Dr. Karen Landry of Texarkana, Texas, has been named chair of the Department of Nursing at Southern Arkansas University.
In making the announcement Wednesday, Dr. David Lanoue, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said, “We are delighted that Dr. Landry has chosen to come to SAU. She has a wealth of experience as a successful nursing educator, and a clear passion for training the next generation of nurses in southern Arkansas. She is energetic, positive and very student-centered. She will be a great leader for our nursing department.”
Landry is a native of Louisiana. She received both her BS and MS in Nursing from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and her PhD in Nursing from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. She presently serves as department chair and director of nursing at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texas, where she is accountable for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the professional education program. She also assists the college dean in designated college initiatives.
She has also served as an assistant professor in graduate and undergraduate studies in the College of Nursing at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, and as a Registered Nurse at the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. In addition, Dr. Landry served as associate professor (tenured) at Northwestern State University prior to her retirement in 2009.
“I am honored and excited to be selected to lead Southern Arkansas University’s Department of Nursing,” Landry said. “The Department has such a rich history of educating exceptional, professional nurses, and I am grateful to continue this nursing legacy.”
She said her primary focus will be “to strengthen the educational framework for preparing professional nurses. This continues the legacy of commitment demonstrated by SAU and the community.”
She expects that the program will flourish and expand in the near future. “My vision is for the department to be an active partner with organizations within this community, region, state, and globally to improve healthcare outcomes. “
Landry said she is excited to bring to SAU more than 35 years’ nursing experience and more than 23 years’ academic experience. “I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful community known as Magnolia, Arkansas.” She is the daughter of Mrs. Ann Ainsworth and the late Bobby L. Ainsworth, longtime members of the Magnolia community.
