Austin-Ketch named Dean of the College of Nursing

Tammy L. Austin-Ketch, PhD, FNP, BC, FAANP, named dean of the College of Nursing

Tammy L. Austin-Ketch, PhD, FNP, BC, FAANP, clinical professor and assistant dean of the MS/DNP programs at the University of Buffalo’s School of Nursing, has been named dean of the College of Nursing at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

The appointment, effective Jan. 15, was announced by President and Health System CEO Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP.

“Dr. Austin-Ketch is a visionary leader with a solid record of research and academic service,” said Laraque-Arena. “Her work aimed at enhancing the nursing profession’s impact on the health and wellbeing of our underserved communities is precisely the kind of work academic medical centers must do to meet the health care challenges of today. I am excited to have Dr. Austin-Ketch as our new leader for the College of Nursing.”

“I am delighted to join the College of Nursing and its dedicated faculty and students,” said Austin-Ketch. “As nurses take on more responsibilities, not only in providing patient care, but in leading reforms in health care, academic programs such as the College of Nursing, must continue to lead by providing educational opportunities for nurses and by addressing health disparities through our research and service.”

Austin-Ketch has been a member of the nursing faculty at the University of Buffalo (UB) for nearly 20 years, where her work--supported by a $1.7 million Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) grant--has been focused on preparing Family Nurse Practitioners for work in Native American, underserved and rural settings. Additionally, she served as co-investigator on a HRSA grant to increase the number of advanced practice nurses trained to meet the unique needs of veterans.

She has received numerous awards, including Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award from UB, Nurse of the Year--Education from the March of Dimes, and the New York State Nurse Practitioner of the Year award from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

She has co-authored numerous journal articles, including “Addictions and the Criminal Justice System, What Happens on the Other Side? Post-traumatic stress symptoms and cortisol measures in a police cohort” (Journal of Addictions Nursing, 2010) and “Transitioning the Premature Infant from Non-supine to Supine Position Prior to Hospital Discharge: Exploring current practice and examining clinical outcomes” (Neonatal Network, 2014), with Upstate College of Nursing faculty member Sherri McMullen, PhD.

Austin-Ketch earned her doctorate in epidemiology and public health (2008) and her master’s degree and Family Nurse Practitioner (1996) at University of Buffalo.

Austin-Ketch was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurses in 2010.

Upstate’s College of Nursing, enrolls more than 350 students in a variety of programs, offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees, post-master’s advanced certificates (pediatric nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, nurse educator) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The college is accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.