as state and regional school nursing associations."

The academy, which is expected to be fully developed by June 2024, will be designed to train future leaders in school nursing using TeamSTEPPS, an evidence-based curriculum that prioritizes incorporating effective communication and teamwork into the health care system. The program will take place over one-and-a-half years and will incorporate experiential learning, equestrian activity, and expert-led discussions.

In addition, �鶹��Ƶ's Center for Health Workforce is guiding the development of sustainable asynchronous modules for the professional development program, which along with virtual webinars, will provide additional information and mentoring opportunities.

The program kicks off with three days of in–person instruction, during which participants will use virtual reality (VR) modules to practice interprofessional skills and conflict management. �鶹��Ƶ's College of Public Health is a leader in integrating VR into the curriculum and training of future health care leaders.

“Participating in the VR will allow gaining experience in a safe, nonthreatening environment where we can talk about how they reacted so they will have confidence and experience when they encounter situations in the real world,” said Maughan.

Maughan was originally approached by the VDOE’s state school nurse consultant Tracy White, who wanted to foster more leadership training and was aware of Maughan’s passion to do so as well. Together, they set into motion plans to create the academy.

Maughan is a leading expert on school nursing and the health of school-age children. Her research expertise is in looking at the role of infrastructure and policy on school nurse staffing and services. In addition, she has expertise in leadership, strategic planning, innovation, and mentoring. Her career is dedicated to children’s health, especially vulnerable populations. She is excited to contribute her skills and knowledge for the success of the academy.

“Having been a school nurse leader and researcher for many years, it has been a dream of mine to create such a program,” said Maughan. "I hope this program will build excitement and create a network of confident school nurse leaders who can transform school nursing in their districts, so that frontline school nurses have the guidance and support they need to work to their full scope of practice.

Maughan emphasizes how this program is not only for school nurses but also for the students they will be serving.

At its core, the School Nursing Leadership Academy is about building capacity to help school nurse leaders build their confidence and skills needed to do well in the position,” said Maughan. “We are confident this initiative will position school nurses and their program leaders to work effectively with school administrators, local health departments, health care providers and families to positively impact student health, and thus improve child health in the commonwealth and the rest of the nation.”

In This Story

Erin D. Maughan, PhD

More news from the College of Public Health

Karen Drenkard announced as Acting Divisional Dean of the �鶹��Ƶ School of Nursing
March 6, 2026
The George �鶹��Ƶ alumni behind SOSS Bros and their secret sauce
February 2, 2026
George �鶹��Ƶ online graduate programs rank among Virginia’s best
January 27, 2026
Walkability initiative is a win-win partnership for Alexandria City residents and George �鶹��Ƶ researchers
January 26, 2026
George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and students host inaugural Qualitative Research Day 
January 21, 2026

Topics

Nursing Administration

Workforce Development

Research

School Nursing

Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)

TTIP