New dean of nursing appointed at UPEI
In a recent message to the campus community, Dr. Greg Naterer, UPEI Vice-President Academic and Research announced that Dr. Christina Murray, associate professor of nursing, has been appointed dean of the UPEI Faculty of Nursing for a five-year term effective March 1, 2023.
Dr. Murray received her BA and BSc in Nursing from UPEI, Master of Nursing from the University of Calgary, and PhD in Nursing from the University of Alberta. She joined UPEI as an assistant professor of nursing in 2008. Prior to her current role as interim dean since July 2022, she served as the coordinator of strategic planning in the Faculty of Nursing. She has contributed extensively to UPEI’s Senate as past vice-chair of the Senate Steering Committee, chair of the Senate Nominating Committee, and member and acting chair of the Senate Academic and Student Disciplinary Committee.
Dr. Murray is recognized nationally for her work on labour mobility and family-centered research. In 2018, she received the Mirabelli-Glossop Award for her significant contributions to advancing Canadians’ understanding of family issues. Since 2020, her research has focused on the experiences of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and advocacy for policies that help to support grandparents in PEI. She recently co-edited a book entitled Families, Mobility and Work, which highlights new research on the impacts of mobile work on the lives of Canadian families.
Currently, the Faculty of Nursing is undergoing a significant undergraduate expansion from 80 to 98 students; the BSc in Nursing program is increasing from 64 to 70 seats and the accelerated BScN from 16 to 28, said Dr. Naterer. This expansion will address the needs of student learners and the pressing need to graduate more nurses in a shorter period of time.
In addition, with the development of the new UPEI Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Murray will support interprofessional health education through shared space and clinical teaching at the expanded community health and wellness clinic that will be located in the new health education building on UPEI’s Charlottetown campus.
“With the development of the new Faculty of Medicine and the expansion of the Faculty of Nursing, UPEI is the forefront of important and exciting advancements in health care on PEI,” said Dr. Naterer. “I look forward to working with Dr. Murray as she leads the Faculty of Nursing through this strategic expansion initiative.”
