Dr. Carolynn Masters

Carolynn Masters is dean of the Rhode Island College School of Nursing. Prior to her appointment as dean, Dr. Masters served as associate professor of nursing at the Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing. Dr. Masters has held numerous academic leadership positions, including that of provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, dean of the College of Health Professions and Sciences and director of the Villa Maria School of Nursing all at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. She has been a nurse educator and administrator for over 30 years and has held positions at the University of Pittsburgh at the Titusville, Pennsylvania campus; Saint Vincent School of Nursing in Erie; Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania; and Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

As provost and VPAA, Dr. Masters oversaw three academic colleges, the Nash Library, the Student Success Center, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the Liberal Studies, the Office of Community and Government Relations, and Graduate Council. The university consisted of 200 full-time faculty and approximately 4,400 undergraduate and graduate students in programs that range from associate through to doctoral level degrees. In her previous role as dean, she was responsible for eight health profession programs, including nursing, physician assistant, respiratory care, occupational therapy, physical therapy, sport and exercise science, nutrition and human performance and radiological sciences; three science programs, including biology, chemistry and physics; mathematics and all of the pre-professional medical programs. Dr. Masters developed and implemented a successful strategic plan for the college that clearly defined the college and its outstanding academic programs. She initiated high school outreach programs and recruitment activities that led to a 42% enrollment growth in the health professions. Dr. Masters has overseen major facility renovations, including a state-of-the-art science center and an academic building for the health professions. She has been involved in securing external funding and was instrumental is obtaining over a million dollars to support expansion. Dr. Masters has also led the effort to integrate innovation into and throughout the health profession curricula — she was responsible for the development of a 5,800 square foot patient simulation center and the implementation of multidisciplinary, team-based simulation learning.