Lott Appointed Dean Of Baylor's Louise Herrington School Of Nursing

December 20, 2002
News Photo 1008

Dr. Judy Lott, dean of Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

by Judy Long

Baylor University President Robert B. Sloan Jr. today announced the appointment of Dr. Judith Wright Lott, associate professor of nursing, as dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, effective immediately.
Lott has served as acting dean since June 15, following the retirement of Dr. Phyllis Karns who was nursing school dean for 15 years.
"It is a privilege for me to name Dr. Judy Lott as the new dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing. She comes not only with the enthusiastic recommendation of her colleagues on the nursing school search committee but also a strong endorsement from the faculty of the nursing school," Sloan said. "Dr. Lott brings outstanding credentials to this task. Her experience as our acting dean for the last several months has provided a solid base of administrative experience upon which to build. In addition, she brings an exemplary record of teaching and research and has demonstrated great administrative ability. I appreciate very much her capacity for strong leadership with regard to the integration of faith and learning."
"This appointment is an honor to me, especially because it is Baylor," Lott said. "My academic plans had never included administration, but Baylor's commitment to Christian scholarship has enabled me to see the more far-reaching contributions I could make as dean of the nursing school. I am also looking forward to working with the outstanding nursing school faculty, staff and students."
A nationally recognized expert in skin science and a veteran neonatal nurse, Lott earned nursing degrees from Valdosta State University and Troy State University. She received her doctor of science degree in nursing from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where her dissertation research focused on the effects of blood sampling from umbilical artery catheters on cerebral blood flow velocity in pre-term infants. Before joining the Baylor nursing faculty in the summer of 2001, Lott directed the neonatal nursing program at the University of Cincinnati and taught in the University of Florida College of Nursing neonatal nursing program.
Lott has accumulated more than 20 years of neonatal nursing experience. She served as a member of the Skin Science Project Team from 1999 until 2001 to oversee a national research project on newborn skin care practices for the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. She is an editor or author of several textbooks including Comprehensive Neonatal Nursing and Neonatal Infections: Assessment, Diagnosis and Management. She also serves as co-editor of the new clinical journal Newborn & Infant Nursing Reviews.
"I am absolutely delighted with the appointment of Judy Lott as the Dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing," said Dr. Donald D. Schmeltekopf, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "I have worked closely with Dr. Lott over the past six months in her capacity as acting dean. She has already made a real difference, and I anticipate the positive impact of her leadership for the School of Nursing for years to come. The search process was a long one, but our patience has most definitely been rewarded."
Senior Vice Provost and Provost-Elect David Lyle Jeffrey said Lott stood out clearly among the candidates as a professional with deep dedication to her own calling and her colleagues' fulfillment of vocation. "Her scholarship is strong; her teaching and record of personal integrity are exemplary. She has impressed us as a person of great energy, attention to detail, and a genuine deep love for the Baylor Vision and the people she serves. I am delighted to have a person of Judy Lott's faithfulness and character as a colleague."
With an enrollment of more than 240 students, the Louise Herrington School of Nursing is an upper-level and graduate program located just east of downtown Dallas on the Baylor University Medical Center campus. Nursing students study at the world-renowned Baylor Medical Center and at other outstanding medical institutions and health care facilities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The school has received national recognition throughout the years, including a top 60 ranking by U.S. News & World Report for its master's degree program in the magazine's "Best Graduate Schools for 2003" edition.
The nursing school is one of 10 schools and colleges operated by Waco-based Baylor University. The Baylor School of Nursing was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first bachelor of science in nursing degrees were awarded in 1954, establishing the school as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States.
Accredited by the National League for Nursing and by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas, the School of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing degree and a master of science in nursing degree in advanced neonatal nursing, nursing administration and management and family nurse practitioner programs, which also are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Nearly 100 percent of Baylor School of Nursing graduates who seek employment upon graduation find a position within one month and most are employed upon graduation.