New Leadership Across Campus

Nursing, Admissions, EEO get new heads.

At a time when Maine and the nation face a shortage of nurses, a new dean is taking on leadership of USM's College of Nursing, recently renamed the College of Nursing and Health Professions to reflect its broader mission. Jane Kirschling, who holds a doctorate in nursing from Indiana University School of Nursing, was named dean. She was most recently associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Rochester School of Nursing in New York state, where she oversaw academic programs at all levels, baccalaureate, master's, post-master's and doctoral.

Kirschling was drawn to USM, she says, by the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaborations, both within the college, which in addition to the nursing programs includes the Sports Medicine and Recreation and Leisure Studies programs, and with other university schools. It is "uniquely positioned" among other regional nursing programs, she said, because of the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration in research and courses. "It is wonderful to be at a College of Nursing that is part of a full-service, comprehensive university," Kirschling said. She also was pleased to see that the value of the school is recognized by the university as a whole.

Kirschling also said she was happy to be at a state school. "State education is an important vehicle for the citizens of Maine," she said. "At a state-supported school, there is more emphasis on collaboration with the community and service to citizens, both of which she values, she said.

When she visited USM, she was impressed by the quality of the nursing faculty and the college's achievements. "The quality of work here will enable the school to go to the next level in contributing to the university and to the state," Kirschling said.

Prior to joining UR in 1996, Kirschling was associate dean for graduate studies at Oregon Health Sciences University School of Nursing in Portland, where she had joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1984 and became a full professor in 1995.

Kirschling used a year-long sabbatical leave from teaching in 1991 to serve as a psychiatric nurse in a visiting nurse home care program. She also worked as a staff nurse and supervised nursing care at various health care centers in Portland, Oregon, where she specialized in terminally ill patients and their families in a home care hospice program, and in Indianapolis. Her publications have focused on the care of terminally ill patients and their families, and on care for elderly patients, as well as support for bereaved families.

Pirani heads Admissions

David Pirani, formerly the director of admissions at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, has been hired as our new director of admissions. He has 11 years of experience in admissions at four different schools.

Before joining LeMoyne in 1996, he was the director of admissions at Anna Maria College from 1994 to 1996, and senior assistant director of admissions at Bentley College, which he joined as an assistant director in 1989.

At LeMoyne, Pirani led an admission team that increased applications by 40 percent; and in 1998, the school enrolled their largest freshman class in ten years. Additionally, he is proud that the entering students were of higher academic quality and included a higher percentage of students from under-represented populations. He points to similar successes at Anna Maria College and Bentley.

Pirani reorganized the admissions process at LeMoyne and Anna Maria College, and used direct mail and other marketing strategies to reposition the institutions and increase the number of queries from potential students. His team at LeMoyne exceeded the target enrollment goal in 1998.

A member of the New England Association for College Admission Counseling, Pirani served the board as secretary for 1995-96. He is also a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the College Board and the Massachusetts School Counselors Association.

Pirani started his career after graduating from Boston College in 1980 as a junior high science teacher in Maryland and moved to middle and upper level science at Miami Country Day School in Florida. Shifting careers, he became an admissions counselor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and worked with the director on marketing, recruitment, enrollment and retention efforts. In 1990, he completed an M.Ed. in counseling at Bridgewater State College. He attended the Harvard Summer Institute on College Admission in 1990 and the NACAC's Management Experience in College Admission in 1998.

Pirani, who started at USM on September 16, will be located in the Admissions House on Husky Drive in Gorham.

Roberts for EEO

Kathleen Roberts also joined USM this fall as the new executive director of campus pluralism and equal opportunity, replacing Sue Ellen Bordwell. Roberts comes to USM from the Maine Department of the Attorney General, where since 1997 she was the assistant director of the Civil Rights Unit and drug prosecution manager. For the Civil Rights Unit, Roberts supervised investigation and litigation of civil rights cases, provided training for educators and law enforcement officers on diversity and civil rights issues, and worked with the refugee community to promote understanding of government.

She is passionate about civil rights, she said as a candidate for the position at USM. In her new role, she will implement the Diversity Plan.

Roberts was assistant attorney general in the department's Public Protection Division from 1994 to 1997, trying consumer fraud as well as civil rights cases. She also designed a training program on Violence in the Workplace for consumer mediators, complaint examiners and investigators.

Prior to moving to the state AG's office, Roberts was assistant district attorney for the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office for three years. In 1987-88, she was a community development advisor for the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa. Her background also includes health care management.

She earned her bachelor's degree from Colorado State University, a master's in counseling from Lesley College, and her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law. Roberts is located on the seventh floor of the law building, Portland.

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