Dean of Nursing stepping back after 15 years

As he prepares to step back from serving as dean of Auburn’s College of Nursing (CON), Gregg E. Newschwander is reflecting on just how far the college has come since he arrived in 2009.

“At that time, we had about 130 students in the undergraduate major and 12 students in the graduate program,” Newschwander said. “Today, we have 1,200 students in pre-nursing, the baccalaureate programs, the master’s program and two doctoral programs.”

Under his tenure, the college also has grown from 12 faculty members to more than 40 and moved to a massive new building in 2017.

“The transformation in our facility has been amazing,” Newschwander said. “When I got here, we were in Miller Hall. Now, this building is about 90,000 square feet, and the skills lab and the simulation suite we have are as high tech as they can be.”

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Newschwander is being recognized for his leadership at the same time the college celebrates its 45^th anniversary in June. His contributions over the past 15 years include the implementation of online degree and certificate programs for graduate students and significant growth in faculty grants and research. He has also increased the number of CON outreach programs from five to 37 and elevated the program’s standings in national rankings, including its first top-10 ranking in U.S. News & World Report in 2022. 

Newschwander holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University, a master’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver and a doctorate from Marquette University. The college is currently conducting a national search for a new dean, and Newschwander is leaving CON in good hands for its next leader.

“I could never have anticipated the level of pride and passion I have observed among our faculty, staff, students and alumni each and every day,” he said. “People talk about Auburn being a special place, and I agree with that. The college itself offers sort of a small college feel with big university resources, and that, to me, is the best of both worlds.”