Jack Williams, Ph.D., M.Ed., has been named dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University. Williams currently serves as dean of the Division of Health Sciences at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. He will begin his new position at Belmont on June 1, 2007, following the decision of Dean Debra Wollaber to step down and return to the teaching faculty.
“With the needs for health care education rapidly growing, there are many career opportunities available,” Williams said. “For me, Belmont was an obvious choice because of its special warmth and energy and the enthusiasm of the people at the university and in the community to embrace society’s health care challenges.”
Williams has served the University of South Dakota as dean since 2000 while continuing to teach in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Williams’ professional career has spanned a variety of positions in high schools and the undergraduate and graduate levels in traditional classroom settings as well as field experiences and five years of postdoctoral research training.
“Though we are sad to see Dr. Wollaber step down, we are thrilled Dr. Williams is joining the Belmont community,” Belmont Provost Dan McAlexander said. “With the opening of the Gordon E. Inman Center last summer and our growing reputation for the quality of our health care programs, we are making a lasting impact on health care in the Nashville community, the region and the nation. Dr. Williams’ experience and years of service to health care education make him the perfect candidate to lead Belmont through an exciting new phase of development and expansion, as we continue to strengthen existing programs and envision new ones.”
Outside of his experiences leading in the classroom and as an administrator, Williams has also made substantial contributions to his community. He has been active for 14 years as a leader of the American Heart Association, has served the American Red Cross for 20 years as a volunteer or professional, and has been involved with Boy Scouts of America for over 25 years. Recently, he has collaborated in grants with Native American community partners in South Dakota that both served the community and provided students with service-learning opportunities.
The Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing is home to Belmont’s nursing, social work, occupational therapy and physical therapy programs. Belmont is a founding member of the Partners in Nursing consortium with three other area colleges and universities – Volunteer State Community College, Trevecca Nazarene University and Nashville State Technical Community College. Through the consortium, students at these area schools divide their time between their respective schools and Belmont, where they will complete their nursing education. Since the opening of the Inman Center, Belmont is able to increase its enrollment of nursing students from 250 to 600, giving access and opportunity to the next generations of health care leaders.
