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Beginning March 1, Leslie Neal-Boylan became the new leader of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing.

Neal-Boylan comes to UW Oshkosh as dean from Quinnipiac University School of Nursing in Hamden, Connecticut, where she served as the associate dean. Prior to that, she was the chair of the graduate program at Southern Connecticut University and on the faculty at Yale University.

She also has taught at Marymount University and the University of Southern Maine. Throughout her almost 35 years in nursing, Neal-Boylan has maintained a clinical practice; she has been a family nurse practitioner since 2003.

“I love nursing, teaching nursing, and working with faculty and staff to provide an excellent education to students. I am very proud to be part of the UW Oshkosh community and to join the College of Nursing,” she said.

Neal-Boylan replaces Rosemary Smith, longtime dean of the UW Oshkosh College of Nursing. Smith retired after 10 years of service as dean and more than 27 years as an educator.

Neal-Boylan first plans to conduct a “listening tour” on campus to get a better sense of where things are at with the College of Nursing, before making plans for the college’s future.

However, she does advocate developing more nurse leaders ready for the boardroom, exploring more interdisciplinary educational opportunities, supporting veterans in nursing education and increasing diversity and inclusivity in nursing.

Neal-Boylan earned a doctorate in nursing from George Mason University in 1998, a master’s degree in nursing from San Jose State University in 1992 and a BSN from Rutgers University in 1981.

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