“Dr. Slater brings a wealth of experience and expertise in nursing education, practice and research to Quinnipiac University,” Liebowitz said. “He fosters innovation and collaboration in nursing education via an interdisciplinary approach that builds inclusive spaces of learning and engagement. His background in business, technology and game design will be instrumental in thoughtfully preparing the next generation of nursing graduates at Quinnipiac.”

In his new role, Slater will oversee the School of Nursing's undergraduate and graduate programs to prepare students for successful careers in healthcare. He will also work closely with faculty, staff and students to advance the school's research and scholarship initiatives, which aim to improve patient outcomes, patient experience, and advance the nursing profession. He will also serve as a tenured professor of nursing.

“I am thrilled to be joining the outstanding team of healthcare professionals and educators at Quinnipiac University,” Slater said. “As the next School of Nursing dean, I am committed to focusing on building a bold academic vision for the future, advancing research and scholarship, recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and staff, and strengthening our already strong clinical partnerships.”

Slater is joining Quinnipiac from the University of Memphis, Loewenberg College of Nursing, where he serves as associate dean for academic programs and clinical professor. He also served as interim dean from 2021-22.

Slater has a PhD in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in accounting from the Collat School of Business at UAB. He is a certified nurse educator through the National League for Nursing and a board-certified registered gerontological nurse through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Recognized with numerous honors and awards throughout his career, Slater was named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and New York Academy of Medicine and received the visionary leader distinction award from the UAB School of Nursing.

As board president for The Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association Inc., Slater promotes the nursing profession by fundraising for scholarships and grants that invest in nursing education.

His commitment to nursing education is also demonstrated through his own grant initiatives and creative works. Slater was the program director of a nearly $1 million federal grant to increase the number of underrepresented people from disadvantaged backgrounds with knowledge of eldercare curriculum content and develop continuing professional education for the rural nursing workforce to enhance their eldercare competencies.

Creatively and in conjunction with NYU’s Resources for Teaching, Learning & Technology and the Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Slater developed Nursing Sim, a gaming app to help nursing students practice the multifactor decision-making process in assigning nurses to patients on a hospital unit.

Slater will succeed Lisa O’Connor, who plans to return to the faculty next spring after serving as dean of the School of Nursing since 2018.