Arthur MacEwan, interim provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, recently announced the appointment of Kristine Alster as the new interim dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Alster joined UMB in 1983 as an instructor in the College of Nursing. After receiving her Ed.D. from Boston University in 1984, she became an assistant professor in the College, and was promoted to associate professor in 1990. Between 1994 and 1997, Alster served UMB as associate provost and then senior associate provost. MacEwan comments, “I am extremely pleased that Professor Alster has accepted the position.”
MacEwan has reported that Alster will first focus her efforts asinterim dean towards building on the College’s considerable existing strengths. In particular, Alster will continue to strengthen the baccalaureate nursing program as well as develop the systems that will further the mission of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. MacEwan is also hopeful that Alster will be able to give attention to solidifying UMB’s graduate programs in nursing and facilitating the research agenda of the college’s faculty.
Before coming to UMB, Alster was on the nursing staff at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and the Cambridge Hospital. Also, Alster was an instructor in medical-surgical nursing at the Somerville Hospital School of Nursing from 1976 to 1980 and at Peter Bent Brigham School of Nursing from 1980 to 1983.
Alster is also the author of The Holistic Health Movement (University of Alabama Press, 1989). Her recent research focuses on nursing care quality, and she has published in such journals as the International Nursing Review, Caring, Scholarly Inquiry for Nursing and Practice and Nursing and Health Care. Professor Alster will serve as interim dean until the appointment of a permanent dean.
Alster begins her term as dean on June 16, 2002, following the retirement of Dean Brenda Cherry. Dean Cherry has served in the position since 1989 and has been the college’s leader in its progress during this period. Her work was crowned with the successful accreditation review that was completed in the fall 2001 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. MacEwan says, “We are all in her debt and are very appreciative for her contributions.”