Dr. Sarah Barnes-Witherspoon
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile School of Nursing announces alumna and professor of nursing Dr. Sarah Barnes-Witherspoon as dean.
Barnes-Witherspoon has served as interim dean since March 2019.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Todd Greer said there is a growing regional focus on the need for well-qualified healthcare practitioners, and the university’s School of Nursing is uniquely positioned to meet that need.
“Dr. Barnes-Witherspoon is a proven practitioner and nurse-educator who is a passionate mentor to our students in the nursing programs. Her leadership in the School of Nursing is a tremendous asset as we continue to grow our highly respected undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs and place our students into critical roles of community healthcare,” Greer said.
UM’s School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions offers a Christ-centered education with practical application. The university’s new Center for Excellence in Healthcare Practice provides students with hands-on experiences on campus, along with practicums in healthcare settings throughout the community.
Programs are offered in a variety of formats, including on campus, online and blended. UM offers a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and RN to BSN program for undergraduates. Master of Science in Nursing degrees are offered in family nurse practitioner, executive leadership and education. UM offers the post-master’s APRN certificate. The Doctor of Nursing Practice offers several options for completion of the degree, including the Post-Master’s to DNP track, and BSN to DNP track.
The School of Nursing is accepting applications now for students enrolling for fall semester 2020. More information is available at umobile.edu/healthcare, or call Enrollment Services at 251.442.2222.
Barnes-Witherspoon earned both the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Mobile. She holds a Ph.D. in nursing education and nursing administration from William Carey University. She joined the UM School of Nursing faculty in 2001 as a nursing instructor and moved up the ranks to serve as professor and director of graduate programs. Prior to joining the faculty, she had a 27-year career at Searcy Hospital, where she was shift supervisor and functioned as the only nurse legal consultant.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.