RADFORD – Radford University has selected Kathleen Bradshaw LaSala as the new director of the School of Nursing beginning July 1. LaSala will replace retiring director Marcella Griggs who served in the position for five years.

LaSala earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from RU in 1980. She then earned a master’s degree with certification as a pediatric nurse practitioner from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in nursing from George Mason University.

“We are pleased that Dr. LaSala has accepted the position of director, and we look forward to working with her,” said Raymond Linville, dean of Waldron College of Health and Human Services. “As an alumna of Radford University, she understands the progress that has been made within the School of Nursing, and I know she is eager to further expand the nursing programs to meet the needs of our community and those we serve.”

LaSala’s clinical practice spans a variety of maternal-child areas, including obstetrics, post-partum, neonatal and newborn care.  She has worked in nursing education for 24 years at such institutions as the University of Virginia, James Madison University and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, where she presently serves as the associate dean and director of nursing.  Her research includes nursing workforce and healthcare policy issues and mentorship issues for nursing faculty.

During the past five years, the RU School of Nursing has undergone several transformations, including the addition of two Clinical Simulation Centers. Located at RU West and the Roanoke Higher Education Center, the centers were designed as a collaborative venture between nursing education programs and public and private healthcare facilities in the Southwestern region of Virginia. The centers were created to help address the increased shortage of clinical training sites and aid in the ability to enroll more students in nursing education programs. The centers offer a full spectrum of lab components ranging from full-size human patient simulators to computer-assisted instruction.

To learn more about the School of Nursing, visit http://nurs-web.asp.radford.edu/