SoNHS Historical Initiatives

• 1957-1961, Helen White, Chairperson
• 1961-1976, William W. Milstead, Chairperson, Advisor
• 1974, School of Nursing founded under the College of Arts and Sciences
• December 1972 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• November 16, 1979, the UM Board of Curators approved the establishment of a School of Nursing (SON) at UMKC
• 1981, RN-BSN Online Program
• 1995, UMKC MSN began broadcasting distance education programs to St. Joseph and Joplin Missouri
• 1995, PhD curriculum was implemented in the Fall Semester
• 2001, Pre-licensure Bachelor of Science, Nursing (BSN-PL) track in the BSN program in the Fall Semester
• 2007, Summer, the first class for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• 2008, Joplin site, Missouri Southern, distance education program became a cooperative MSN program
• 2009, Bachelor of Science, Nursing Accelerated Program (BSN-AT)
• 2011, Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHS)
• 2013, Name changed to the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SoNHS)
• 2013, The Collaborative to Advance Health Services unit was incorporated into the SoNHS
• 2017, Bachelor of Science in Public Health program.

 SoNHS Historical Initiatives & Leadership

• 1973, M. Luisita Archer, Interim Director, Graduate Nursing Program
• 1974 – 1975, Alice Major, Director, Graduate Nursing Education,
• 1975 – 1976, M. Luisita Archer, Acting Director, Graduate Nursing Program
• 1976 – 1979, M. Luisita Archer, Director, Graduate Nursing Program
• 1979 – 1981, Karen Mitchell-Fly, Acting Dean, Graduate Nursing Program
• 1981- 1991, Kathleen Goldblatt (Bond), Dean
• 1989, Nancy McVae Mills, Acting/Interim Dean, (Dean Kathleen B. Goldblatt Bond worked as the legislative aid for health for U. S. Representative Richard Gephardt, after earning the American Association of College of Nursing Health Policy Fellowship.)
• 1992-2004, Nancy McVae Mills, Dean
• 2004 – 2013, Charlotte (C.) Lora Lacey-Haun, Dean
• 2011, Thad Wilson, Acting Dean (Dean Lacey-Haun was on a research sabbatical).
• 2013 – 2019, Ann H. Cary, Dean
• 2018, Melissa Joy Roberts, Executive Associate Dean
• 2019 - 2023, Melissa Joy Roberts, Interim Dean
• 2023 - Present, Melissa Joy Roberts, Dean