ST. CROIX — As Crucian nurse, educator, and academic administrator Safiya George prepares to return to her alma mater to lead the University of the Virgin Islands as its sixth president beginning August 1, she emphasized the importance of elevating the student experience and building capacity for faculty and staff.
After receiving her associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from UVI and working as a registered nurse at the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center, George continued her higher education.
“While working at Juan Luis, I saw that there was a shortage of nurses, but I also saw that there was a need for nurses with advanced training to be able to make a bigger impact, to be honest, in order to help more people,” she said, noting her desire to become a nurse educator.
George received a master’s degree in nursing and a doctorate in nursing research from Emory University in Atlanta, completing a postdoctoral fellowship in religion and health at Duke University in North Carolina. She earned a post-master’s teaching certificate from Emory. She has taught nursing at Emory, the University of Alabama, and Florida Atlantic University. She served as the assistant dean for Research, and as the director of Scholarly Affairs at the University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing.
With over a decade of academic and executive level organizational leadership experience, UVI noted that George has a proven track record of advancing academic success, research, innovation, and efficiency in higher education. She will transition to her new role as UVI president after serving as dean and professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing since July 2019.
“Becoming a president has been a longstanding dream and goal for many reasons, including my love for interdisciplinary engagement and my keen ability to foster collaboration and productivity among scholars, students, staff, and others from different disciplines,” George said in a UVI statement. “As a servant leader, I am confident I will be an effective president for the University of the Virgin Islands and will remain humble and grounded with a sincere desire to improve outcomes and the lives of students, faculty, staff, and the community.”
UVI announced on February 9 that its board of trustees voted to appoint George to serve as the university’s sixth president following an extensive selection process. She will succeed UVI President David Hall, who began his tenure as the university’s president nearly 15 years ago on August 1, 2009.
“We will remain eternally grateful to Dr. Hall for his exemplary leadership and commitment to this university’s success and exponential growth for so many years,” Henry Smock, UVI board chair, said in a statement. “As UVI looks to the future, we are pleased to welcome Dr. George, knowing she is uniquely qualified to address the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and propel this university forward in our ongoing quest for excellence.”
As dean of Florida Atlantic University’s College of Nursing, George oversees about 1,400 students and programs on three campuses in addition to running two nurse-led health centers. She said the number of enrolled students in FAU’s College of Nursing is a little less than UVI, noting the similarity. She leads the nursing deans throughout the state of Florida in private and public schools, was chair-elect of the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing, and was a board member of an international nursing organization with more than 30,000 members in addition to serving in other leadership positions within the organization. She said she also serves on other executive boards, noting her level of leadership spans beyond education. She participated in a national leadership program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for teams of researchers and community partners.
“All those experiences combined give me the very unique perspectives that are not just tied to nursing or just tied to health care to lead a university like University of the Virgin Islands with these multiple lenses of really championing excellence in education and research and in service,” George said. “So, I think the skill sets that I’ll bring, as well as being an alum of the university will be unique, something the university has not yet had.”
UVI has a strong team of employees in place who love the university, who are committed to the institution’s success, and who are committed to student success, George said.
“So, we're going to work together to elevate the student experience, do what's needed and best for students to help them succeed, and to help the university to continue to serve as a beacon of hope for the community,” she said.
George said she is waiting until she gives her first university address on August 16 to discuss her goals as the incoming president so the UVI community can hear about them from her directly. She said, however, her primary goal will focus on students.
“That will be key — prioritizing students and elevating the student experience,” she said. “So, there are lots of things that go along with that.”
George also stressed her desire to build capacity for UVI’s faculty and staff, noting that she must learn what the university’s educators need to better support students. She said she must also understand the different ways UVI supports its faculty in addition to the structural barriers faculty members are experiencing. She said she has several ideas, but she also needs to hear more from stakeholders about what matters most.
“I’ll get a better sense once I’m there and on the ground, and then see how my ideas gel, but the No. 1 priority will be students first,” she said.
As George prepares to make the transition to leading UVI as its new president from serving as dean and professor at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Nursing, she said she is thoroughly looking forward to it. She noted she made significant improvements at FAU.
“I’ve been here five years and we’ve accomplished so much; they’ll tell you,” she said. “But it’s nothing like coming back to my own alma mater from not just where I attended, but also coming home to then really make some positive impact on the community, on the students, and also appreciating what the faculty and staff who are there on the ground have been able to accomplish with what they have and so, I'm looking forward to it very wholeheartedly.”
