Healthcare Educator, Leader Named Dean of Adelphi's College of Nursing and Public Health

Elaine L. Smith ’78, Ed.D., R.N., ANEF, has been selected as dean of the Adelphi University College of Nursing and Public Health, effective March 16.

“Dr. Smith has done an exemplary job of managing tremendous growth and expansion in the College of Nursing and Public Health,” said Steve Everett, D.M.A., provost and executive vice president. “Nursing is now the largest college at Adelphi, and Dr. Smith has articulated a very exciting vision for the future of the College, with renewed vision for research development and expansion of public health programs. We look forward to her continued thoughtful and collaborative leadership of the College.”

The College of Nursing and Public Health, founded in 1943, serves more than 1,600 undergraduate students along with more than 400 graduate students. This week, its master’s degree program in nursing was ranked 115th nationally by U.S. News & World Report—up 49 spots from last year’s Best Graduate Programs rankings. The College is highly rated by College Factual and was also named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing 2014–2018.

Dr. Smith earned her B.S. and M.S. in nursing at Adelphi and went on to complete an M.B.A. at Dowling College and her Ed.D. at Teachers College, Columbia University. She joined Adelphi in 2015 as associate dean for operations and has served as interim dean of the College of Nursing and Public Health for the last two years. Dr. Smith is a fellow of both the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education and the New York Academy of Medicine. She holds national certification in nursing administration, advanced. For several years, Dr. Smith served as an associate editor of the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing.

“Being selected as the next dean of the College of Nursing and Public Health is truly a dream come true,” Dr. Smith said. “I have been given the rare opportunity to come full circle at the College and University where my career pathway began. It is now my turn to give back to the school that has given me so much. Together with our faculty, I look forward to co-creating the next chapter for the College as we prepare our students for the future.”

Prior to joining Adelphi, Dr. Smith was corporate vice president for nursing education at Northwell Health, the large multi-facility healthcare system, and has served as the chief learning officer at a multi-hospital healthcare system in the Southeast. Dr. Smith was also a faculty member at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Nursing, where she was actively engaged in the development of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) program.

“Her expertise in nursing education, quality and safety competencies, and healthcare administration—as well as her vision for the evolution of nursing—will serve her well as this college continues to grow and evolve into one of New York’s premier colleges for nursing and public health,” Dr. Everett said. “Dr. Smith’s keen interest in increasing research opportunities at CNPH and her ability to engage and inspire our partners and alumni signal strong leadership for this important College.”

See more about the Adelphi University College of Nursing and Public Health.