Family Nursing and Healthcare

Biography

Dr. Glenda C. Walker assumed the position of Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences in August 2013. Dr. Walker has a BSN from Troy State University, an MSN from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Walker has held nursing education administrative positions since 1980. These include: Interim Director of the Mental Health MSN Program at Vanderbilt University; Associate Dean and Director of Nursing Graduate Nursing program at the University of North Dakota; Associate Dean of Clinical and Community Affairs at the School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, and Director of Nursing, Dewitt School of Nursing at Stephen F. Austin State University. Dr. Walker has received over $3,309,792 in state and federal funding for research and educational programs. Dr. Walker was the primary investigator (PI) on a $3,000,000 replication grant funded by the THECB. The grant involved 27 nursing programs throughout the state of Texas and focused on identification of “at risk” nursing students to provide appropriate interventions. The grant replicated and expanded the previous work of Dr. Walker with ten nursing program in East Texas that successfully developed a model for identifying and intervening with “at risk” students. Most recently, Dr. Walker received a grant from Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) for $466,000 to increase nursing enrollment and is currently working on a multi-million dollar grant through MHM that includes 10 local agencies to address healthcare outcomes. Dr. Walker has published over 30 articles in peer reviewed journals. She has published chapters in nursing books. In 2013, Dr. Walker published her first book See Spot Run: Lessons for Life. The book uses metaphors about her family of Dalmatian dogs to illustrate psychiatric and spiritual principles for life. Dr. Walker has extensive experience in the role of a nursing education administrator. She has served as an education administrator in public, private, and health science center nursing programs. Dr. Walker has held nursing education administrative positions in the State of Texas for over 24 years. Dr. Walker was the Interim Director of the Graduate Mental Health Program at Vanderbilt University. While in that position, Dr. Walker developed the first specialty track to focus on family violence in the nation. Dr. Walker served as the Associate Dean and Director of the Graduate Program at the College of Nursing at the University of North Dakota. While serving as the Director of the Graduate Program, the program received continued accreditation for eight years and added a graduate rural health nursing track. While at UT-Houston Health Science Center, School of Nursing, Dr. Walker was Director of the Graduate Mental Health program and increased enrollment in the program by 300%.

Research Interest

Family Violence, Nursing student attrition/retention, Healthcare outcomes with minority populations