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Leslie Robbins Appointed Dean of the UTEP School of Nursing

Last Updated on February 03, 2020 at 12:00 AM

Originally published February 03, 2020

By UC Staff

UTEP Communications

Leslie K. Robbins, Ph.D., has been appointed Dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at El Paso, effective Feb. 1, 2020. Robbins has served in the role in an interim capacity since September 2019. As dean, she holds the Charles H. and Shirley T. Leavell Endowed Chair II in Nursing.

Leslie K. Robbins, Ph.D., has been appointed Dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at El Paso, effective Feb. 1, 2020. Robbins has served in the role in an interim capacity since September 2019. As dean, she holds the Charles H. and Shirley T. Leavell Endowed Chair II in Nursing. Photo: UTEP Communications
Leslie K. Robbins, Ph.D., has been appointed Dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at El Paso, effective Feb. 1, 2020. Robbins has served in the role in an interim capacity since September 2019. As dean, she holds the Charles H. and Shirley T. Leavell Endowed Chair II in Nursing. Photo: UTEP Communications

“The UTEP nursing program is very important to the Paso del Norte region, and Leslie is the right leader to continue to advance the program and meet the needs of the community we serve,” UTEP President Heather Wilson said.

Robbins has rich experience of more than 40 years in nursing, with a special focus on nursing administration and nursing education. She arrived at UTEP in 2009 and quickly played a key role in the school’s efforts to establish the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in 2010. Before serving as interim dean, she was Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Professor of Nursing, and she held the Orville E. Egbert, M.D., Endowed Chair in Nursing and Health Sciences.

“I feel honored and privileged to serve as dean of the UTEP School of Nursing,” Robbins said. “UTEP has a long history of educating highly qualified nurses and nursing leaders, and I look forward to continuing that tradition. With support from the school’s faculty, students and staff, we will continue to expand our impact on health care practices in the region by growing our undergraduate and graduate programs, creating new health-related research opportunities and developing strong community partnerships.”  

Robbins earned an associate degree in nursing from Garland County Community College in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. She received a master’s degree in nursing from UTEP, and a doctoral degree in nursing from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is a certified adult psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner, and an adult psychiatric and mental health clinical nurse specialist. She was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2014 and the National League for Nursing in 2018.

“Dr. Robbins has been instrumental to maintaining the momentum and trajectory of the School of Nursing over the last few years,” said John Wiebe, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “She has an exciting vision for the future of the school, and I look forward to working closely with her and the faculty of nursing to build on UTEP’s nationally recognized reputation for nursing education.”