Thought you'd be interested in this: Loyola University Chicago Appoints School of Nursing Dean

Vicki A. Keough, PhD, RN-BC, ACNP, has been named dean of Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (SON), effective immediately. Dean Keough had been serving as the acting dean after taking over for Mary K. Walker, PhD, RN, FAAN, in July 2009.

“Dean Keough has an outstanding reputation as an innovator and a leader in her field,” said Michael J. Garanzini, SJ, president, Loyola University Chicago. “As we move ahead, she will inspire her colleagues and play a key role in our efforts to break ground on a new School of Nursing building on the health sciences campus."

Dean Keough joined Loyola University Chicago in 1986 and the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing in 1992. Most recently, she served as a professor and associate dean of the school’s master’s program and director of the doctor of nursing practice program.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of faculty and staff,” said Dean Keough. “I have worked in the School of Nursing for more than 17 years and look forward to leading the SON on our journey to the next level of academic excellence.”

Prior to joining Loyola, Dean Keough served as an emergency department clinical nurse specialist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill., and as a staff nurse in the Department of Emergency Medical Services at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). Dean Keough earned her doctorate and master’s degrees in nursing from Loyola’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and her bachelor of science degree from St. Xavier University in Chicago, Ill.

Throughout her career, she has presented and published several studies and received numerous research grants and honors. Dean Keough is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Illinois Nurses Association, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the Emergency Nurses Association and the Illinois Emergency Nurses Association, where she has been recognized as a distinguished leader.

“Dean Keough’s history with Loyola combined with her skills and enthusiasm for educating our next generation of nurses make her ideally suited for this role,” said Paul K. Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, president and chief executive officer, LUHS. “I welcome the opportunity to work with her to advance Niehoff’s position as a national leader in nursing education, practice and research.”

Dean Keough plans to focus on increasing endowed scholarship aid so that all students, regardless of their ability to pay, are afforded an opportunity to study at the School of Nursing. During her time as dean, Keough also hopes to realize the goal of completing Loyola's new nursing school building, which will include the Center for Collaborative Learning, a unique shared space that emphasizes collaboration between physicians and nurses in training, with the goal of better patient outcomes.

The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing was founded in 1935 as the first baccalaureate nursing program in Illinois. Today, the school is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Top-rated programs are offered at all levels. These include programs for undergraduate nursing and health systems management, master's and doctoral level programs, undergraduate dietetic and internship programs as well as certificate courses for professional nurses. In addition to academics, the school is home to the Center for Ethics in Nursing, the Center for Spiritual Leadership in Health Care, and the Center for Nursing Research. The school is part of Loyola University Chicago, ranked one of the country's top national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In concert with Loyola's Jesuit heritage, the school of nursing stresses excellence in teaching, research, service and practice.