Antioch University Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and University Provost Chet Haskell, DPA, is pleased to announce that Diane White, PhD, has accepted the position as Founding Dean of the Antioch Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions. The school represents an important step forward in the collaborative efforts of the Coalition for the Common Good and will be the future home of Antioch’s graduate Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs, as well as the Master of Science in Athletic Training, all transitioning from Otterbein University. The Master of Science in Allied Health, which already transitioned from Otterbein, is enrolling students now. A new Nurse Anesthetist Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics are currently under development.
“The new Graduate School is perhaps the single most important early component of the Coalition for the Common Good, as it provides the opportunity for enrollment growth while aligning with the shared mission of Antioch, Otterbein, and the Coalition. White brings the vision, experience, and skills to lead the new school, honoring the quality of Otterbein’s programs while adding a social justice strand to their curriculum and expanding their presence nationwide as they are transitioned to Antioch University. We are extremely fortunate to have her leadership,” Haskell said.
White said she was drawn to this opportunity by her lifelong belief in access to high-quality healthcare education and her deep commitment to healthcare for all. A nurse by training, a lifelong educator, and a practitioner, she is committed to re-imagining healthcare in the United States, transforming it into a system that works for all.
“I am honored to be the Founding Dean of the Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions,” White said. “We must prepare graduates to transform healthcare and play a pivotal role in advocating for health equity and access for all humanity. The Coalition for the Common Good demonstrates Antioch’s intentional efforts to provide a structure for learning and action that challenges the status quo to transform healthcare. I am so excited to be part of this.”
Before joining Antioch, White was most recently the Founding Dean of the School of Health Science at Georgia Gwinnett College, and her prior experience includes professor, department chair, and dean. She has a record of success in securing funds, creating programs, and building productive teams. Among her many accomplishments, White founded a School of Health Sciences based on a culture of care, developed the first total prelicensure conceptual curriculum in Georgia, demonstrated expertise in experiential learning modalities, and engaged in remote and applied learning. She has designed simulation and clinical practice laboratories, led accreditation efforts, developed Health Science degrees, and collaborated with external partners.
White has a doctorate degree in nursing from Georgia State University and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing as well. Her most recent publications and presentations focus on areas such as emotional intelligence in nursing, creating a culture of care in nursing education, and fostering DEI in the nursing curriculum.
“The country is in dire need of a different healthcare system,” said White. “We are at a pivotal time in political history where the need for competent, intelligent expert health citizens are needed to advocate for change. Our students will be those that promote democracy and can act.”
White will apply this vision and experience to the transition of Otterbein’s graduate nursing and health-related programs to Antioch.
“I look forward to continuing the excellence of existing programs that Otterbein University has exhibited,” said White. “I anticipate progressive growth of these programs and the development of future programs in the Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions at Antioch University. Excellence coupled with leadership in social justice will make our graduates unique, sought after, and known nationally for winning one for humanity.”
Otterbein Provost and Senior Vice President Wendy Sherman Heckler, PhD, sees this as a great opportunity for the Otterbein programs to have a national presence.
“I was inspired by White’s commitment to the shared mission of Otterbein and Antioch,” Sherman Heckler said. “I’m excited to know that Otterbein’s high-quality graduate curriculum will be in good hands under her capable leadership. Her genuine interest in working collaboratively with our faculty to launch Antioch’s Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions was evident in every conversation.”
Otterbein faculty have joined Antioch’s Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions in leadership roles, including Regina Prusinski, DNP, founding chair of the Antioch Nursing Department; Deana Batross, DNP, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner director; Allison Smith, PhD, program chair for the Master of Science in Athletic Training; and Nadiya Timperman, chair of the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. Gifty Akomea Key, PhD, has joined Antioch as chair of the Master of Science in Allied Health.
“This is an important step forward in the realization of the vision of the Coalition for the Common Good,” Haskell said. “By building on the existing excellence of Otterbein’s graduate nursing and health professions programs, we expect to demonstrate programmatic growth through collaboration within a shared vision. White will be a central leader in this initiative.”
“I want to express appreciation to the first-ever cross-institutional Coalition search committee for their hard work,” said Haskell. “It was their unanimous recommendation that led to this successful outcome.”
MEDIA RESOURCES:
Download photos and video interviews of White here.
Read a profile article on White to learn more about her personal journey toward understanding health inequities and her goals for the new school in fostering graduates who can create positive change in the healthcare system.
Listen to White on the Seed Field Podcast as she discusses incorporating social justice into the nursing curriculum and the need for healthcare reform in the U.S. White shares her background, her focus on diversity and social justice in healthcare education, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequalities.
About the Coalition for the Common Good
The Coalition for the Common Good is a higher education system of private, independent nonprofit colleges and universities aligned around the shared mission of educating students to advance their careers and preparing learners to further social and racial justice, democracy, and the common good. Through sharing resources and creating flexible learner pathways across programs and schools, the Coalition will reduce costs for students and institutions, expand access to degree and non-degree programs, and educate for jobs and justice. Antioch University and Otterbein University are the founding members. The Coalition, approved by the Higher Learning Commission and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, was announced in August 2023.
About Antioch University
Antioch University was founded in 1852 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Its first President was Horace Mann, the father of public education in the United States, who deeply believed that education was the cornerstone of a strong American democracy. Antioch’s mission is to provide learner-centered education to empower students with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful lives and to advance social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Today, Antioch is a national university with campuses in Keene, NH; Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA; Seattle, WA; and Yellow Springs, OH, as well as numerous low-residency and online programs. It enrolls close to 4,000 post-traditional age students in a wide variety of professional doctoral and master’s programs, an undergraduate degree completion program, professional certificates, and endorsements. A bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education, Antioch University is a private, nonprofit institution and has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1927. To learn more about Antioch University, visit antioch.edu.
About Otterbein
Otterbein University is a private university nationally recognized for its intentional blending of liberal arts and professional studies through its renowned Integrative Studies curriculum and its commitments to experiential learning and community engagement. The University is also known for its innovation and commitment to the common good. Otterbein was the first university in Ohio to be selected by the American Association of Colleges and Universities to host a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center. Recently, Otterbein and Antioch University founded a higher education system of private, independent nonprofit colleges and universities aligned around the shared mission of educating students to advance their careers and preparing learners to further social and racial justice, democracy, and the common good. To enhance student success, Otterbein launched the Otterbein READY initiative, a career and professional preparation program pairing students with advisors and mentors to guide them through intentional programming over their four years. Otterbein is recognized by Colleges of Distinction, with additional Field of Study recognition in business, education, engineering, nursing, and career development, and recognition for its equity and inclusion efforts. U.S. News Best Colleges ranks Otterbein in the top 20 among its peers overall and 12th for Best Undergraduate Teaching. Otterbein has approximately 2,100 students enrolled in its more than 60 undergraduate majors. Its picturesque campus is perfectly situated in Westerville, Ohio, America’s fifth friendliest town (Forbes), just minutes from Columbus, the 14th largest city in the country. To learn more about Otterbein, visit www.otterbein.edu.
