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Concordia University Irvine names Cheryl Smythe-Padgham as new Assistant Dean and Director of Nursing Program

IRVINE, Calif. (June 14, 2017) Concordia University Irvine (CUI) today announced the appointment of Cheryl Smythe-Padgham, DNP, RN, WHNP-BC, as the new Assistant Dean and Director of the university's Nursing Program. In her new role, Smythe-Padgham will continue the Nursing Department's mission to produce caring, compassionate, and competent bachelor's- and master's degree-prepared nurses for the 21st century.

Cheryl Smythe-Padgham

"Dr. Smythe-Padgham's wide breadth of nursing experience, her strong background in academia and her holistic approach to nursing, fit seamlessly with the core tenets of our nursing program—caring, compassion and competence," said Concordia University Irvine President Kurt Krueger. "We are proud to have Dr. Smythe-Padgham lead the Nursing Department's dedicated faculty and continue our longstanding partnerships with superb clinical agencies to produce nurses who are sought after in the healthcare arena."

In April, Smythe-Padgham joined Concordia University Irvine from the American University of Health Sciences (AUHS), where she served as Assistant Dean/Nursing Instructor. She began her career as a labor and delivery nurse over 25 years ago. She worked as a women’s health nurse practitioner in both private and community care settings for 17 years in Orange and Los Angeles counties and practiced in primarily underserved communities in order to serve the needs of women, mothers and babies. In 2009, she began her career in academia as a nursing faculty member at AUHS. There, she became an the Assistant Dean in 2012, served as Interim Dean in 2015, and continued serving as Assistant Dean/Nursing Instructor through early 2017.

Smythe-Padgham earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the Southern California State University Consortium. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of California, San Francisco and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern California. Active in the community, she has participated in food giveaways, toy giveaways and health fairs. She is a member of the Association of California Nurse Leaders and the California Association of Nurse Practitioners. In 2016, Smythe-Padgham's contributions were added to the textbook Transcultural Nursing: Assessment and Intervention by Dr. Joyce Newman Giger.

About Concordia University Irvine

Concordia University Irvine (CUI) is a non-profit Lutheran Christian four-year liberal arts university that prepares students for their vocations—their calling in life. Concordia offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in education, nursing, theology, business, and coaching/athletics administration. CUI’s undergraduate program is distinctive because of its nationally recognized core curriculum, Enduring Questions & Ideas, and its Lutheran heritage that provides a thoughtful and caring Christian community that lives out the theology of "Grace Alone. Faith Alone." Concordia is a U.S. News Top Tier Regional University and has been named by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the fastest growing private nonprofit master's institutions. The university is part of the Concordia University System, the second largest education ministry system in the United States just behind the Catholic Church. The private university enrolls over 4,000 students annually and is in its final year of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Membership process.

CONTACT:
Orith Farago
Communications Consultant
(714) 582-2300
[email protected]

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