Regina Bentley to serve as interim dean of Texas A&M College of Nursing

Regina Bentley, EdD, RN, CNE, will assume the role of interim dean of the Texas A&M College of Nursing, effective September 1, 2017. Bentley will serve in this capacity while the search for a permanent dean is completed.

Bentley joined Texas A&M in 2008 as a tenured associate professor and associate dean in the College of Nursing. From 2011 through 2012, she served as associate vice president for academic affairs for the Texas A&M University Health Science Center. In 2012, Bentley moved to the University of Alabama but returned in 2014 to the Texas A&M Health Science Center as associate dean for academic affairs for the Texas A&M College of Medicine.

Bentley currently serves as an associate clinical professor in the Texas A&M College of Nursing. A registered nurse for more than 40 years and an educator for nearly 35 years, her teaching interests include women’s health and obstetrical nursing, ethics in nursing, and interprofessional and international service learning. Active in outreach, Bentley focuses on service learning and the development of cultural competency, with extensive experience in international and local service learning projects. She has planned, and accompanied, students and faculty on multiple international service learning trips throughout her time at Texas A&M. Bentley has more than 20 refereed publications and presentations and has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on over $1 million in funded grants.

She received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Jacksonville State University. She has a Master of Nursing Education from Troy State University and a Doctorate of Adult Education from Auburn University.

Bentley replaces outgoing dean Sharon Wilkerson, PhD, RN, CNE, who will complete her term on August 31, 2017. Wilkerson, who is the college’s founding dean, leaves a legacy of advancement and list of accomplishments with the college. During her tenure, the college experienced tremendous growth in enrollment, campus locations and programmatic offerings. The college was designated as a National League of Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education in 2016 for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development. Over the course of her distinguished career, Wilkerson has served as an advocate in the field of nursing through numerous leadership positions, including the Texas Organization of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education, the Texas League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. In 2013, she was also appointed a fellow of the Academy of Nursing Education.

The search for a permanent dean of the College of Nursing is underway and is chaired by Joyce Alexander, PhD, professor and dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University.