Shannon Smith has been appointed dean of the School of Nursing at Florida A&M University.
Dr. Smith comes to her new role from Claflin University in South Carolina, where she has served as associate dean of nursing for the past eight years. In this role, she established the university’s master’s degree program in nursing. Her leadership resulted in the HBCU’s nursing program earning the Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Nursing Education Lectureship Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Outside of higher education, she serves as a board-certified adult health clinical nurse specialist.
Dr. Smith received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina. She holds a doctor of nursing practice degree and a Ph.D. in nursing science from the University of South Carolina.
G. Dale Wesson has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Florida A&M University.
Dr. Wesson has been serving as the university’s associate vice president of research and director of land grant programs. He has an extensive background in HBCU leadership, particularly in leading research initiatives. He previously served as vice president of research at Virginia State University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and South Carolina State University. He also had a stint as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Clark Atlanta University.
Dr. Wesson holds three degrees in chemical engineering: a bachelor’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
