A Leader in Nursing Education & Community Health
May 26, 2015
Mary Mundt, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been Dean and Professor at Michigan State University College of Nursing since 2006. She has conducted studies and published papers related to the design and evaluation of public health nursing systems, cancer prevention, educational issues and leadership in academic administration. She has served on a variety of healthcare and hospital boards and led community partnerships and health policy initiatives.
The Journey from Hospital Staff Nurse to Dean
Mundt’s career path into the profession of nursing had beginnings in Milwaukee, WI where she worked as a hospital staff nurse. A year later she became a public health nurse for the city of Milwaukee’s Health Department.
In 1978, Mundt began to climb the ranks at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Nursing; starting as an Instructor, then Assistant Professor. She obtained her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the School of Education. She earned the title of Associate Professor with Tenure, then served as Interim Dean for two years, and was then appointed as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
In 1997, she moved her family to Kentucky to become Dean and Professor at the University of Louisville School of Nursing.
Empowering Opportunity as the 8th Dean
In 2006 Mundt became the 8th Dean of the MSU College of Nursing.
Accolades and accomplishments include:
- Inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing
- Instrumental in getting a $7.45 million competitive grant from NIH for the Bott Building for Nursing Education and Research
- Provided leadership to a state Task Force on Nursing Education in Michigan and led a quality and safety initiative
- Honored with the Distinguished Alumna Award, Marquette University Developed an innovative External Research Mentor Program which has been adopted by a variety of schools of nursing and other discipline
Mundt is a past board member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and an accreditation site visitor and team leader for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In fact, her first visit to the College of Nursing was as a site visitor for the CCNE.
One of her most important accomplishments while at Michigan State University is developing the infrastructure to enable the College to move to a high of 12 in Schools of Nursing with NIH funding.
Dean Mundt's last day before starting her retirement is May 15, 2015. To share your congratulations, post a message for Dean Mundt on the College's Facebook page.