Linda D. Scott, the eighth dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has announced she will step down from her position in June 2026 after 10 years in the position. Although she is retiring from her administrative responsibilities, she will remain a member of the faculty.
“When I accepted my appointment, I recognized the UW–Madison School of Nursing as an innovative environment where significant impact on health could be made,” said Dr. Scott. “In addition to its earned prestige, there is a compelling history of leadership and impact to build on. I could envision a promising future and was excited to work toward it during my deanship.”
First appointed to her position in 2016, Dr. Scott recently oversaw the School of Nursing’s centennial celebration in 2024, including a successful $45 million fundraising campaign. Throughout her tenure, she expanded the school’s faculty and aligned research priorities to focus on the challenges of nursing clinicians and the nursing educator workforce shortage. Additionally, the nursing school has maintained fiscal and operational stability in the midst of an uncertain higher education landscape.
Before joining the University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty, Dr. Scott was associate dean for academic affairs, as well as director of graduate studies, Ph.D. studies, and urban health at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Nursing. Earlier, she was associate dean for graduate programs in the Kirkhof College of Nursing at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
In her scholarly work, Dr. Scott focuses on the impact of fatigue and sleep deprivation on both nurses and their patients. She has also conducted extensive educational research on economically disadvantaged students, including those from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. A past president of the American Academy of Nursing, Dr. Scott recently received the National Black Nurses Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in August 2025.
“Dean Scott’s deep dedication to improving the nursing profession through excellent education and cutting-edge research has provided lasting benefits to the health of Wisconsinites,” says John Zumbrunnen, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Her commitment to translating academic pursuits into real-world health care environments embodies the Wisconsin Idea.”
Dr. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Michigan State University, a master’s degree in nursing administration from Grand Valley State University, and a Ph.D. in nursing and health care systems from the University of Michigan.
